It’s ridiculous that Apple TV is missing this basic feature in 2025

You have more choices than ever before in 2025 when it comes to picking out a new streaming device. Apple, Google, Roku, and Amazon are the heavy hitters, and you should do some research before deciding to pull the trigger on something.

I have a Roku Ultra, Roku Streaming Stick, Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max, and Apple TV 4K, so I know a fair amount of what each streamer brings to the table. Out of all of them, the Apple TV 4K is what I use in my living room, which doubles as my main viewing area. It’s my favorite streamer, but that doesn’t mean it’s not without its issues. A very annoying thing about the Apple TV 4K is its lack of audio passthrough. It supports the Dolby Atmos format just fine, which is good for people paying for the most expensive tiers of Max and Netflix, but there are more audio formats than that.

It’s hard to believe that in 2025 a high-end device like the Apple TV 4K doesn’t have basic audio passthrough, but that’s the world we live in. If Apple’s next device doesn’t come with this option, I don’t think I’ll stick with the Apple TV 4K. To me, it’s inexcusable that we don’t have it by default on any new streaming device.

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I have my eye on Roku

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I have a surround sound setup at home complete with a set of satellite speakers that act as Atmos speakers that I should really upgrade soon, but the point is, I take my sound a little more seriously than most. This is what makes Apple’s streaming box not passing audio through to my receiver even more annoying. The way it works now is the audio is automatically handled by the Apple TV 4K, and that means it can only output what it’s programmed to do. These include Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital 5.1, and Dolby Digital Plus 7.1, and to be fair, this covers a lot of what streaming services have to offer.

When the Apple TV 4K doesn’t recognize the audio format, it’s not like no sound comes out at all, but it instead shows on my receiver as “Multi In.” My receiver does its best to get all the audio to the correct speakers after the Apple TV 4K does the conversion, but it’d be much better if it could just handle the job without the Apple TV 4K getting involved. I don’t have this problem when I pop things into my 4K Blu-ray player since it lets my receiver do the heavy lifting, but it’s a frequent issue when I stream content.

There are so many other options out there that will take care of this for me, and it’s to the point where I don’t even know why I’m sticking with Apple. The much cheaper Roku Ultra doesn’t have this issue. Sure, there aren’t any intrusive ads on the home page and the Apple TV 4K is speedier than the competition, but is it worth sacrificing audio like this? I know the differences are slim, but since I have a Roku Ultra in my bedroom already, I might have to take a few minutes and switch the two devices. If Apple announces the 4th-gen Apple TV 4K and there’s no audio passthrough, I might just pick up another Roku Ultra since I’m a fan of it already.

I’m not locked into the Apple ecosystem like other people might be, so I won’t have any second thoughts about ditching the Apple TV 4K. It’s the only Apple device I own, and switching to a Roku would open up the ability to cast through my Google Home devices. It’s always nice to have quality-of-life updates like that, so audio isn’t the only place I would see upgrades. I’m not fully ready to make the leap, but if Apple’s new device comes out with audio passthrough, then this first-gen model will likely be the last Apple TV 4K I buy.

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Apple has many frustrating problems

Audio is just the beginning

Apple / Pocket-lint

It comes as no surprise that companies want you to invest deeper in their ecosystem for the best experience, and that’s no different for Apple. Unfortunately, I don’t have an iPhone or iPad, or even AirPods, so I’m leaving a lot on the table. Even basic features like finding a lost remote are locked behind the need to have an iPhone. On the other hand, Roku is far more forgiving in that area. Part of it might be the fact that Roku doesn’t have the robust ecosystem that Apple does, but it’s still nice to see a company not punishing me for not fully buying in. Roku works well with Apple products, but it also has full integration with Google, so it doesn’t matter what company you go with.

Going back to the Find My remote functionality, the Roku Ultra has a dedicated button on the box itself to find it, so I don’t even need my phone around to track down a missing remote. There’s also an Ethernet port on the Roku Ultra while you have to pay $150 for the premium Apple TV 4K in order to get one. It’s the little things like that that make the Apple TV 4K unfriendly to get into as your first product. You’re certainly pushed to pick up more Apple products down the line. If you don’t, you still get a fully functional box, but don’t expect to get the most out of it without having an iPhone at the bare minimum.

When other companies offer competitive products, and in this case, for cheaper prices, it’s hard to ignore. All things considered, Roku simply fits into my home ecosystem better than the Apple TV 4K. If Apple doesn’t offer a lot more with the next-generation Apple TV 4K, I just don’t see how I can justify picking one up. Sure, it might still be the best streamer around, but when I can get something else for half the price that might take a few more seconds to load something, I think it’s still worth it. I have no doubt Apple could make a powerful streaming box, but I wish they’d take a few additional notes from other companies to make it even better.

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