New Roku Express and Wireless Bass offer seamless streaming and powerful sound

What you need to know

• Roku announces two new products: the Express and the Wireless Bass.
• The Roku Express can be preordered today for $29.99, with shipments beginning in mid-October and retail release on October 16.
• The Roku Wireless Bass, a new subwoofer, can be preordered for $129.99, retail release on November 7.
• Customers can preorder the Roku Streambar and Wireless Bass bundle for $249.99, with its retail release beginning on November 7.

Roku announced two new products joining its streaming lineup: the Roku Express and Wireless Bass. Roku stated during the announcement of the two new products that both will continue "Roku’s commitment to providing a best-in-class streaming experience at accessible price points."

In addition, the company is also announcing a new update to its OS to improve content discovery and streamline navigation.

Roku Express (2022)

The new Roku Express features dual-band Wi-Fi, strengthening its streaming capabilities right out of the box. The new product includes a remote, features increased storage, includes an HDMI cable, and an expansive library of free live TV options as well as premium streaming selections.

Roku says the increased storage on the Express should boost its performance so viewers can enjoy an uninterrupted HD streaming experience at home. The Roku Express also provides an easy setup-to-streaming experience. With a quick beginning guide and its intuitive home screen, the Roku Express just needs to be plugged in, connected to your internet, and it's ready to stream.

You can watch Emmy-nominated Roku Originals and over three hundred live TV channels for free on the Roku Channel. The Roku Express is available today for pre-sale on Roku.com, Walmart, and Amazon for $29.99. The streaming device is slated to begin shipping out in mid-October. Widespread availability for the Roku Express at retailers begins on October 16.

Wireless Bass

The Roku Wireless Bass is said to provide "high-powered sound for a theater-like experience." This new subwoofer will add bass to your Roku Streambar, Wireless Speakers, or even your Roku TV Wireless Soundbar. Roku says that the Wireless Bass is an easy and affordable upgrade for anyone looking to enhance their home sound environment.

The new subwoofer can provide incredible lows during movies and TV shows, providing you with a deep, dynamic bass sound that makes you feel like you're in a theater. The Roku Wireless Bass is also very easy to set up without needing cords running every which way. The subwoofer just needs to plug into your power outlet and then wirelessly paired with your Roku audio device. You can even place your Wireless Bass as far as thirty feet away from your TV.

You can begin preordering your Roku Wireless Bass at Roku.com and Amazon.com at $129.99. General availability for the new subwoofer will begin on November 7 at Roku.com, Best Buy, and Amazon.

There will also be the Roku Streambar and Wireless Bass bundle also for preorder at Roku.com for $249.99. General availability for the bundle will begin on November 7 at Roku.com and Best Buy.

Roku OS 11.5

A well-built software is crucial for ensuring your Roku streaming experience is easy and never falters. With the Roku Express receiving automatic updates quickly, the streaming company has upgraded its software to match its latest release.

Roku OS 11.5 is the new software being announced today. It will begin rolling out to Roku devices within the next few months. Roku's new OS will touch on improving everything revolving around its home screen, beginning with its content discovery. To make things easier, Roku is improving its categories within the Live TV Channel Guide. This will allow watchers to discover and hop right into their favorite live TV content.

Roku is also offering a personalized look for users, which brings in three new categories: Recents, Favorites, and Subscribed. Users will be able to save their favorite channels, return to find what they were watching previously, and quickly navigate their way to premium channels from The Roku Channel.

The company is also introducing a new Live TV Channel "Guide" button usable through the remote mobile app. The button gives users a way to see what's happening on their TV, and they can launch the Live TV Channel Guide to find live TV channels. This new button will only be available connected to a Roku TV running the new 11.5 OS in its supported regions.

Roku's home screen has seen a few improvements, starting with The Buzz. This new feature will bring about a better discovery experience to your screen as users can browse a "frequently updated" collection of entertainment-focused posts. It will also provide short-form content from popular brands such as AMC+, Apple TV+, Shortime, and IGN.

The new Continue Watching option will be located within the What to Watch section of your Roku home screen. This will make it easier for watchers to get right back into what they were previously watching. With the addition of a new Save List, users can quickly save what they're interested in watching later, accessible from the What to Watch area of the home screen and can be found on the mobile app, as well.

The latest improvements to the home screen usher in the Roku Store. From here, users can browse and find potential new content for them to enjoy streaming.

Roku's Bluetooth Private Listening also receives an update, allowing it to be compatible with the Roku Ultra, Streambar, and Streambar Pro. Users will be able to pair their headphones with these products to listen in without disturbing others while also blocking everyone else out.

Lastly, search is getting a big upgrade with a more visual display for results, while users can also take advantage of improved Voice Search for faster queries.