Which major streaming devices have the best video game options?
Which major streaming devices have the best video game options?
From slicing fruit to running through temples, we break down the best streaming devices for gaming.
Let’s be straight up front: Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and other TV-first streaming devices aren’t going to satisfy serious gamers. They’re good for the casual fun of time-killers like “Super Fruit Ninja” and “Hello Kitty Island Adventure,” but fans of “Minecraft” and “Grand Theft Auto” should stick to Xbox or PlayStation.
But, if you’re not a hardcore gamer (like myself — I had to look up the popularity stats of “Minecraft” and “GTA”), standard TV streamers do offer some limited gaming features to play between seasons of “The Last of Us” and “Twisted Metal.”
Roku
Roku Ultra
- Price: $100
- Size: 4.9 x 4.9 x 0.9 inches
- Resolution: HD, 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision
- Audio: Digital Stereo, Dolby Atmos, DTS Digital Surround
- Ports: HDMI, USB, Ethernet
- Remote: Roku Voice Remote Pro
The Ultra is Roku’s top streaming device, featuring 4K, HDR, and Dolby Vision video resolution, as well as Dolby Atmos and DTS Digital Surround audio. It comes standard with the Roku Voice Remote Pro, complete with backlit keys and a USB-C charging port.
The Roku Voice Remote Pro (or the Roku mobile app on your phone) will also be the controller for most of the games available through the Roku Channel Store. To download them, click the “Home” button and navigate to the left to “Streaming Channels” and then to “Games.” After you “Add Channel” (the game), it’ll appear as a tile on your Roku home screen among your other streaming apps.
Roku Streambar
- Price: $130
- Size: 14.0 x 4.2 x 2.4 inches
- Resolution: HD, 4K, HDR
- Audio: Digital Stereo, Dolby Audio, PCM
- Ports: HDMI, USB, optical audio
- Remote: Roku Voice Remote
The Roku Streambar is a space-saving hybrid of a streaming device and a soundbar, minus a few features of the Ultra. It supports 4K and HDR resolution, as well as Dolby Audio sound. For smaller spaces, the Roku Streambar SE shaves off inches in size and dollars in price. Both come with Roku’s standard Voice Remote, though the Voice Remote Pro is available as a separate upgrade.
The gaming capabilities of the Roku Streambar are the same as the Ultra’s, and it features the same access to Roku’s hundreds of games, both free and for purchase.
Roku Streaming Stick 4K
- Price: $50
- Size: 3.7 x 0.8 x 0.5 inches
- Resolution: HD, 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision
- Audio: Digital Stereo, DTS Digital Surround
- Ports: HDMI, USB
- Remote: Roku Voice Remote
It’s smaller than the Soundbar, but the Roku Streaming Stick 4K carries over most of the same specs as the Ultra, including 4K and Dolby Vision video resolution, and DTS Digital Surround audio. It’s one of the best, if not the best, streaming sticks on the market.
The Roku Streaming Stick 4K gives you access to all of the games in the Roku Channel Store, like Angry Birds Star Wars, Jungle Adventures, and Wheel of Fortune.
Roku Streaming Stick Plus
- Price: $40
- Size: 3.7 x 0.80 x .45 inches
- Resolution: HD, 4K, HDR
- Audio: Digital Stereo, DTS Digital Surround, Dolby Audio
- Ports: HDMI, USB-C
- Remote: Roku Voice Remote
The recently-released Roku Streaming Stick Plus ranks between the full-featured Streaming Stick 4K and the no-frills Streaming Stick as a $40 purchase. It can display 4K and HDR video resolution, and features DTS Digital Surround and Dolby Audio sound output. If you’re looking to avoid buying a new 4K TV, the Roku Streaming Stick Plus is a simple and inexpensive upgrade.
As with all Roku devices, you can download and play basic games from the Roku Channel Store on the Streaming Stick Plus.
Roku Streaming Stick
- Price: $30
- Size: 3.7 x 0.80 x .45 inches
- Resolution: HD
- Audio: Digital Stereo
- Ports: HDMI, USB-C
- Remote: Roku Voice Remote
Like the Streaming Stick Plus, the Roku Streaming Stick was released in 2025 as the brand’s new budget device. It features standard 1080p high-def video resolution and digital stereo audio, and, at just $30, the Roku Streaming Stick is a great entry-level device for cord-cutting newbies testing the stream.
Even without the bells and whistles of Roku’s pricier devices, the Roku Streaming Stick is compatible with all the games from the Roku Channel Store — you don’t need 4K video and Dolby Atmos sound to play Sudoku, after all.
Amazon Fire TV
Amazon Fire TV Cube
- Price: $110
- Size: 3.4 x 3.4 x 3.0 inches
- Resolution: HD, 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision
- Audio: Digital Stereo, Dolby Atmos
- Ports: HDMI, Ethernet, USB
- Remote: Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced
The Fire TV Cube is Amazon’s premier streaming device, a black block featuring 4K, HDR, and Dolby Vision picture resolution and Dolby Atmos sound, as well as a USB port for external content and an Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced controller. If you’re a heavy Prime Video and Alexa user, the Fire TV Cube should have a place on your entertainment center (if it doesn’t already).
