Roku will soon let you test exciting new features before they go live

Roku may be raising hardware prices, but at least users can rest assured that they’re getting some value from their streaming dollar, as the company previews its latest Roku OS update, including enhanced search, its revamped home screen expansion, and most importantly, a new way for users to test experimental features before they’re ready for prime time.

The San Jose-based announces the big update in a blog post today, and it’s clear that the streaming giant’s focus is on letting users share feedback and directly influence new features.

At the center of the update is Roku Labs, which, much like Google Labs, will give users early access to experimental in-development features developed by the Roku team. Users can then share feedback, essentially influencing what gets built next.

Roku Labs will be accessible directly from the platform’s home screen, with featured apps listed in a carousel. One of the first concepts to come out of the program is the April-released Roku City Dash game, which lets users explore Roku City. The game initially graduated from Labs and is now widely available to users.

The company also highlighted four other experiments that are still in testing: Roku Stocks, Roku Weather, Backdrops Studio, and Roku Immerse. The first two are literally what they sound like, while the latter two would let you customize your display and set the screensaver atmosphere you want, respectively.

The experimental experience will be “available soon” to users in the US, though there are other new features that are beginning to roll out now.

One of the more immediate improvements is coming to Roku’s search. According to the company, the platform can now surface personalized explanations to highlight why specific content is recommended to you. These explanations take into account things like your individual preferences, watch history, trending content, and more.

The idea here is that Roku isn’t just throwing recommendations your way. Instead, it highlights transparency in the way something was chosen to be shown to you.

Elsewhere, the same update also brings weather information to Roku Voice. Roku Voice, for reference, is the platform’s built-in voice assistant. It lets users search for content without needing to reach for the remote. With the latest update, Roku users can now be able to ask the assistant “What’s the weather?” to see real-time weather information, including temperature, humidity, precipitation, and wind. Roku didn’t say where it’s sourcing the information from.

Roku is also rolling out new subscription bundles in the US and Mexico. These offer over 25 combinations from services like AMC+, Fox One, Hallmark+, Howdy, and Starz. The main appeal here is that each bundle is priced lower than subscribing to the included services individually.

Lastly, Roku says that its redesigned home screen experience, the one that adds new Quick Access and Top Picks for You sections, will roll out to users in Brazil and Mexico in the coming months.

Alongside those consumer-facing changes, the company is also announcing the open-source availability of Roku LT OS, an in-house lightweight operating system that’s already in use in Roku remotes. That availability should give programmers another option to use for their own hardware projects.