There are many different options when it comes to choosing a device to playback content from a Plex server. While we cannot cover all of those options, let’s address the basics.
Are you a power user in the sense that you have a home theater with dedicated speakers and need/want to passthrough full “HD” audio with heigh channels, like Atmos or DTS:X? Well, if so then your best choice for Plex is the 2019 NVIDIA Shield Pro.
If you want to be able to do all of that, but don’t require passthrough for those Atmos or DTS:X channels, then the Apple TV 4K is your best bet!
After that, in all honesty, the cream of the crop are the Amazon Fire Stick 4K Max and the 3rd generation Fire Cube. These also allow for the passthrough of some audio formats, but lack the muscle of of the Apple and NVIDIA products.
There are some quality streaming devices ranked just below those as well, which are still solid options. This would include the Roku and Google TV options.
Beyond that? Well, your returns certainly begin to diminish…
| Device Type | Use HD Library? | Use 4K Library? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple TV 4K / Shield Pro |  Yes |
Yes |
Ideal for 4K Direct Play |
| Amazon Fire TV 4K Max / Fire Cube (3rd Gen) | Yes |
Yes |
Ideal for 4K Direct Play |
| Roku / Google TV Streamer (4K) | Yes |
 Maybe |
Model-dependent codec support |
| Miscellaneous Streamers | Yes |
Maybe |
Model-dependent codec support |
| Mobile / Tablet | Yes |
Maybe |
Use 4K only if you have H.265 hardware decode |
| Smart TV (modern) | Yes |
Yes |
With proper codec and network support |
| Web browser | Yes |
 No |
Web clients often force transcodes |