Apple has been expanding availability of AirPlay 2 and HomeKit to other companies for quite some time now. And now Roku-branded devices are officially part of the list.
Well, almost. Official support for both of Apple’s technologies will land on select devices later this year. But at least the support is coming. Roku is one of the most popular companies out there when it comes to streaming content, so getting AirPlay 2 and HomeKit on even a select number of those devices is good news.
According to the announcement made by Roku today, AirPlay 2 support, along with HomeKit, will be available via a free software update later this year.
Later this year, we expect Roku customers will enjoy Apple AirPlay 2 and HomeKit capabilities on select 4K Roku devices. With AirPlay 2, Roku customers can stream, control, and share their favorite content directly from their iPhone, iPad, or Mac to their supported Roku device and bring the experience to the big screen. HomeKit allows customers to easily and securely control their Roku device using the Home app and Siri on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, or HomePod.
The future software update, Roku OS 9.4, will start rolling out as early as later this month for some devices. In the coming weeks, Roku says the new software will begin rolling out to all supported streaming players. It looks like smart TV models with Roku support baked in will start getting the update last, with a phased rollout happening over the next few months.
Once AirPlay 2 arrives on these Roku devices, customers will be able to stream content directly to the device from their iPhone, iPad, or Mac. With HomeKit support, customers will be able to use either Siri or the Home app to control things like the volume on their TV, power the device on or off, change the source, and more.
Finally, Roku also confirmed that any eligible customer who buys a supported Roku device between October 23, 2020 and January 31, 2021, will get access to a promo code for three months of Apple TV+ service. You’ll need to be a new Apple TV+ subscriber to be eligible for the deal, though.
Let’s not forget that Roku launched support for the official Apple TV app back in October of last year.
Are you a Roku device owner and excited about this news?