Roku Takes On Amazon With AirPlay 2 & HomeKit Support

Roku has thrown down the gauntlet against Amazon by announcing its 4K-ready devices will gain support for Apple AirPlay 2 and HomeKit later this year. Amazon’s Fire TV does not currently support either Apple platform.

The news comes after Roku partnered with Hisense to debut its first TV with an embedded Roku operating system in the UK, the new Hisense Roku TV R7 series.

The company has also advised the Roku Channel will also gain its own standalone app on Android and iOS soon.

The streaming platform maker has advised Apple AirPlay support will allow people to send a plethora of multimedia (e.g. videos, photos. music) straight from their Apple device to their Roku box or Roku TV.

HomeKit support will enable control via Apple’s smart assistant Siri, with integration available to the wider Apple smart home ecosystem.

The company states AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support will land on most Roku current 4K devices by year end, with 1080p only players missing out.

The news comes after support for AirPlay 2 and HomeKit deployed onto most new TVs in recent periods from the likes of Samsung and Apple.

Roku has flagged other new improvements including quicker set-up and better volume control for surround sound users.