The best 4K streaming devices of 2021

Whether you care or not, the 4K revolution is upon us and you’re going to need the proper hardware to enjoy it sooner or later.

Obviously, the first thing you need to do before you can enjoy anything in 4K is get the right TV for it. The next step is to get streaming hardware that can handle all the ultra-high-resolution goodness a 4K image has to offer. Thankfully, your options for 4K streamers have never been better andmore affordable.

If you’re jumping onto the 4K train for the first time, these are the best new devices to get you started.

Roku Streaming Stick or Express 4K

For those who want to keep their streaming habits hidden. Credit: Mashable Composite

If you’ve ever streamed a movie or TV show in the past decade or so, you’ve probably heard of Roku. Long story short: It’s a company that makes very popular and easy-to-use streaming devices that usually don’t cost much.

We typically like Roku’s products around here because you can safely buy them for parents or other people who, for any number of reasons, don’t want to wrestle with complicated technology. (We get it. Learning new things is hard, especially when it gets in the way of watching Succession.)

Roku launched two very affordable 4K streamers in 2021 that are easy to recommend to folks who need access to 4K content without thinking too much about it.

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First up is the Roku Express 4K+, a little fella that plugs into an HDMI port and sits unassumingly on a nearby flat surface, most likely underneath your TV. For just $40, you get a remote with voice search capabilities, a reasonably snappy and simple interface, and you won’t have to worry about missing out on 4K content ever again.

If you’re feeling a little more loose with your cash, the $50 Streaming Stick 4Koffers basically the same functionality as the Express 4K+ except it's a dongle that plugs directly into your TV's HDMI port. This helps it stay out of your view, making for a much more elegant-looking entertainment center. Beyond that, it offers slightly stronger performance in the way of shorter app load times, among other things. So the extra $10 might be worth it.

Either way, you can’t really lose. There isn’t a better entry-level 4K streamer from 2021 than those on offer by Roku.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max

For the Amazon diehards in your life. Credit: Mashable Composite

For those of you who happily live in the Amazon ecosystem, the next best 4K streamer from this past year is the $55 Fire TV Stick 4K Max. Similar to Roku’s stick, it stays hidden behind your TV, just in case that’s a selling point. 

Aside from that, the user experience relies entirely on a speedy and responsive interfacethat’s also drowning in ads for Amazon content, as you might expect. It’s easy to set up and navigate — just log into your Amazon account and you’re pretty much good to go — so less tech-savvy folks should be comfortable here. And just in case you’re confused about this, non-Amazon-owned streaming apps like Netflix and HBO Max work swimmingly on this device.

It’s also by far the cheapest streamer (so far) to support WiFi 6. That’s a newer, faster, and more reliable version of WiFi that’s being built into more recent routers. You probably don’t have WiFi 6 in your home yet but you will eventually. WiFi 6 doesn’t make a huge difference in terms of performance on the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, but it doesn’t hurt to future-proof your home’s tech regardless.

See how cheap and easy it all is? Whether you're Team Roku or Team Amazon, there's never been a better time to upgrade your life (and home entertainment experience) with 4K.