A Roku projector comes in two forms, and only one of them actually runs Roku. Models like the Aurzen Roku TV Smart Projector D1R Cube and the Miroir Roku RK201 carry licensed Roku OS on the projector itself. The cheaper RCA units sold as “Roku Smart Projector” are ordinary projectors with a Roku Express player packed in the box.
That single difference decides how many remotes you juggle and which Roku features you get at all.
Licensed models put Roku OS inside the projector
Roku announced the first Roku TV smart projector on 16 September 2025. The Aurzen D1R Cube runs 330 ANSI lumens at native 1080p, throws a 40 to 150 inch image, and handles auto focus and auto keystone on its own.
Audio is dual 5W Dolby-certified speakers, with Bluetooth 5.2, dual-band WiFi, HDMI, USB, a 3.5 mm output and AirPlay. Activation needs a free Roku account and an internet connection.
The Miroir Roku RK201 sits below it: official Roku TV built in, 1080p, 180 ANSI lumens, up to a 100 inch image, a 100-degree rotating stand, auto keystone with manual focus and zoom. Walmart listed it at $159.99 on 25 August 2026 for its default Sacramento store.
Because the operating system lives on the device, these behave like a Roku display rather than a screen with a player bolted on. You get one remote, the Roku mobile app for voice and typing, Bluetooth private listening, and pairing with Roku wireless speakers, which is the same mechanism behind the Roku Streambar and Roku soundbars.
Stick bundles are two devices in one box
The RCA RPJ227 is a 1080p projector at 250 ANSI lumens with a 36 to 200 inch range, listed at $116. The RPJ185 drops to 720p and 150 ANSI. Both are described as powered by Roku Express, and that Express is a real, separate player.
It occupies an HDMI input, draws its own power, and ships with its own remote. Picture and keystone settings stay on the projector’s remote while everything streaming happens on the Roku one. The RPJ133 does the same trick with a Roku Streaming Stick.
None of that makes them bad buys at the price. It does mean the projector is a dumb panel, so the platform behaviour described in our piece on what Roku OS actually controls applies to the dongle, never to the projector’s own menus.
How to read the listing before you buy
Look for “Roku TV built-in” or “licensed” on one side, and “with Roku Express”, “powered by Roku Express” or “includes Roku Streaming Stick” on the other. Those phrases are reliable. Product titles are not.
One Walmart listing headlined “Roku TV Built-in” has a product URL reading “Official Licensed Google TV Projector 4K”. That is the same sloppiness that makes model numbers the only safe signal when shopping Roku TVs at Walmart. Check the model code, then check it against the manufacturer’s own page.
Brightness is the constraint nobody mentions
330 ANSI lumens stretched across 150 inches is a dark-room figure. Blinds down, lamps off, or the image washes out. At 80 to 100 inches these projectors look far better.
Treat any listing shouting 15,000 lumens as marketing. Those are not ANSI measurements, and the Roku-licensed models publish honest two- and three-digit numbers instead.
Is there a Roku-branded projector?
No. Roku licenses its OS to partners for projectors the way it does for TVs. Aurzen and Miroir build the hardware, Roku supplies the platform.
Can I add Roku to a projector I already own?
Yes, plug a Roku player into a spare HDMI input. That gives you the same setup the RCA bundles sell, and you keep whatever projector you already like.
Do built-in Roku projectors support 4K?
The current licensed models are native 1080p. If you need 4K, a 4K Roku player feeding a 4K projector over HDMI is the route.
