Roku is coming Voice Remote Pro is a fantastic rechargeable solution that kicks disposable batteries to the curb. But for everything I love about it, it still has one big flaw – the charging port.
I’ve long felt that set-top box makers should introduce better charging standards for their remotes so they can work harder, last longer, and send fewer batteries to landfill. I often hear streamers say that use rechargeable batteries in their Roku remotes, which is great. But if people aren’t, and especially when using Roku’s silent listening headphone jack, Roku’s remotes are notorious for their ability to chew through the battery at a wild pace. That’s not exactly great news for consumers’ wallets, and certainly not with regard to our disaster e-waste problem
However, with the Roku Voice Remote Pro ($ 30), the company has opted for a rechargeable voice remote control that the company calls the “best remote yet.” And in many ways, that’s true, despite the remote keeping the same form factor as other Roku remotes. The Voice Remote Pro receives approximately two months of power on a single charge with normal use and is fully charged again within 2 to 3 hours. This should help a lot with the battery drain issue, although I didn’t have the option to run extensive tests for battery life in an exclusively silent listening environment.
I think a lot of die-hard Roku users will love this remote, especially if they’ve been eyeing another premium Roku remote for a while and especially if some of the features I’ll be discussing below stand out. But for everything I love about this remote in the time I’ve had with it, what annoys me the most is the microUSB charging port.
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It’s 2021, and I’d say gadget manufacturers have little excuse not to move to a more universal USB-C standard. This is exactly the same reason that although I love the Apple TV remote (I know, I know), I hate the proprietary charging stand. (Death to the Lightning cable, I say!) I’d like more manufacturers to embrace the USB-C universal charging stand for newer gadgets: remote controls are no exception.
In a perfect world, we wouldn’t even need a brand new remote every time we upgrade our streaming box. But the the least we can do is reduce the cable and battery waste where possible. And a universal charging stand for gadget manufacturers would no longer necessarily be necessary a new power cord in each box.
That said, there is much love for this new remote. One of the best things about it is the thing the comparably rechargeable Apple TV remote lacks: a chime on the device to help find it when it’s lost in the cushions or hiding under a throw. Ask the voice assistant by asking “Hey Roku, where’s my remote” to easily activate the ringer. You can also use the Roku mobile app to trigger the feature if your remote is super lost.
The remote’s midfield microphone can hear you from about 10 feet away, but you’ll be more successful with hands-free commands if it’s closer to you than to the source of your TV’s sound. If a passively listening remote is driving you crazy, Roku has added a switch on the side of the remote to easily turn off the hands-free functionality.
Additionally, with a few programmable buttons, users can add their own hotkeys if the included streaming buttons don’t include the most commonly used apps (streaming buttons on the remote include Disney +, Netflix, Hulu, and Sling TV). Pre-loaded streaming buttons are usually a bit controversial, but Roku is offers some options for additional programming here.
The remote control becomes available On Roku’s site in stores at the end of May and in June for Roku TV models, Streambars and player models from 2017 onwards.