I know how long your Roku Streaming Stick will last and you might be surprised

• How long will your Roku hardware last?
• The greater issue is software support
• When is the best time to replace a Roku device?

I’m still a little impressed by add-on media streamers, even though they’ve been around for decades at this point. I suppose it’s the notion that for under $100 — or $50, in some cases — you can radically alter how your TV works, bypassing its original interface. It’s not like I can plug a USB stick into my iPhone and start using Android.

As with anything in a home theater, one of the most important questions is how long a streamer will remain useful. In this piece I’m going to focus on Roku’s popular Streaming Sticks, and to a lesser degree, its Ultra set-top. I’m deliberately sidestepping full-scale Roku TVs, for the simple reason that while they share the same software platform, multiple hardware makers complicate the equation.

How long will your Roku hardware last?

Durability versus relevance

Unsurprisingly, there’s no official info on how long Roku add-on devices will last, at least in any material released to the public. I’m sure the company has its own internal data, but disclosing that might both discourage shoppers and paint an unrealistic picture.

Why unrealistic? For one, Roku’s products are always changing, usually for the better. That means that a Streaming Stick you pick up in 2026 may have very little in common with one released in 2016, and little to no basis for predicting its future. It’s no different than trying to guess how long the 2026 model of a car will last.

More importantly, the way you treat a device can skew real-world results. A Streaming Stick that’s kept immaculate and used for an hour or two a day and will presumably last longer than one that’s gathering dust and running non-stop. Even putting one in storage is no guarantee of longevity, since there’s a world of difference between sticking one in your closet versus letting it bake in a Texas garage.

While the Roku you had in college might still work, the older it is, the more likely it is to have outdated specs.

Anecdotes scanned by BGR suggest that you can expect a Roku add-on to function for at least four to five years. They can potentially last far longer, though. Some owners report devices like the Roku 3 running properly for over a decade, which is astounding in an era when Apple labels anything it released over seven years ago as “obsolete.” The shortcut buttons on your remote might become irrelevant before any components fail.

Don’t get too excited. While the Roku you had in college might still work, the older it is, the more likely it is to have outdated specs. Its processor and memory could be excruciatingly slow for modern apps — more on that in a minute. Its chips and HDMI port might be unable to handle formats like HDR, Dolby Atmos, or even 1080p. And on a long enough timeline, Roku is going to discontinue support. You’re probably not going to get much troubleshooting help for that Roku 3 if it breaks.

You can mitigate specs concerns somewhat by buying a more powerful model. Inherently, an Ultra or a Streaming Stick 4K is going to have better performance than an entry-level product.

The greater issue is software support

From Roku and others

As of this writing, Roku is still releasing software updates for devices as old as 2013. That’s extremely unusual — even Microsoft is winding down support for Windows 10, which first shipped in 2015, and still has plenty of customers dependent on it.

That said, there’s a growing list of Roku models that aren’t getting new software. The Roku 4, for example, is stuck on Roku OS 11.5, whereas the latest platform is 15.x. The oldest devices have been abandoned since the 3.1 update, which was issued way back in 2011.

There are a couple of reasons for this. At a basic level, feature development can only progress so far with older chipsets. Those first-generation streamers were equipped with 400MHz processors, and just 256MB of RAM — yes, that’s right, megabytes. I wouldn’t be surprised if some wireless earbuds have better specs than that, never mind trying to run a graphical OS with support for third-party apps.

Streaming services can and do sometimes cut off support for older hardware and software configurations, even when other apps might still be viable.

It’s also impractical for a company to update every product forever. That would be ideal, but that means dedicating labor, training, and other resources to the effort, which is hard to justify when fewer and fewer people are still using a device, never mind buying it. From a business perspective, it’s far more valuable to keep up with rivals and the latest technologies.

The net effect is that while an Ultra or Streaming Stick can continue working for a long time, it’s going to be cut off from newer software features at some point. It’s also going to stop getting bugfixes or security patches. That may not be as much of an issue for add-on streamers as it is with PCs, but it’s still worth considering if you want to avoid crashes or minimize network vulnerabilities.

A topic that’s equally if not more significant is support from third-party app developers. Companies like Disney, Netflix, and Spotify are constantly adding features of their own, as well as sprucing up their apps’ visual appeal. They can and do sometimes cut off support for older hardware and software configurations, even when other apps might still be viable. That’s less likely with the Roku platform, based on my experience, yet you could hypothetically find yourself upgrading sooner than anticipated if a favorite app doesn’t update.

When is the best time to replace a Roku device?

Keep your ear to the ground

If you want to get ahead of physical breakdowns, updating every four or five years ought to be fine. That schedule might even be a little paranoid, but some people want to avoid the risk of hardware problems. There’s also a contingent of people out there who hate the idea of missing out on the latest features or a snappier interface, in which case that 4–5 year window should be long enough to ensure a meaningful upgrade.

The best strategy is to pounce on major changes in audio, video, and networking tech.

Otherwise, I’d say the best strategy is to pounce on major changes in audio, video, and networking tech. TV makers are set to roll out the first sets with Dolby Vision 2 in 2026 — if you’re planning to buy one, it doesn’t make much sense to pick up a Streaming Stick until you know whether it will be updated for compatibility. If you’re concerned about futureproofing in general, you might choose to wait for a model that has Wi-Fi 7 as well.

When money is tight, feel free to hold onto a device for as long as possible. As I’ve pointed out, Roku has developed a good reputation for support, and it’s ultimately the substance of what you’re watching that matters, not the means by which you’re consuming it. Sluggish menus and lackluster HDR support tend to fade into the background with a good story.