Earlier this month, the connected TV device manufacturer, Roku, made the Roku Voice Remote available for purchase in the UK. The CTV accessory can be used to upgrade Roku streaming players and Roku-enabled Smart TVs so Roku customers can search for content using voice command alone. Additionally, with the Roku OS 10.5 update, customers can use their voice to input information like email addresses and passwords, rather than using the on-screen keyboard.
While voice command has previously been possible through Roku’s mobile app for iOS and Android (in Canada, Ireland, Mexico, the UK and the US), this is the first dedicated remote the company has launched with this functionality. Currently, the only languages that can be used for voice command are English and Spanish.
Roku says that its voice remote can help customers avoid remote juggling, as users can control both their Roku device and their TV at the same time, turning the TV on/off or changing the volume by using buttons on the remote. Roku Voice Remote is compatible with Roku devices going back until 2017. and several older models such as Roku 2 (4210) and Roku 3 (4200). The product is already available for purchase in the United States and Roku plans to roll it out in Canada later this month.