The Amazon Appstore features hundreds of basic games to play, including Asteroids, Fruit Cutter, and SpongeBob SquarePants Bounce. Amazon Prime subscribers can browse the “Games” section in the Appstore, then download selected games (most of which are free). The Fire TV remote will act as your controller, or you can download and use the Fire TV app on your phone as a remote.
Amazon Fire Stick 4K
- Price: $30
- Size: 4.25 x 1.18 x 0.55 inches
- Resolution: HD, 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision
- Audio: Digital Stereo, Dolby Atmos
- Ports: HDMI, Micro USB
- Remote: Alexa Voice Remote
The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K features most of the same specs as the Cube, just in a smaller package: 4K, HDR, and Dolby Vision picture, and Dolby Atmos audio. The Fire TV Stick 4K comes with a standard Alexa Voice Remote, as does the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, which features twice the storage capacity (something to consider if you plan on loading a lot of games).
The Fire TV Stick 4K is compatible with all of the same Amazon Appstore games as the Cube.
Apple TV
Apple TV 4K
- Price: $160–$190
- Size: 3.7 x 3.70 x 1.2 inches
- Resolution: HD, 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision
- Audio: Digital Sound, Dolby Audio, Dolby Atmos
- Ports: HDMI, Ethernet
- Remote: Siri Remote
The Apple TV 4K is Apple’s lone streaming TV device, which is due for an upgrade in 2025. In addition to 4K, HDR, and Dolby Vision picture quality and Dolby Atmos sound, the next-gen Apple TV 4K will reportedly feature Apple-exclusive Bluetooth and WiFi hardware, as well as an AI component.
Unlike Roku and Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV treats games as an equal feature instead of an afterthought. The Apple Arcade features around 200 games, most of which you can’t find anywhere else — typically on-brand for Apple.
The games are ad-free and don’t require you to download them individually, but here’s the catch: You’ll need a $ 7-a-month Apple Arcade subscription to access them. Fortunately, Apple will give you a free month to try out the Arcade, or you can get three months free with the purchase of a new Apple product.
You can also buy compatible game controllers through the Apple Store, including the SteelSeries Nimbus+, the Sony PlayStation DualSense, and the CKRD NEO S controller.
Which games are available on Roku?
Games available through the Roku Channel Store include:
- 2048 Merge Challenge
- Air Hockey
- Angry Birds Star Wars
- Archery 3D
- Asteroid Shooter
- Backgammon
- Ball Breaker
- Basketball Shots
- Bike Racer
- Block Puzzle
- Boss Baby Backyard Racer
- Bubble Shooter
- Buffalo Gold Slots TV
- Burger!
- Cards Online
- Cash Village
- Castle Runner
- Chess
- Coin Town
- Color Bowl
- Color Jump
- Crazino
- Cups & Ball
- Darts
- Deal or No Deal
- Doodle Jump
- Doodle Jump Christmas
- Drag Racing
- Foosball
- Fruit Cutter
- Games Deluxe Casino
- Games of Chance
- Guess the Word
- Hangman
- Hearts
- Hill Rider
- Jungle Adventures
- Knife Smash
- Link
- Match Four
- Mission Destruction
- Missile Dodge
- Mr. Mahjong
- Neon Rider
- Ninja Kidz: the Game
- Pacmouse
- Pinball
- Pixel Dash
- Poker Online
- Pool
- Pro Racer
- Puppy Merge
- Rainbow Dash
- Retaliate
- Road Cross
- Road Fury
- Rock Paper Scissors
- Run CMD
- Snake
- Snakes & Ladders
- Soccer Shots
- Solitaire4 Us
- Sort It
- SpongeBob SquarePants
- Street Racer
- Stunt Extreme
- Stunt Extreme
- Stunt Rider
- Sudoku Deluxe
- Super Maze! Ultimate
- Sweet Sugar
- Swing Hero
- Tetris
- TextTwist
- Tic Tac Toe
- Tiles
- Trivia Crack
- Vegas Games
- Wheel of Fortune
- World Poker Tour
- Zombie 3D
Which games are available on Amazon Fire TV?
Games available through the Amazon Appstore include:
- Ant Smash
- Asteroids
- Aussie Antics
- Baby Koala Craft
- Baseball 3D
- Beach Buggy Racing
- Bean Jump
- Billiards
- Bingo
- Bridge Runner
- Burger Attack Food Adventure
- Car Stunt Games
- Car Wash Empire
- Climb Up!
- Coco Clash
- Crazy Mad Truck Challenge 4x4 Racing
- Crossy Road
- Dominoes
- Dream Soccer 3D
- Drift Boss 2025
- Duck Life: Adventure Pixels
- Dungeon Survivors
- Extreme Buggy Race 3D
- Faily Brakes
- FarmLands Frenzy!
