Cost of Roku devices rising as company cites RAM shortages
Cost of Roku devices rising as company cites RAM shortages
Increases are affecting Roku models across the board as the company scrounges for more memory.
The price of a Roku streaming device is going up in the United States. Roku makes a streaming player to fit essentially every need; basic TV watchers can have a consistent and reliable experience with the Roku Streaming Stick HD, and those who want to stream in 4K or more premium formats can check out the Roku Streaming Stick 4K or the Roku Ultra. Roku is also known as budget-friendly, but that reputation may be about to take a hit, as the company is raising prices across the board for its beloved streaming hardware.
Key Details:
- All inclusive: Roku is raising the price of all its streaming players.
- Not enough: The company blames the lack of available RAM for the increase in prices.
- No small increase: Some devices are going up by as much as $50.
Roku says its decision to increase prices on its line of streaming players is thanks to a shortage in RAM. The sudden surge in construction of AI data centers has left essentially all electronics manufacturers scrounging for RAM, and Roku is no exception.
All Roku devices will be affected, and some devices are rising in price by as much as 60%. Roku-branded smart TVs are less simple to track, but so far don’t appear to be affected by the same wave of price increases. Check out how much each Roku device will cost once the increases take effect at your chosen retailer:
| Roku device | Old price | New price | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roku Streaming Stick HD | $30 | $40 | $10 |
| Roku Streaming Stick Plus | $40 | $60 | $20 |
| Roku Streaming Stick Plus with Fox One | $60 | $80 | $20 |
| Roku Streaming Stick 4K | $50 | $80 | $30 |
| Roku Ultra | $100 | $150 | $50 |
| Roku Streambar | $100 | $150 | $50 |
Customers who are shopping for lower-cost alternatives to Roku, which generally run $5 to $10 cheaper than their Roku counterparts. Roku is the most-used smart TV operating system in the United States, but that popularity may take a hit in light of its new price increase.
The prce increases comes at an interesting time for Roku, which is in the process of being acquired by Fox. Along with RAM shortages, it’s possible that Fox wants to boost the financial performance of Roku’s device manufacturing arm, either to make it a healthier revenue generator once it owns Roku, or to make that segment of the company more attractive to prospective buyers.
Roku Channel
The Roku Channel is a free, ad-supported streaming service that offers a broad mix of movies, TV shows, live linear channels, and original programming. Available to all viewers — not just Roku device owners — the service features licensed content from major studios alongside Roku Originals, which include exclusive series, movies, and specials previously produced for Quibi, as well as new original projects developed specifically for the platform.