Amazon Fire TV Cube vs. Roku Ultra: Which streamer is better?
Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Gen)
Amazon’s flagship streamer
$115 $140 Save $25
The Fire TV Cube sits at the top of Amazon’s streamer portfolio. It’s expensive but packs a ton of features, the best of them being its smart speaker functionality.
Pros- Excellent media streamer
- Extra HDMI 2.1 input
- Alexa integration
Roku Ultra
The Roku flagship
$79 $100 Save $21
The Roku Ultra is the company’s most powerful streaming device. It can deliver up to 4K resolution and offers access to all popular streaming services.
Pros- Solid media streaming device
- Easy-to-use interface
Cons- No games or cloud gaming support
If you are in the market for a powerful media streamer for your 4K or 8K TV, it’s tricky to choose between Amazon’s Fire TV Cube and Roku’s Ultra, as both are capable and excellent streaming devices. Of course, the inclusion of smart speaker functionality in the Fire TV Cube sets it apart from the Roku Ultra. But even beyond that, the two have their own advantages and drawbacks in terms of pure streaming capabilities. So, we are pitting the Fire TV Cube against the Roku Ultra to help you decide which is the better media streamer for you.
Price, availability, and specifications
Given their flagship status in Amazon and Roku’s portfolios, the Fire TV Cube and the Ultra are relatively more expensive than other streaming devices. The Fire TV Cube carries a list price of $140, whereas you can grab the Roku Ultra at $100. But it’s pretty easy to find both streamers at a discounted price.
The streaming devices are also widely available. You can buy the two from Amazon or Best Buy. The Roku Ultra can also be found at Target and Walmart.
Now, let’s take a look at how the two stack up in terms of raw specifications:
Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Gen) Roku Ultra Operating System Fire OS Roku OS Downloadable Apps Yes Yes Resolution 4K, 1080p and 720p 4K, 1080p, and 720p Ports USB Type-A, Ethernet, HDMI 2.1 input, HDMI 2.1 output HDMI 2.0b out, USB Type-A, Ethernet Connectivity Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.0 Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 5 CPU Octa-core (4x 2.2GHz, 4x 2.0GHz) Quad-core Audio codecs Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos, DTS, DTS-HD Dolby Atmos, DTS Digital Surround Integrations Alexa Apple AirPlay HDR support HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HLG HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HLG Remote Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced Roku Voice Remote Pro
Design
The Fire TV Cube and the Roku Ultra look very different. As the name suggests, the Fire TV Cube is essentially a cube but with fabric-wrapped sides and a bare plastic base and top. The ports are located at the back, and you get quite a few of them, including an HDMI In, an HDMI Out, Ethernet, and USB Type-A. There is also an IR extender port if you want to put away the Cube from the remote’s line of sight. The inclusion of an HDMI In port is beneficial if you run out of HDMI ports on your TV and want to plug in another HDMI device.
The Roku Ultra, on the other hand, has a more compact and no-frills design. It’s basically a tapered matte plastic enclosure that you can easily put in a media center cabinet or on a stand. It also houses the ports on the back, but you are limited to an HDMI out, USB Type-A, and Ethernet ports. There is no IR extender or HDMI input port like the Amazon device.
In terms of remote, you get the Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced with the Cube and the Roku Voice Remote Pro with the Ultra. Both are feature-rich and even include basic TV controls. However, the Roku Voice Remote Pro outdoes the Amazon offering by including a headphone jack for private listening. While you can pair Bluetooth headphones with both devices, a 3.5mm jack is much simpler. Moreover, the Roku remote has a built-in rechargeable battery and uses micro-USB for charging. The Amazon remote, however, relies on AAA batteries and has backlit buttons that are missing from the Roku remote.
Coming to video, the streamers can output up to 4K signal and have HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision support. However, whether you get to enjoy Dolby Vision or HDR10+ content will depend on your TV’s abilities, as not all TVs support these two dynamic HDR formats.
Software
Software is one of the biggest differences between the Amazon Fire TV Cube and Roku Ultra. Each uses its own platform, and as a result, you’ll get a different experience.
The Fire TV Cube uses the Android-based Fire OS and has its own App Store, which offers access to 10,000 apps, including all popular streaming services. So, there isn’t a lack of apps and games on the platform. Moreover, you can sideload Android apps to the Fire TV Cube.
You can also use Luna, Amazon’s cloud gaming service, to play PC and console games by pairing a controller. Of course, you will have to pay extra for Luna, but Prime subscribers get some free games every month. Moreover, there is the Alexa voice assistant, which can be used to control your connected smart home devices apart from answering your questions and navigating the Fire TV OS. So, the Fire TV Cube packs a lot.
This is all besides the Cube’s ability to function as a standalone smart speaker. It can function like any Echo device and has a built-in speaker and microphone array.
On the other hand, Roku OS has traditionally been known for its simplicity, which remains true for Roku Ultra. If you want a no-frills experience of streaming content from various services, it’s hard to go wrong with the Ultra. It also supports AirPlay 2 for mirroring content from your iPhone or Mac, which you don’t get with the Cube. But beyond that, it lacks features like cloud or local gaming support. Its built-in voice assistant is also not very powerful.
Performance
Source: Roku
Amazon has included an Amlogic POP1-G octa-core processor with ARM G52 MP8 GPU in the Fire TV Cube, and it delivers snappy performance. Navigating through apps and menus is responsive. Alexa also works flawlessly. In comparison, Roku Ultra features an unnamed quad-core processor. But still, you get a fast and responsive interface. So there is little to complain about regarding its performance.
Audio format support is also a strong suit for both streamers as each supports Dolby Atmos, the most common streaming service surround sound format.
Additionally, the Fire TV Cube excels on the connectivity front with its Wi-Fi 6E support. So, if you have a Wi-Fi 6 or 6E router, you can enjoy faster Wi-Fi access, low latency, and less bandwidth congestion compared to the Roku Ultra, which relies on Wi-Fi 5. While you don’t really need more than Wi-Fi 5 for streaming, the newer wireless standards come in handy with cloud gaming, which is available via Luna on the Fire TV Cube.
Which is right for you?
Choosing between the Amazon Fire TV Cube and the Roku Ultra will depend on a few factors. But most importantly, if you are also looking for a compact smart speaker, it’s an easy decision to go with the Fire TV Cube as, apart from being a solid streaming device, it’s also a capable smart speaker. But even beyond that, the Cube is the better option if you want something on which you can game casually. Deep Alexa integration is also quite helpful, and the extra HDMI input port may come in handy.
Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Gen)
Editor’s pick
Amazon’s flagship streamer
$115 $140 Save $25
Amazon Fire TV Cube shines as a streaming device, but its smart speaker functionality puts it on a different level. So it’s an easy choice for the top pick and will be a desirable option for users.
The Roku Ultra is best for those seeking a no-frills streamer with a simple, easy-to-use interface. It’s excellent for streaming content from various services, but not much else. However, it’s compact and won’t take up much space in your setup. The device also comes with a great remote, which has a 3.5mm jack for private listening and a built-in rechargeable battery. Let’s not forget it’s cheaper than Amazon’s offering. That said, you may also want to look at Roku’s Streaming Stick 4K to save even more money. The stick offers much of what you get with Ultra at half the price.
Roku Ultra
Simpler alternative
The Roku flagship
$79 $100 Save $21
The Roku Ultra is a powerful but simple media streamer, which is why it falls a bit behind the Amazon Fire TV cube. But it can fulfill all your streaming needs with ease.