Skip to main content

Roku OS 9.2: All the new features

Roku OS 9.2
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Roku OS version 9.2, which is rolling out to users in October, has some fun new features, including brand-new ways to search for your favorite films. The company announced the update in mid-September, along with refreshed streaming devices for 2019, including an update to its top-of-the-line Roku Ultra and, at the other end of the spectrum, its 1080P Roku Express. Here’s everything you need to know about the new OS.

Roku OS 9.2

Version 9.2 will offer advanced search, including Roku Zones designed to make it easier to search for movies by genres including Horror, Comedy, and even 4K — which should be a boon to anyone who has trouble finding good stuff to watch on their new 4K Ultra HD TV.

Recommended Videos

Zones are constantly refreshed with the latest content, from multiple channels (i.e., apps), with all of them tagged so you can see where each movie or show is available. Each row in a Zone is browsable, making the interface look a lot more like those from Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Android TV.

There’s also a new way to find a movie without even knowing the title or any of the actors — all you need to know is a famous quote. Thousands of highly popular quotes from top movies have been added to Roku’s search engine, which means, for example, if you say the words “need for speed,” you’ll be directed to Top Gun as a matching result.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

In addition to Zones and quote-based movie search, you’ll see the following improvements:

  • Voice search playback: If you know exactly what you want to watch and where, this feature sends you directly to the video. “Play Brooklyn Nine-Nine on Hulu” for instance, will take you right to the show and service, beginning where you left off.
  • Faster initial setup, and faster channel and video launching.
  • Shortcuts: Add quick links to commonly used channels in the main menu.
  • The ability to use your voice to set a sleep timer on compatible Roku TVs.
  • A new Roku tips and tricks channel that will help you learn more about your device

Roku has not yet announced which devices will get 9.2 support, but you can expect all newer devices to land the update eventually, and we’ve been assured recent Roku TVs like the TCL 6-series will get it.

Version 9.1 of the software was released in April and brought an opt-out feature for Auto Sign Out Mode (now called Guest Mode), easier automatic sign-in for select apps on new Roku devices, and new updates to voice search feature.

Hardware updates

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Roku unveiled new hardware at the same time it announced OS 9.2 — but you won’t notice much of a change unless you look closely at the Roku Express and Roku Ultra streamers.

The $30 Roku Express has been put on a diet of sorts, and is now 10% smaller according to the company. It’s still only for streaming in 1080p, but it includes everything you need, including a basic Roku remote and HDMI cable, and you can now power it from an available USB port on a TV.

The $100 Ultra, by comparison, gets more bells and whistles. Roku claims the top 100 Roku channels now launch 17% faster, and some popular live-streaming TV apps have been improved by up to 33%. Perhaps most notable, the Ultra’s remote now features two customizable shortcut buttons that can be programmed to jump to a favorite streaming app, turn subtitles on or off, and more

Another noteworthy change: Best Buy’s exclusive $60 Roku Streaming Stick+ HE version comes with a headphone-capable remote (plus Roku headphones) while the standard Roku Streaming Stick+ drops to just $50 and gains a mute button on its remote.

Also noteworthy is the phasing out of Roku’s regular Streaming Stick and the capable Roku Premiere+, as the line slims down for the coming year.

Unfortunately, Roku is sticking to its guns on its decision not to support Dolby Vision or HDR10+ on any of its stand-alone streaming devices (some TCL Roku TVs support Dolby Vision).

Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen is a contributing editor to Digital Trends' Audio/Video section, where he obsesses over the latest wireless…
The best Roku device for every home and every budget
The 2024 Roku Ultra.

One of the most popular streaming platforms on the market is Roku. As one of the O.G. streaming device brands, Roku has been delivering reliable plug-and-play hardware and software for well over a decade. Roku streamers are everywhere, and its Roku TV OS can also be found as the backbone of TVs from Hisense and TCL, as well as in its own TVs. So, yeah, there’s certainly no shortage of options.

But what are the best Roku devices and which is the best one for you? We thought we’d put together this roundup to help you hone in on the Roku gear that best suits your budget, wants, and needs.

Read more
What is Roku? The streaming platform explained
The 2024 Roku Ultra.

Popular streaming services like Netflix, Max, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video are available on most smart TVs and streaming devices. But one of the most popular brands in the game, without a doubt, is Roku. Part software maker and part hardware maker, Roku's TV OS can be found built in to many smart TVs from such companies as Hisense and TCL, but the company also makes its own TVs and Roku streaming devices, such as the Roku Ultra and the Roku Streaming Stick 4K.

Roku's TV OS offers a gateway to tons of movie and TV show content, plus a whole bunch of free channels through its own free ad-supported streaming service, The Roku Channel. Its devices offer screen mirroring capabilities and plenty of other Roku exclusives as well. And while Roku may not produce the flashiest hardware or software, the company has a long track record of reliable, user-friendly tech.

Read more
Fubo is testing out multiview on Roku devices
The Fubo app is displayed on a Roku device.

Fubo today announced that it's testing multiview in beta form on some Roku devices. That's the feature by which you can watch up to four things at once, though that initially will depend on which Roku device you have. The bigger deal is that unlike with some other services (looking at you, YouTube TV), you're able to watch any channel in multiview — not just specific channels picked for you.

In an email to Digital Trends, Fubo said the beta multiview feature would support up to four streams at once on the Roku Ultra, and two simultaneous streams on the Roku Express 4K, Roku Express 4K+, Roku Streaming Stick 4K, and Roku Streaming Stick 4K+. More devices will be added later, Fubo said.

Read more