Roku still has a real place in 2026, especially for anyone who wants a cheap, simple way to bring streaming to an older TV. It is not the flashiest player in the game, and it is not trying to be. What it does offer is easy setup, a huge app lineup, and enough value to make a lot of people think twice before spending more on a brand-new smart TV.
The biggest selling point is still price. With entry-level Roku devices starting around $29.99, it is one of the easiest upgrades you can buy without replacing your screen. That matters for people who already like their TV and just want it to do more, especially when the alternative is dropping a lot more cash on a full new set.
Roku also keeps things pretty painless. The interface is straightforward, the app selection is broad, and the platform covers the basics most people care about, from live sports and news to major entertainment apps. On top of that, some models bring in voice search, personalized suggestions, and casting support, which makes the whole setup feel more useful without getting complicated.
For a lot of households, that combination is enough. It is the kind of device that gets out of the way and does its job, which is exactly what many viewers want. Independent reviews have continued to rate Roku as one of the stronger streaming choices in 2026, and that reputation still carries weight.
That said, Roku is not standing still, and not everyone is thrilled about the direction it is taking. The platform has leaned harder into advertising and recommendation-driven content discovery, which can make the experience feel more crowded than it used to. Roku says those changes help people find things faster, but many users see more ads as a step in the wrong direction.
There are also lingering complaints about hardware reliability and customer support. Those issues do not break the case for Roku on their own, but they do matter when you are deciding whether to buy into a platform for the long haul. If a device is supposed to make TV easier, the last thing people want is extra frustration when something goes wrong.
The bigger story now is what happens next. Fox’s $22 billion acquisition of Roku, announced in June 2026, could reshape the service in a major way. The plan brings together Fox’s live sports, news, and entertainment content with Roku’s streaming platform, the Roku Channel, and its connected TV technology, creating a much larger media footprint.
That deal has a lot of moving parts, and it is not hard to see why people are watching closely. Both companies say Roku will stay open to other partners, but Fox would still end up with control over both content and the platform itself. That kind of setup could lead to deeper integration, more aggressive recommendations, and possibly a different balance on the home screen than users are used to seeing.
For now, though, the short-term answer is pretty simple. The acquisition is not expected to close until 2027, so current Roku devices should keep working normally in the meantime. If anything changes in a noticeable way, the clearest clues will probably show up on the home screen first, whether that means more Fox content, more advertising, or a layout that feels a little less neutral than before.
So is Roku still worth buying? Yes, if what you want is affordability, ease, and a fast path to streaming without a lot of hassle. Just go in with your eyes open, because the same platform that still looks like a bargain today could feel noticeably different once the deal dust settles and the next version of Roku starts showing its cards.
