Roku makes several different remotes for its various media streamers, TVs, and audio devices. While they all look mostly the same, they can vary wildly in features. Some, like the remote that comes with the Roku Express, are simple infrared wands. Remotes included with the Roku Streaming Stick+ and most Roku TVs have wireless connectivity and built-in microphones. A few, like the remote included with the Roku Ultra, have both of those things plus a headphone jack for private listening. And now Roku offers an even more feature-packed option, the Voice Remote Pro, which is sold separately as a $29.99 accessory. It has all of the benefits of the Roku Ultra remote, plus hands-free voice control, making it a welcome upgrade for many exisiting Roku users, particularly those with Roku TVs.
Voice Remote Pro Design and Features
The Voice Remote Pro is the same size, shape, and layout as every other Roku remote. It’s a small, 5.7-by-1.6-inch (LW) black wand with a prominent purple plus shape navigation pad near the top and a purple fabric tag that says Roku on the bottom. A pinhole microphone and Power, Home, and Back buttons sit above the pad, while playback controls and four dedicated service buttons for Disney+, Hulu, Netflix, and Sling TV sit below it. A volume rocker and mute button rest on the right edge. All of this is standard for Roku remotes.
A few extra details reveal the Voice Remote Pro’s upgrades over other models. On the front, two numbered buttons can be found between the playback and service controls. These are programmable shortcut buttons that can be set to repeat the actions of any voice command. Just give a voice command by pressing and holding the microphone button, and after the device processes it, press and hold one of the two numbered buttons until the remote beeps, indicating the command has been saved.
The back is missing a key detail from every other Roku remote: a battery door. Instead of using AA batteries, the Voice Remote Pro has a built-in rechargeable battery that can be topped off by plugging it into a USB cable through the micro USB port under the fabric tag (another new detail). According to Roku, the remote can last about two months on a charge.
The pairing button sits near the micro USB port rather than hidden under the battery door, while a small speaker grille sits on the opposite end of the remote, below the infrared emitter. This is for the remote locator feature, which makes the remote beep audibly when you can’t find it. This isn’t a new feature, but was previously only available on the remote included with the Roku Ultra.
A small sliding switch sits near the top of the remote, next to a headphone jack. The headphone jack enables Roku’s private listening feature directly through the remote. Just plug a pair of headphones into the remote and it will mute any audio going to the TV and redirect it through those headphones. This lets you listen to whatever you’re watching without disturbing the people around you. You can also use the private listening feature through your smartphone with the Roku app, but having a headphone jack right on the remote is much simpler and easier, and one of our favorite Roku features.
The sliding switch enables and disables the remote’s mid-field microphone, which is Roku’s newest trick for the Voice Remote Pro. Previously, to use Roku voice commands or voice search, you had to press and hold the microphone button (on voice-enabled models) and speak directly into the remote (or use the Roku app and do the same thing). The Voice Remote Pro has a mid-field microphone that can detect your voice up to 12 feet away, letting you control your connected Roku device with your voice simply by saying, “Hey, Roku.”
This marks the first time we’ve seen hands-free voice control directly from Roku, though Roku devices have been controllable by other voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant and their associated smart speakers for some time.
Getting Connected
The remote is compatible with every Roku media streamer made since 2017, every Roku TV, and the Roku Streambar and Streambar Plus (formerly the Smart Soundbar).
Pairing the Voice Remote Pro with your Roku device is a simple process. Press and hold the Home button on the remote already associated with your device until the connection menu appears. Select Remote on the screen, then press and hold the pairing button on the Voice Remote Pro until the LED above it flashes green. Wait a minute for the remote to connect with your device and update if necessary, and you can start using it.
Since the remote connects wirelessly, you don’t need direct line of sight for it to work. However, it still has an infrared transmitter to control your TV, soundbar, or Roku Express by pointing at it, if the wireless connection doesn’t work for any reason.
Using the Voice Remote Pro
I easily connected the Voice Remote Pro to my TCL 55R635 Roku TV for testing. The standout addition is, of course, the hands-free voice control. I was able to turn the TV on and off, switch between inputs, open apps, control playback, search for content, and adjust volume simply by using my voice. Direct menu navigation isn’t supported in voice control, however, so when I opened an app or searched for a show, I had to pick up the remote to move the cursor and select items on the screen. This is a relatively minor limitation; navigating on-screen menus by voice is generally clunky compared with using a remote (which is why the hands-free Amazon Fire TV Cube includes a physical remote).
This direct control felt quick and responsive, though the remote occasionally wouldn’t pick up the wake words if I spoke it too quickly. It felt easier to use than setting up Alexa or Google Assistant to control my TV, and I found myself repeatedly using my voice to switch between my Chromecast to watch Twitch streams (Twitch still isn’t available on Roku) and my Nintendo Switch. While the 12-foot range of the microphone isn’t nearly as far as the range of the far-field microphones on most smart speakers, it was more than enough for me to use from the couch, with the remote sitting on my coffee table. Several of these controls, like switching inputs, are only possible when the remote is paired with a Roku TV, though; when paired with a Roku media streamer or soundbar, you can only control volume and power.
While voice control is very handy, Roku still lags behind Amazon and Google in voice assistant functionality. You can control your connected Roku device, open apps, and search for content with your voice, but that’s about it. The only non-media trick the voice feature offers is the time if you ask for it; you can’t get weather reports, news, sports scores, or any other information. Smart home control is out of the question, too; you can only control your Roku device, and not your smart lights, locks, or thermostats like you can with Alexa through Fire TV devices or Google Assistant using the Chromecast With Google TV.
Private listening through the remote worked without issue. The TV muted as soon as I plugged in headphones, and audio came through the headphone jack. The headphone volume level is separate from the TV’s volume level, letting you adjust the sound in your ears without throwing off the TV speakers. It’s slightly disappointing that the remote doesn’t come with a pair of earphones like the Roku Ultra does, but a cheap pair is easy to find.
The remote finder function also worked as advertised. I put the remote under a couch cushion and said “Hey Roku, find my remote.” It picked up my voice and immediately began chiming. If the remote can’t hear you, you can still activate the remote finder feature through the Roku app to make it ring out and help you locate it.
A Smart Upgrade for Many Roku Users
The Roku Voice Remote Pro is a big upgrade over most other Roku remotes, and is particularly useful if you have a Roku TV. While Roku’s voice features are still very limited compared with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, the ability to control your TV with your voice is worth the cost of admission. The remote finder function is also helpful, and the headphone jack for private listening is always a plus. $30 is a bit expensive if you’re adding the remote to a budget media streamer like the Roku Express, but as an accessory to your Roku TV, it’s practically a must-have.
