Roku Developer Summit 2025: Key Takeaways That Got Us Excited

At Inellipse, we’ve been closely following everything that came out of the Roku Developer Summit 2025 — and it did not disappoint.

The Roku Developer Summit 2025 came packed with exciting updates that are set to shake up the way we build apps and how users enjoy streaming. This year's event was all about speed, smarter monetization, and going global, with a few standout features that really grabbed our attention.

Roku OS 15.0 — Faster and Smarter

Roku OS 15.0 is all about performance. The updated BrightScript engine loads apps faster, manages memory more efficiently, and handles JSON parsing like a champ.

There’s also better support for DRM and media playback, especially for DASH-IOP streams, meaning smoother videos and fewer hiccups. For developers, small updates like new utility functions make debugging and app management a little less painful.

In short: apps launch quicker, run smoother, and feel snappier all around.

Catalog 2.0 — Smarter Monetization

Roku introduced Catalog 2.0, a refreshed way to manage in-app products, subscriptions, and one-time purchases.

At Inellipse, we’ve already implemented this update in our apps, and we’ve really enjoyed how much simpler it makes managing in-app offerings. The built-in analytics and streamlined publishing let us focus on improving the user experience rather than getting bogged down in setup.

Cloud-Based Roku Device Emulator

One of the biggest announcements was the upcoming cloud emulator — a tool that lets developers test Roku apps without physical devices.

It’s expected to roll out in 2026, and it should make development much easier:

  1. No more device setup headaches
  2. Faster debugging and iteration
  3. Perfect for remote or distributed teams

This is a big step toward making Roku development more accessible and efficient.

Roku Pay & Enhanced Subscriptions

The new Roku Pay system brings everything under one roof: in-app purchases, subscriptions, and add-ons all use a unified checkout. It’s faster, supports more regions, and gives better insights into revenue and performance.

The updated subscription policy also makes life easier for developers — no need to republish for every change, plus new churn and renewal analytics.

Overall: it’s smoother for both users and developers.

Prebuffer & Parallel Prebuffers — Less Waiting, More Watching

Roku also improved how videos load and play. With prebuffering and parallel prebuffers, content starts almost instantly and plays without interruptions — especially noticeable in apps that autoplay or switch streams frequently.

We tested this on one of our live sports channels, and the difference was immediately noticeable — no more buffering pauses during channel switches, which our viewers loved.

Going Global with Localization

Roku is making a clear push toward global accessibility. Developers can now localize app interfaces, regionalize content, and integrate localized currencies directly with Roku Pay.

For anyone aiming to reach a wider audience, this simplifies things a lot.

Final Thoughts

This year’s Roku Summit was all about making things faster, smarter, and easier — both for developers and end users.

From performance improvements in Roku OS 15.0 to new monetization tools and better streaming performance, the platform is clearly evolving in the right direction.

At Inellipse, we’re looking forward to experimenting with these updates and seeing how they can help us build even smoother, more engaging Roku experiences

Got an idea? We can take it further.

Scroll