The upgrades coming with the new Roku TV update aren’t tiny bug patches. They include AI discovery, user-interface refreshes for Live TV and sports, and smarter Smart-Home integration. There is also a hardware-level picture/sound tuning for Roku-made sets.
If you rely on Roku OS for most of your streams, these upgrades will alter what you see on the home screen, how quickly apps launch, and much more.
5 upgrades coming with the new Roku TV update
Below are the five upgrades rolling out in Roku’s 2025 refresh:
1. AI-powered content discovery
Roku is adding multiple AI and algorithmic discovery tools to make it faster to find something worth watching. Expect a new “Surf Mode” and short, browsable clip rows that stitch together trailers, highlights, and scene clips tailored to your viewing history
You’ll also see native Top-10 lists and a dedicated Movie Night area that surfaces movie suggestions and curated watches.
Instead of endless rows of full titles you have to click into, Roku’s new UI will show short clips and AI-curated collections so you sample content faster. That saves time scrolling and increases the chance you’ll discover something relevant without opening multiple apps.
Roku says these discovery features are rolling out in the summer 2025 OS refresh over the coming weeks; availability depends on the model and whether you’re on a beta channel.
The new rows and clips appear first on newer 4K players and Roku-made TVs, then trickle to older devices via OTA OS updates.
2. Live TV & Sports overhaul
Roku has rebuilt the Live TV and Sports experience so the Live guide looks and behaves more like a modern channel guide. It now includes a “Newly Added” live-channels row so you can spot new free (FAST) channels quickly. The Roku Sports view is also redesigned to highlight games, scores, and sports programming faster.
The service is also introducing over 40 more channels, which with this feature you’ll be able to identify them quickly.
Moving forward, if you use Roku for lots of free live channels, you’ll notice the guide surfaces trending or newly added channels. Also, sports highlights or scheduled games get a more prominent placement.
This improves live-event discovery. You’ll see events and channels sooner and can tune in with fewer clicks. StreamTVInsider and Roku’s announcement both flagged this as a discovery and UX priority.
3. Picture-in-Picture camera feeds and deeper Smart-Home integration
You can now pin your camera feed to the corner of the TV while you watch a show, so you never miss a doorbell, baby-room moment, or backyard activity.
Roku says this PiP camera feature works with Roku indoor and outdoor wired cameras and is available on most 4K Roku players and TVs. You don’t have to switch inputs or apps when you want to glance at a camera.
The Smart Home update also layers camera alerts and simple controls like toggling camera audio or enabling motion alerts into the TV experience. Hence, your TV becomes a central hub for quick checks and responses.
For households that already use smart cameras, this reduces friction as you get the information without losing the show.
4. Smarter picture & audio
Roku’s 2025 Roku-made TV lineup brings “Smart Picture Max.” This is an improved scene-by-scene image processing suite.
There will also be wider mini-LED adoption in the Plus and Pro models, better processors for faster app launches, and improved audio tuning, including deeper bass and Bluetooth headphone compatibility.
Smart Picture Max is Roku’s in-house image processing that analyzes scenes and automatically adjusts picture settings on a scene-by-scene basis. That means content looks more consistent.
Dark scenes retain shadow detail while bright scenes bloom less, and motion clarity improves without manual mode switching.
The platform is also partnering with Vestel to bring new fully connected sscreens this year. All the new goggleboxes and select Vestel smart TVs will now come with Roku OS pre-installed.
Also, Roku refreshed its streaming-stick lineup and introduced new Roku-made TV models (Select, Plus, Pro) for 2025. There is also a Roku TV projector reference design for partners. The new sticks are thinner and cheaper; the Plus and Pro gain mini-LED panels and better processors.
5. More AI-generated ads and advertising self-service
Roku is actively expanding an AI-assisted ad ecosystem to let many more small and medium advertisers produce creative and place ads on Roku. That means you’ll likely see more personalized, short ads and some may be generated or assembled using AI tools.
This is good for Roku’s monetization and for local businesses. But these ads upgrades coming with the new Roku TV update could mean a higher volume of targeted, AI-produced ads across free content.
How to get the upgrades coming with the new Roku TV update
You don’t need to install anything special, Roku delivers these features as automatic OS updates that roll out in waves. Here is how to get them:
- Check your software version: Head over to Settings > System, then tap About to see your current Roku OS.
- Force a manual check: To do this select Settings > System. Find System update and click on Check now. If your device is eligible, the update will download and install.
Note: Newer 4K players and Roku-made TVs will get the full experience of Smart Picture Max, PiP cameras, faster processors and so on. Older devices will receive what their hardware supports.