Roku’s new Labs hub brings experimental apps to the big screen

Roku's latest Roku OS update introduces Roku Labs, a new section that gives U.S. users access to experimental first-party apps via a Home Screen tile. The initial slate includes utilities for weather and stocks plus a game called Roku Dash, and the company also rolled out Home Screen personalization to Mexico and Brazil and announced new subscription bundles and open-sourcing of its remote software.

By AI Newsroom· Reviewed by Pranav, Founder & Editor-in-ChiefPublished about 12 hours agoUpdated about 3 hours ago0 views

Roku’s new Labs hub brings experimental apps to the big screen

Why It Matters

The move signals Roku is testing ways to expand beyond pure streaming devices into interactive, potentially monetizable first-party experiences on TVs, while also broadening its platform features and third-party developer engagement.

Key Facts

Announcement date: Posted September 17, 2026
Feature introduced: Roku Labs — experimental apps hub in Roku OS
Availability: Roku Labs accessible to U.S. customers via a new Home Screen tile
Initial apps: Weather app, stocks app, and a game called Roku Dash
Roku Dash description: Players fly a UFO across 'Roku City,' the company's neon city skyline screensaver, with pop-culture references and ads

Roku has rolled out a Roku OS update that adds a new experimental-apps hub called Roku Labs. The feature appears as a dedicated tile on the Home Screen and is available to customers in the United States. The company describes Roku Labs as a place for users to try still-in-development apps created by Roku.

At launch, the Labs tile hosts a small collection of first-party projects: a weather tracker, a stocks tracker, and a game named Roku Dash. Roku Dash tasks players with piloting a UFO across the company’s default screensaver, known as Roku City, which is a neon purple-and-pink skyline interlaced with pop-culture nods and advertising placements.

Alongside Roku Labs, the company is expanding other platform features. Roku said its newer, personalized Home Screen is now available in additional markets, specifically Mexico and Brazil, where it will surface localized content and tailored suggestions. Roku’s Voice assistant is also gaining the ability to answer weather-related questions.

Roku announced a pair of ecosystem moves as well: it will offer bundled subscription packages in the U.S. and Mexico that mix streaming plans from smaller services such as AMC+, Fox ONE, Hallmark+, Howdy, and Starz; and it plans to open-source the software that runs its remote, called Roku LT OS, potentially enabling outside developers and device makers to build on the remote’s platform.