Science & Tech · Big Tech & Internet · 2 hrs ago
Roku to Replace Aquatic Life Screensaver With Ad-Filled Roku City
Roku will remove its Aquatic Life screensaver on Dec.
1 from its streaming devices.
The animated screensaver, popular with some Roku users, showed realistic aquarium life.
Roku City will take its place, showing a purple skyline with digital billboards and pop-culture references.
The change means Roku’s built-in alternative is filled with advertising, unlike the aquarium animation.
Users can still find aquarium screensavers through third-party Roku apps, and a version of Aquatic Life is available on YouTube for now.
After Dec.
1, viewers who want fish on their screens will need another option.
Roku will replace its Aquatic Life screensaver with Roku City on Dec. 1.
Roku City features a purple skyline with rotating digital billboards and brand sponsorships.
The replacement is more commercial, and CNET said Roku’s own alternative is filled with advertising.
A CNET editor suggested the change could help Roku make money or generate engagement, but Roku had not responded to a request for comment.
Third-party Roku wallpaper apps offer aquarium options, and a YouTube version of Aquatic Life is also available.
- Who
- Roku is replacing the Aquatic Life screensaver.
- What
- The screensaver will be replaced by Roku City, which features sponsored digital billboards.
- When
- Dec. 1. The articles do not state the year.
- Where
- On Roku streaming boxes.
- Why
- Roku did not state a reason. A CNET editor suggested the change could generate money or engagement.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Roku was purchased by Fox for $22 billion, in a deal expected to close in 2027.
Roku is scheduled to replace the Aquatic Life screensaver with Roku City.
- Replacement date
- Dec. 1
- Outgoing screensaver
- Aquatic Life
- Replacement screensaver
- Roku City
- Roku City feature
- Rotating digital billboards with brand sponsorships
- Fox purchase price for Roku
- $22 billion
2 sources
What people are saying
It seems like this is a way for Roku to convert a popular screensaver into a way to make money, or at least generate more engagement, via the Roku City version