- Fidget Spinner Game
- Flappy Bird
- Flight Simulator
- Freekick Shootout
- Fruit Cutter
- Gangster Games Crime Simulator
- Ghostbusters
- Golden China
- Hangman Word Game
- Hill Cimb Racing
- Hungry Shark Evolution
- Jeopardy!
- Jet Force Elite: Combat & Flight Simulator
- Jumping Tomato
- Kitten Escape: Save the Kitten
- Knife Master
- Mega Adventure Bike 3D
- MemePlay Arcade
- Millionaire
- Mini Football
- Monster Truck Mania 3D
- Monster Truck Mayhem: World Tour
- Mortal Rim
- Moto X3M
- MouseBot
- Ninja Starlight
- Office Rush 3D
- One Line
- Orange Escape
- Ranger vs. Zombies
- Rocket Girl
- Sandwich Run: Pile Ingredients
- Santa Run 3D
- Sea Battle
- Ski Master
- Snake
- Snake Run
- Song Quiz
- Space Battle: Retro Arcade
- Space Invasion
- Space Wars: Hyper-Exciting Space Shooter
- SpongeBob SquarePants Bounce
- Strawberry Shortcake Dessert Dash
- Street Racer
- Super Skater
- Super Stack
- Taxi Shuttle 2025
- Tetris
- The Saloon
- Trivia
- Truth or Dare
- Van Adventure
- Wheel of Fortune
- Wizard Survivors
- Xtreme Formula Race 2025
What games are available on Apple TV?
Games available in the Apple Arcade include:
- Angry Birds Reloaded
- Ballistic Baseball
- Balto+
- Barbie Color Creations
- Bloons TD 6+
- Bobble: Arcade Edition
- Cooking Mama: Cuisine!
- Cornsweeper
- Crayola Create & Play+
- Crazy Eights: Card Games+
- Crossword Jam+
- Crossy Road Castle
- Cypher 007
- Dicey Dungeons
- Disney Dreamlight Valley
- Doodle Jump 2+
- Drive Ahead! Carcade
- Farmside
- Final Fantasy+
- Final Fantasy IV 3D
- Food Truck Pup
- Football Manager 2024 Touch
- Game of Life 2+
- Game Room
- Gears & Goo
- Hello Kitty Adventure Island
- Hill Climb Racing+
- Horizon Chase 2
- Hot Lave
- Hot Wheels: Race Off+
- Iron Marines+
- It’s Literally Just Mowing
- JellyCar Worlds
- Jet Dragon
- Kingdoms: Merge & Build
- Lego Brawls
- Lego Friends Heartlake Rush
- Limbo+
- Little Cities: Diorama
- Mini Motorways
- My Bowling 3D+
- My Dear Farm
- My Little Pony: Mane Merge
- NBA 2K25 Arcade Edition
- NFL Retro Bowl ‘25
- Oceanhorn 3D
- Outlanders 2
- Pac-Man Party Royale
- PGA Tour Pro Golf
- Piano Tiles 2+
- Puffies
- Punch Kick Duck+
- Rayman Mini
- Return to Monket Island+
- Rodeo Stampede
- RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic+
- Sesame Street Mecha Builders+
- Skate City: New York
- Slay the Spire
- Snake.io+
- Sneaky Sasquatch
- Sonic Dream Team
- Spider Solitaire
- SpongeBob: Patty Pursuit
- SpongeBob SquarePants
- Sudoku by MobilityWare+
- Super Fruit Ninja
- Super Monsters Ate My Condo+
- Synth Riders
- Taiko No TatsujinPop Tap Beat
- Teenage Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate
- Temple Run: Legends
- Temple Run: Puzzle Adventure
- Three Kingdoms Heroes
- Tint
- Tomb of the Mask+
- Trials of Mana
- Vampire Survivors+
- What the Clash?
- Wheel of Fortune Daily
Which other streaming device brands feature games?
Besides Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV streamers, these Android-based devices also feature basic gaming capability:
Google TV Streamer 4K: The successor to the Chromecast with Google TV dongle is a set-top box with 4K, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos capability. The Google TV Streamer 4K is compatible with many of the same downloadable games as Roku and Amazon Fire TV, and can also handle basic cloud gaming with services like GeForceNow (though the gamer reviews are less than stellar).
TiVo Stream 4K: Remember TiVo hard-drive DVRs from the early 2000s? The brand also makes a streaming device. Like Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Google Streamer 4K, the TiVo Stream 4K can support lo-fi games from Google Play. But, as a gaming center, it’s a decent Android-based TV streamer.
Onn Google TV 4K Streaming Box: Walmart’s ultra-cheap Onn Google TV 4K Streaming Box is flying off shelves both physical and digital, but can you game with it? Similar to the Google TV Streamer 4K and the TiVo Stream 4K, you can download and play basic games from the Google Play Store. It will also work with cloud gaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Amazon Luna, but don’t expect seamless, perfect streaming.