Summary
- A listing for the Onn 4K Plus streaming box just went live on Walmart’s website.
- It’s compact, attractively priced, and built around hardware just powerful enough for hassle-free streaming.
- It’s not yet available for online purchase, but could be at any moment, and might even be in stock at some brick-and-mortar Walmart locations.
Google TV offers a powerful, user-friendly interface, but Google’s hardware capabilities and prices aren’t always super encouraging. With the 2024 Google TV Streamer still pegged at $100 from many retailers, a new challenger has entered the ring (Source: 9to5Google).
The Onn 4K Plus doesn’t quite match the first-party Google streaming device’s specs, but costs about 30% as much and sports just enough power to satisfy most users. Naturally, this quality streaming device comes from none other than the electronics powerhouse of… Walmart?
Quality digital entertainment at a low price
From a more trustworthy seller than most off-brand options
We first reported on this budget-friendly streaming box in April, but didn’t have all the details. Savvy readers may recall our glowing review of the Onn 4K Pro last year, and the base model Onn 4K the previous year. Rather than update the older models, Walmart’s house electronics brand delivered a Goldilocks replacement with just the right upgrades to appeal to a wide range of TV and movie enjoyers.
The first thing you’ll notice during unboxing is that the Onn 4K Plus takes up very little space. Its small stature, convenient and consistent shape, and detachable cables make it relatively easy to hide away on the back of a TV or in an entertainment center cabinet.
Early review pictures of the Onn 4K Plus. Source: Home Tester Club
Inside, it packs 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, which is more than the previous Chromecast streamer and less than the exorbitantly priced Google TV Streamer. Those pair with a quad-core Amlogic S905X5M to deliver a smooth experience within the highly praised Google TV interface. Streaming video doesn’t demand much horsepower, after all, so the internals won’t have any trouble while you flick through menus or take in UHD content.
It appears to ship with the same voice-enabled remote as last year’s Pro version, which boasts a prominent “Free TV” button to help users avoid getting stuck in paid-content-land. Assuming it is the same remote (and it probably is), there’s an IR blaster inside for transmitting signals to TVs, plus a Bluetooth radio for communicating with the actual streamer. That way, you don’t have to leave the Onn 4K plus out in the open, or juggle two remotes just to watch one TV.
There is still one detail we aren’t quite certain of. As Ben Schoon of 9to5Google pointed out, Walmart tends to launch its in-house electronics somewhat inconsistently. The first Onn 4K Plus listing popped up a couple of months ago only to disappear immediately, and the currently live listing doesn’t appear to be available online for most users. But, if you pop over to your local Wally World, there’s a real chance it could be physically in stock. Otherwise, the now-live listing indicates this low-cost alternative to the Google TV Streamer should be available for online purchase any day now.
