Roku announces new rechargeable Voice Remote Pro with hands free voice

In addition to new streaming media players, Roku has also announced a new remote that they’re calling the Voice Remote Pro (Amazon link). Unlike any of their other remotes, the new Voice Remote Pro has a built-in rechargable battery and hands-free voice capabilities that let you make voice requests without touching the remote, like you can with an Amazon Echo or Fire TV Cube.

The Voice Remote Pro has all the same features as Roku’s best remote, including a headphone jack, TV power and volume controls, and two programable shortcut buttons. It also has Roku’s standard 4 app buttons, so there’s no getting away from those, even if you’re paying extra for a second remote, since the Voice Remote Pro does not come included with any Roku models.

What the Voice Remote Pro adds is a built-in rechargeable battery where all of their other remotes have AA batteries. The remote is charged through a micro-USB port at the far end of the remote. In another first for any Roku remote is the inclusion of hands-free voice capabilities on the remote. Instead of pressing the microphone button, which you can still do if you want, you can say “Hey Roku” and issue your voice command without touching the remote. As an added bonus, you can say “Hey Roku, where’s my remote?” to have the remote beep, as long as it is close enough to hear you. A toggle on the side of the remote will mute the hands-free microphone.

The Voice Remote Pro (Amazon link) is available to order now for just $29.99, which is an impressively low price considering the Fire TV Voice Remote costs the same amount but doesn’t include the majority of the features that the Roku remote includes. Roku’s Voice Remote Pro is compatible with all Roku TVs and the vast majority of Roku’s streaming media players.

2 comments
  1. Charlie_ says:

    Just what people were clamoring for.

    I know when I use my tv remote I go “man, this is cool but I wish it had battery life rated in hours instead of months” “man, this is cool but it would be cooler if I had to keep it tethered to my wall like my phone” etc etc etc

    Adding a mic to the square remote from the Wireless Speakers would have made more sense as an accessory.

  2. Robert J says:

    Micro usb in 2021? Yikes…

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