Best streaming devices 2024

The quality of the best streaming devices has grown drastically, as one tech company after another has launched new streaming dongles with impressive specs and shockingly low prices. Devices like the Chromecast with Google TV have shifted consumers' expectations, with Google proving Dolby streaming and innovative AI tech that doesn't need to cost you a ton of money.

With so many fresh and affordable streaming devices to choose from, we're breaking down the options to help you find the one that will fit your needs best. Whether you need something affordable and versatile or something specifically for your preferred ecosystem of tech, these are all the very best streaming devices.

At a glance

Best overall

Chromecast was one of the first devices that allowed people to add smart features to their TVs, but it has come a long way since then. The current Chromecast with Google TV, for example, comes with a remote control with Google Assistant built-in. Not only that, the Google TV interface means you don't need to mess with your phone to stream on your TV. The 2022 version of Chromecast with Google TV comes in two versions, a cheap 1080p model and an upgraded 4K model.

As we saw in our Chromecast with Google TV (HD) review, this cheaper model is an excellent value and a great way to upgrade your TV experience in just a few minutes. Streaming video at 1080p still looks great and HDR10+ support makes sure your colors look amazing on a compatible display. The fact of the matter is that many people won't notice the difference between 4K and 1080p at a normal viewing distance outside of a side-by-side test.

It comes with Google TV to make it quick and easy to launch the app you're looking for. You can still cast to your Chromecast from your phone as well. If you're looking for an affordable, yet high-quality streaming experience, Chromecast with Google TV (HD) is a strong pick.

If you do still want 4K, you can grab that version if you're willing to spend a bit more. The 4K version also gets an upgrade to support Dolby Vision HDR. Whether or not this upgrade will be worth it for you depends on your TV and subscriptions: if you pay for 4K quality streaming or a set-top box, you'll want to be able to get the best picture possible. The 4K version also comes in two more colors, which doesn't matter much for the unit hiding behind the TV, but may be worth it to some thanks to the matching remote.

While we haven't reviewed it yet, the Google TV Streamer the company announced this year ups the ante and can be used to control Google and Matter smart home devices as well, and boasts Gemini integration. It's worth considering as another step-up option as well.

Best 4K

Most of our top streaming picks cater to Android or Apple users or are universally compatible but don't specialize in any one tech ecosystem or voice assistant. But many people consider Alexa to be the best voice assistant available today, and if you want a streaming dongle with built-in Alexa commands, then your best choice is, of course, a Fire TV Stick.

Of the Amazon Fire TV family, we selected the Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2023) as the device that most shoppers should choose, as a close rival to the Chromecast with Google TV in specs and features. Both streaming dongles have identical support for 4K, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos. Each lets you contact their respective voice assistants with the touch of a button. We actually like the Alexa remote more because it has dedicated rewind and fast-forward buttons. Our Fire TV 4K Max (2023) review did find the ads to be a bit too much using this device however.

However, we didn't hesitate to put Chromecast with Google TV above the Fire TV Stick 4K on our best streaming device list. For one thing, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is powered via micro-USB, while Chromecast with Google TV uses USB-C; with the latter, you can connect your Chromecast to a USB-C hub. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max also supports Wi-Fi 6, so your videos can stream in higher quality with less time wasted on buffering.

One interesting addition to the 2023 model is Ambient Mode, which allows you to choose from thousands of pieces of museum-quality art and photography to display on screen when you aren't watching. This effectively turns your TV into a painting or framed photo on the wall. 

Nevertheless, if you prefer Alexa and Fire OS 8, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2023) gets you an excellent level of quality in a tiny, bargain-priced streaming device.

Best for Apple ecosystem

For regular Apple users, the choice of the best streaming device is a simple one. Apple TV 4K (2022) is built to accommodate your iOS devices with AirPlay 2, serve as a HomeKit hub for your smart home cams, plays or displays your iTunes purchases or iCloud photos, allows you to play Apple Arcade games, do Apple Fitness+ workouts, and puts Apple TV+ shows front and center. With the latest OS update, you can even continue or initiate a FaceTime call on the big screen. For everyone else, however, the Apple TV 4K is a rather expensive streaming box that doesn't cater to other tech ecosystems.

That said, Apple TV 4K doesn't just coast on its brand name, cramming several useful features into its premium streaming device to try and justify the high cost. For instance, one version has a gigabit ethernet port for consistent internet speeds while streaming Dolby Vision and Atmos content with support for HDR10+ as well. This 2022 version has a powerful A15 Bionic chip that makes menus and searches move faster than the norm. 

It also has a Picture-in-Picture mode that lets you use two different apps at once on your TV; and it supports several live TV services, including Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV, Sling TV, and Charter Spectrum. The improved Siri remote has a touch-enabled click pad for ease of use and precise control. You can also use your iPhone to color calibrate the screen.

As for its negatives, they're fairly predictable. The price is still a bit steep, as you get many of the same specs that you'll find on the Chromecast with Google TV at a quarter of the cost. You must also rely on Siri for voice commands, instead of Alexa or Google Assistant.

Best upgrade

Before Chromecast with Google TV hit the streaming scene, there were other companies offering for Android TV streaming dongles, and NVIDIA Shield TV was at the top of our best Android TV boxes list. Now, new Chromecasts have the retooled Google TV streaming library, while Android TV devices lack the new Knowledge Graph of personalized recommendations.

So why have we kept the Shield TV on our current list of best streaming devices? That's thanks to its still-impressive specs highlighted by its unique upscaling tech. We break down NVIDIA's AI-enhanced upscaling in greater detail here, but the gist is that NVIDIA can take 720p or 1080p content and enhance it in real-time to 4K at 30 FPS. All 4K TVs upscale non-4K content by default to fill in the missing pixels, but this process does this intelligently, so that it looks to be shot natively in 4K.

