Roku Ultra vs Roku Ultra LT: Which streaming box should you prefer?

Roku makes a bunch of media streaming devices. If you want to buy a new Roku, you may have come across the Roku Ultra and the Roku Ultra LT. These two devices are very similar, but there is a slight difference in price and features. So, which Roku Ultra should you prefer? The regular Ultra or the LT variant? We explore the differences in these similarly-named media streaming boxes in this Roku Ultra vs Roku Ultra LT article.

Roku Ultra vs Roku Ultra LT: At a glance

Roku Ultra vs Roku Ultra LT: Specs

As you can see, the Roku Ultra and the Roku Ultra LT are very similar.

The media streaming box is the same, with the Ultra LT missing out on the USB 3.0 port on the back.

Curiously, Roku mentions the weight of both boxes to be the same, though we presume that the Ultra LT will be slightly lighter as it has one less port and button.

A big chunk of the differences between the two streaming boxes are in the remote. The remotes may look similar, but the Ultra LT’s remote skips out certain functions despite including buttons for the same.

The Roku Ultra comes with the Roku Voice Remote Pro, while the Roku Ultra gets the standard Roku Voice Remote. The Voice Remote Pro has many nice features, including the ability to charge via USB-C, two user-programmable buttons, a “Hey Roku” wake word functionality, and the ability to have the remote make beeping sounds when lost. The standard Voice Remote uses 2x AA batteries and also misses out on the other functions.

Further, the most significant difference in technical specifications is that the Roku Ultra supports Dolby Atmos, but the Ultra LT does not. Both of them support Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG.

The Roku Ultra also comes with JBL-branded wired earphones in the box. In comparison, the Ultra LT comes with a generic pair of wired earphones in the box. Both of these earphones can be plugged into the remote for private listening.

Beyond these differences, the two media streaming boxes are the same. Both can connect to Wi-Fi and ethernet to let you access online content. You can stream the best movies and the best TV shows on both of these boxes. Both the boxes support 4K HDR content.

Both of them get automatic software updates for the underlying Roku OS. Supported OTT apps on both boxes include Roku Channel, Netflix, Spectrum, Apple TV Plus, Hulu, Tubi, Disney Plus, Peacock, Max (formerly known as HBO Max), Paramount+, YouTube TV, and more. You can also stream music through Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, iHeart, and more, on both.

Roku Ultra vs Roku Ultra LT: Price

There is a price difference between the launch pricing of the Roku Ultra and the Roku Ultra LT. However, since both these devices are a few years old, you can frequently spot them at a discount during the sale season. The Roku Ultra has gone down to as little as $70, while the Ultra LT has been spotted at $30. However, prices rise back up once the sale period ends.

The Roku Ultra LT is a Walmart-exclusive product. There are listings for the Ultra LT on Amazon, but beware, as they are for the older generation, which has a blue box. The current generation Ultra LT has a purple box, similar to the Ultra’s. If you want to purchase the Ultra LT, be sure to buy it from Walmart and match the model number to the ones we mention.

Roku Ultra vs Roku Ultra LT: Which streaming box should you buy?

The Roku Ultra and Ultra LT are similar products, with very few dollars separating them. We recommend the Roku Ultra to most people since it offers a complete experience. The Roku Ultra LT makes sense only if you are getting it at throwaway prices, and even then, an argument can be made about upgrading to the Ultra since the price difference is not that much.

So, if you are in the market for a new media streaming box, buy the Roku Ultra. You should only buy the Roku Ultra LT if you need to save money.