Roku updates its UI for the first time in a decade

Roku has updated its homescreen for the first time in a decade, with the company calling it a "dynamic, smarter experience." However, it doesn't look all that different. Everything is still in various shades of purple and Roku City is still available as a screensaver.

There are some changes beyond the surface level. This update is centered around personalization, so a customer's most used apps get featured prominently. There's also a new "top picks" section that recommends apps and programming. This will include genre-based picks based on viewing habits and new releases from current streaming subscriptions.

This doesn't sound too different from how current smart TVs handle things, but Roku has always been known for its simple and uncluttered interface. Today's update certainly brings more clutter into the mix, including a new "marquee" ad spot that takes up a large chunk of the screen. It's worth remembering that Roku makes most of its money on ads and not its hardware.

"More than 100 million households will feel the difference the moment they turn on their TV—and it opens up a better, more powerful experience for our partners as well," CEO Anthony Wood wrote in a blog post.

The update does bring one novel feature, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The company says the new homescreen platform will adapt to how households use Roku devices. This is to accommodate "multiple people living in homes." For instance, a child's bedroom TV might have a different homescreen than TV in the living room, and so forth.

This expansion is rolling out right now to US-based customers, though it might take a while to reach every user. Roku says "additional countries will follow in the coming months."