Upscaling aside, Shield TV has Google Assistant built into the remote, plays content up to Dolby Vision and Atmos, has two Mimo Wi-Fi antennas or Gigabit Ethernet for fast streaming, and lets you expand its storage via the microSD card slot. Gamers can also take advantage of GeForce Now, the game streaming service that lets you access your Steam library of games wirelessly on your television.

Best versatile

Roku is one of the most popular streaming brands in the world because of its near-universal compatibility with various apps and tech companies. The Roku Ultra hosts all of the major streaming platforms, has Bluetooth 5.0 support to connect with any phone, and works with both your Alexa or Google Assistant speakers. Moreover, it supports Apple AirPlay 2 and HomeKit, making it a good future-proof choice for Apple users.

It's also true that the Roku Ultra is somewhat pricey, considering the Roku Streaming Stick+ also offers 4K HDR video at half the price, and neither has an embedded voice assistant. Yet we still consider the Roku Ultra the best Roku device to buy. The cheaper Stick+ model lacks the Ultra's USB port for expandable storage, 100 Mbps ethernet port, Bluetooth connectivity, and vastly improved remote control.

The Streaming Stick+ comes with a basic remote featuring TV controls and a button to activate your smart speaker's listening mode. But the Roku Ultra remote has a built-in headphone jack and ships with JBL headphones to listen to your TV audio privately, as well as two customizable shortcut buttons that let you jump immediately to your favorite streaming platforms. Plus, if you ever lose the remote, the Roku Ultra has a button that activates a noisemaker on the remote to help you find it.

If you want a streaming device that doesn't bother with TV and film recommendations and displays a simple interface of your favorite apps (not to mention you get access to tons of free content via Roku Channels), then you should strongly consider the Roku Ultra.

Best bar

Sticks, dongles, TVs — all the typical names for streaming devices fixate on how small they are or the video content they can stream. Yet certain streaming devices go far beyond that, bundling in other useful features like smart speaker tech. Of these hybrid devices, our favorite is undoubtedly the Roku Streambar.

Along with all the streaming capabilities of a Roku Streaming Stick+, the Roku Streambar is also a fully functional 2.0-channel sound bar. It has four 1.9" full-range speakers, two front-firing, and two side-firing. Altogether, these speakers project a wide soundstage that will reverberate around your living room.

While not as advanced as the Roku Ultra — the Streambar can stream 4K HDR10 and Dolby Audio, but not Dolby Vision or Dolby Atmos, and has a non-customizable remote control — this device ensures your audio and video streaming combine to only take up one HDMI slot. With Bluetooth 5 support for your music streaming, an ethernet port for consistent internet, and continued support for Alexa and Google Assistant, the Streambar is more than worthy of sitting under your living room television.

Best cheap

Even if most streaming sticks today include 4K capabilities by default, shoppers with FHD TVs can save some money and buy the entry-level versions of our top picks. Amazon, Roku, and Google all sell 1080p-only streaming devices. Still, our personal favorite is the new Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite, which was built from recycled materials and has a low power mode whenever it's not in use to spare your electricity bill.

Despite its lightweight name, the Fire TV Stick Lite is actually 50% faster with Alexa commands and more powerful than the last generation of Fire TV Sticks. It also has the same quad-core processor and 8GB storage as the Fire TV Stick 4K. Amazon has promised a new upcoming Fire TV update that will let you make up to six discrete profiles with personalized recommendations, as well as add improved Alexa navigation controls. Once the update rolls out, the Fire TV Stick Lite will access the same new interface as all the other, more expensive Sticks.

Getting the latest version of Alexa and the Fire OS for this price is a great deal. Of course, the low price means you're missing out on key features like 4K video, a remote that can control your television, Dolby Atmos, and so on. But if you're happy with FHD and HDR-resolution video, why waste money when the Fire TV Stick Lite gives you everything you need?

Best for gamers

Of the current-generation video game consoles, the Xbox Series X/S is undoubtedly the best entertainment console overall and a popular gaming console. Both versions can stream content in 4K and HDR and Dolby Vision, though only the Series X comes with a physical Blu-ray Drive.

Unfortunately, this generation of Xbox consoles is removing the HDMI-In port, as well as the optical audio port for connecting it to a sound system. So while they'll still be just as handy for streaming content, they're not quite the same as the Xbox One series in terms of acting as a total entertainment hub.

Obviously, you won't want to buy the Xbox Series X/S solely for streaming, as you can get similar streaming specs with any dongle for a fraction of the price of a gaming console. And other streaming devices do offer gaming services like Apple Arcade, Stadia, and GeForce Now. Yet none of those services matches the comprehensive library of console games you get with a true gaming console. Of the consoles available today, Microsoft has done the best job of curating an excellent collection of streaming apps.

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Make your TV smarter without compromise

If this guide shows anything, it's that the further a streaming device's price tag rises above $50, the harder it becomes to justify the amount. Google, Amazon, and Roku sell excellent devices at that threshold or lower, and they often incorporate tech like Dolby Vision that was once reserved for "pro" devices, at no extra cost.

Of these supposedly budget streaming options, the Chromecast with Google TV (HD) should be one of your first considerations. It has an excellent user interface thanks to Google TV and with the newer 1080p options, it's one of the most affordable streaming devices available. We also love that Google Assistant is available right from the remote.

Combining convenience and power, the Chromecast with Google TV is an obvious choice for any buyer who isn't already attached to another company's tech, such as Amazon's or Apple's.