Roku Launches Labs Hub to Bring Experimental Apps to Its TVs
Roku is adding Roku Labs to its TV operating system, giving U.S. users early access to experimental first-party apps, while expanding its personalized home screen and streaming bundles abroad.
The first titles available in Labs track weather and stocks and include a new game called Roku Dash. In that game, players fly a UFO across Roku City, the company's default screensaver of a neon purple and pink skyline dotted with pop culture references and advertising.
Roku competes in the connected TV market with Google and Amazon, whose products lean on the Gemini and Alexa+ assistants, and the Labs apps are built by Roku itself rather than outside publishers.
Alongside the Labs launch, Roku is bringing its newer, personalized home screen to new markets including Mexico and Brazil, where it will offer region-specific features such as localized content and tailored suggestions. The company's voice assistant will also be able to answer questions about the weather.
On the subscription side, Roku will begin offering bundles in the U.S. and Mexico that let customers mix and match streaming plans from smaller services including AMC+, Fox ONE, Hallmark+, Howdy and Starz. Roku said such bundles are usually more affordable than buying each plan separately.
Roku also said it is open-sourcing the software that powers its remote, Roku LT OS, a move that could allow outside developers and manufacturers to build their own applications and devices.