Roku 55" Select Series 4K QLED Smart TV (2026) Review

The 55-inch 2026 Roku Select is a simple, light, second-room TV. It now has a QLED screen, it keeps Roku's easy interface and accessibility tools, and it stays basic where it counts for picture: 60Hz, no local dimming and dim HDR.

Screen Size 55"

Panel Type QLED (direct-lit, no local dimming)

Resolution 4K UHD

Refresh Rate 60Hz

HDR Formats HDR10, HLG (HDR10+ per Roku)

Smart Platform Roku OS

Our Verdict

The 55-inch 2026 Select is a simple, light second-room TV with Roku's helpful accessibility tools. Its picture is basic and dim in HDR, so it suits everyday TV rather than film nights.

Best for: Bedrooms, kitchens and relatives who want the simplest possible TV

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A Note on the Evidence

No lab or expert outlet has reviewed the 55-inch model (55R5D5). The only professional review of the 2026 Select Series is Tom's Guide's test of the 65-inch. The two sizes share the same series specifications, so its findings on brightness, colour and the interface probably apply here, and we say so where we use them. The 55-inch-specific facts on this page come from Roku and from Amazon's listing.

What Changed From the 2025 Model

This replaces the 2025 Roku 55" Select we previously recommended (55R4C5). The new model swaps the standard LED screen for a QLED with quantum dot colour. The rest stays put: 60Hz, a direct-lit backlight without local dimming, no Dolby Vision, two 10-watt speakers, Bluetooth Headphone Mode and the same enhanced voice remote with a lost-remote finder. (Roku also sold a QLED Select in 2025, so the quantum dot panel is an upgrade over our old pick rather than a first for Roku.)

Why People Choose a Roku Select

Roku OS keeps things simple: a grid of apps, search across services, and a remote with shortcut buttons for the big streaming apps. Tom's Guide described the interface as straightforward, though "a bit sluggish" on the Select's hardware. Voice control works through Roku Voice on the remote, or through Siri, Alexa or Google Assistant, and AirPlay lets an iPhone share photos and video.

For viewers with low vision or hearing difficulties, Roku's built-in tools help:

A screen reader that reads menus aloud, toggled by pressing the star (Options) button four times quickly.
Leveling and Night volume modes to even out loud adverts and lift quiet dialogue.
Captions from the Accessibility menu, and Bluetooth Headphone Mode for private listening.

Roku is also clear about one thing it cannot do: text resizing is not available on its TVs. If larger menu text is essential, choose a different platform.

Second-Room Tip

In a bedroom, Bluetooth Headphone Mode and Night volume mode let one person watch without disturbing another. Pair a set of Bluetooth headphones once, and switching to them takes a couple of presses.

Picture Quality: Set Expectations

Amazon's listing rates the maximum brightness at 250 nits. On the 65-inch model, Tom's Guide measured about 335 nits on a 10% HDR window in Movie mode, which it called the lowest it had recorded against similar TVs, and about 398 nits in SDR in Standard mode. Movie-mode colour was accurate for the price (a Delta E of about 2.45), and motion was handled respectably.

In practice that means a perfectly watchable picture for news, sport and everyday streaming in a room with modest light, but HDR films without much sparkle, and greyish blacks in dark scenes because there is no local dimming. The screen is glossy.

Gaming and Connections

A PS5 or Xbox Series X will run at up to 4K/60 on this TV; there is no 120Hz mode or HDMI 2.1. Input lag on the 65-inch measured a low 9.6ms, so casual gaming is fine. Tom's Guide counted four HDMI 2.0 inputs (one with eARC), one USB port, optical out, Ethernet and an ATSC 1.0 tuner on the 65-inch. The 55-inch weighs about 20 pounds without its feet and carries Roku's one-year warranty.

Strengths

✓Roku OS with a one-shortcut screen reader, captions and Leveling/Night volume modes
✓Light (about 20 lb) with Bluetooth Headphone Mode for private listening
✓Works with Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant, plus Apple AirPlay

Cons

✗Dim, basic picture: no local dimming, rated 250 nits by Amazon
✗60Hz with no Dolby Vision and no HDMI 2.1
✗Roku says on-screen text cannot be resized

What Owners Report

Owner reports on the 2026 Select are still thin. The clearest comes from a July 2026 deal thread in r/bapcsalescanada about the 55-inch QLED (the linked listing is the 55R5D5), though the buyer did not confirm the exact model: just after buying, they found the built-in speakers poor and the picture worse than their 2018 55-inch Sharp Roku TV, yet still called it good value for a budget set and fixed the sound with an external speaker. That lines up with the professional verdict: you buy this TV for simplicity and price, not picture or sound.

On ease of use, a 2026 r/Roku thread about Roku TVs for elderly relatives is split along the lines you would expect: one owner finds Roku easier for ageing parents than other smart TVs, while another family says a relative with mild dementia could not manage the menus needed to reach antenna channels. Other owners recommend setting the TV to start on a chosen input, such as the antenna or a cable box, so there is less to navigate. These are individual reports, not a defect rate, and none of them is a lab test of this model.

Better-Picture Alternatives

TCL 55" QM6K: Mini-LED with local dimming and 144Hz at 55 inches, for much stronger HDR and gaming, on Google TV. See our QM6K review.
Sony 55" BRAVIA 3 II: 120Hz with four HDMI 2.1 ports and Dolby Vision on Google TV; Tom's Guide measured the 65-inch at about 520 nits in HDR. See our BRAVIA 3 II review.

Who Should Buy It, and Who Shouldn't

Buy it if you want a simple, light 55-inch TV for a bedroom, kitchen or a relative who finds other smart TVs confusing, and you watch mostly SDR TV and streaming.

Look elsewhere if you care about HDR films, game on a current console at 120Hz, have a bright room, or need bigger menu text.

Frequently Asked Questions

Has the 55-inch 2026 Roku Select been reviewed?

Not by any lab or expert outlet we could find. The only professional review of the 2026 Select Series is Tom's Guide's test of the 65-inch model (65R5D5). The 55-inch shares the same series specifications (QLED, 60Hz, no local dimming), so those findings probably apply, but they are not proven for this size.

What is the difference between the 2025 and 2026 Roku 55" Select?

The 2026 model (55R5D5) has a QLED screen; the 2025 Select 4K we previously recommended (55R4C5) was a standard LED TV. Both are 60Hz with no local dimming and no Dolby Vision, and both use Roku's enhanced voice remote.

Can you make the text bigger on a Roku TV?

No. Roku's accessibility page states that text resizing is not available on Roku players or TVs. What Roku does offer is a screen reader that reads menus aloud (press the star button four times quickly), captions, and Leveling and Night volume modes for clearer dialogue.

Is the 55-inch Roku Select good for a bedroom or kitchen?

Yes, that is where it makes most sense. At about 20 pounds without its stand, with Bluetooth Headphone Mode for late-night viewing and a simple remote, it suits a second room where convenience matters more than HDR picture quality.

Does it work with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri?

Yes. Besides Roku Voice on the remote, Roku lists voice control through Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant, plus Apple AirPlay for sharing from an iPhone or iPad.

Final Verdict

The 55-inch 2026 Select is a simple, light second-room TV with Roku's helpful accessibility tools. Its picture is basic and dim in HDR, so it suits everyday TV rather than film nights.

As a second TV, or for someone who just wants the TV to work, it is an easy recommendation. As a main living-room TV for films, it is not.

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Sources

This review is based on the manufacturer's published specifications and support documents, Amazon's product listing, the one lab review of this series (of the 65-inch model), and owner reports. We have not tested the TV ourselves; where a figure comes from a specific reviewer, it says so.