Private listening, one of Roku’s most popular features, enables you to stream audio from your TV straight to the Roku app on your mobile phone, bypassing your TV’s speakers altogether. It also works with Roku remotes that enable you to attach wired headphones, such as the Voice Remote Pro.
The new software update allows you to connect your own Bluetooth devices, such as Bluetooth wireless headphones, to compatible Roku players. What’s the catch? It is only compatible with Roku Ultra and Roku soundbars, namely the Streambar and Streambar Pro. It is not compatible with other Roku devices, such as the less expensive Streaming Stick 4K, or with Roku TVs.
It’s worth mentioning that Roku’s rivals have had this capability for a long time. That covers most Fire TV devices, from the entry-level Fire TV Stick Lite on up, the Chromecast with Google TV, and a slew of smart TVs running those and other platforms (including Vizio, LG, and Samsung).
