- Roku streaming device prices rise
- Products are always available at ‘sale’ prices
- One source attributes this change to the memory crisis
Streaming devices like the Roku Streaming Stick Plus give you a lot of entertainment for relatively little money, but the value proposition is about to change: Roku is the latest tech company to raise its prices in response to the global memory shortage.
As spotted by Ars Technica and others, prices for streaming devices on Roku’s US website have been increased, although the products are still available at their previous prices – now referred to as “sale” deals. It’s unclear how long this sale might last before the new prices take effect, but you might want to pick up a Roku quickly.
The Streaming Stick goes from $29.99 to $39.99, the Streaming Stick Plus goes from $39.99 to $59.99, the Streaming Stick 4K is now $79.99 instead of $49.99 (the biggest jump at 60%), and the Roku Ultra box is up to $149.99 from $99.99.
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Looking at Roku’s international websites, including the UK, there are no signs of price increases yet – but it seems inevitable that if the company increases the cost of buying a Roku in the US, it will also happen in other countries in the near future.
Is it time for a change?
Roku hasn’t said anything officially about the new price changes, but according to The Desk team, a Roku executive they spoke with confirmed it was due to “shortages of computer memory and other components.”
We know that the growing demand for AI computing capacity has led to severe memory shortages and skyrocketing costs, and that everyone in the industry has been affected. Last month, Apple raised prices on various products in response, including iPads and the MacBook Neo.
Reactions online have been mostly negative, as you might expect. One Reddit commenter says “it’s hard to find another affordable option” for streaming devices like these, although other commenters recommend alternatives from Google and Apple.
There is also some consternation over the growing number of ads running on Roku screens and the company’s recent acquisition by Fox. Whatever you think of Roku, it’s another sign that consumers are being hit hard by memory shortages.
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