What Is Roku City?

Roku City is beautiful
Please comment if you know more about this meme's origins.
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#roku #rokucity #screensaver #memes

[@LieutenantAim]

As a Roku owner, I can confirm that the idle screen for the device is absolute art.

[@mintrananas]

Yeah, same here!

[@BrickyBlocky]

Same

[@LordryuRevived]

Same

[@MONSTAboyGaming]

Same

[@KunzLevi]

Roku gang fr

[@Gaminboi2864]

Ever since I had Roku I loved the screensaver, but I never really thought much about it until now. It is truly art.

[@hinomorigaming]

same...

[@tier2industrialsmelter946]

I still use screensaver on my Windows 10 until now because it looks cool!

[@ThePhoenixScribe]

I honestly love the seasonal themes and wallpapers. :)

[@8BitTaco.]

Same

[@G3B3]

same

[@bytearchives]

I never expected it to become a meme but it's recognition is very well deserved

[@JessePinkman27892]

Yes

[@marcdimartino9118]

Between the song Hideaway and Roku City, this Verbalase video has caused us to appreacite a lot of stuff already. One day, people will declare the video itself a masterpiece.

[@wrldunknown]

They really on verbalase ass fr

[@marcdimartino9118]

@@wrldunknown fr fr

[@tyjuarez]

The way that the ads are integrated as billboards in the city instead of being in your face is brilliant. Like don't get me wrong, ads suck, but if roku needs them to keep the servers running, at least they're putting them in a more nonchalant spot than like what Samsung TVs do.

[@reddgmd]

i actually love this concept, a big selling point of the apple tv 4k for me was the lack of ads and if i had to give it up for whatever reason i’d love to have the ads displayed like the roku does

[@CUBKITS]

I actually hate having ads in the screensaver for the TV I purchased, it's absolutely ridiculous. What's worse is that if I'm in the middle of playing content, but it hits screen saver, and want to wake and play the content again, I hit the "play" button. It then jumps me directly to the ad and pulls me out of my content to do so, going to the download page or other streaming app. I switched off that screen saver and there are no ads now, and that's exactly the way it should be.

[@MrDgf97]

@@reddgmd I FUCKING LOVE BEING ADVERTISED TO

[@dr.wallacebreen3859]

​@@CUBKITSit only goes to the screensaver when you stop watching stuff for more than 10 minutes, calm down

[@FineIChangedItYoutubeDontBeMad]

​@@CUBKITS Exactly the way it should be..... for you. I like it and it's a nice low light for when I'm getting into bed. I live in a single room apartment so it's kind of like a lamp but one of those salt lamps. It's a vibe and you just don't get it and that's cool cause we live different lives

[@R...T]

Its surprising that it took us 5 years to discover this piece of art

[@marigoldsthemovie7688]

My friend…2018 was 6 years ago…

[@zphyrss]

@@marigoldsthemovie7688 God dam...

[@jacobpugpoirier3350]

@@marigoldsthemovie7688you’re jk, right?

[@Strawberry_Softcake]

​@@marigoldsthemovie7688maybe their a time traveler

[@jumpy2783]

2018 doesn't even feel close why are y'all this surprised 😭 ​@@jacobpugpoirier3350

[@AwesomeM856]

As someone who has had two Roku TVs for two years now, the city is truly a piece of art and I even spent my time just watching it over and over again. I'm glad that everybody is now recognizing how cool the Roku city is and everything it has to offer!

[@fadedgames1]

"Screen Savers are a lost art" Wallpaper Engine with its 15.3 million units sold: 🗿

[@xFluing]

As technology evolves, OLED screens are slowly replacing LED screens and OLED does suffer from burn-in so it really makes sense that screensavers could make a comeback.

[@Warp3326]

LCD screens*

[@user-fq3ns1uk5w]

You mean LCD not LED right?

[@mincinmind9440]

I mean LCDs these days use LEDs for their backlight, which is why LCDs are sometimes called LED TVs these days

[@Warp3326]

LED's are bad for your eyes, so why do tv's use them nowadays?@@mincinmind9440

[@newp0rt]

i mean this is pretty false. OLEDs dont really suffer from burn in. first generation OLEDs sometimes did. but compared to CRTs? its not even close. you need a current generation OLED to be on the same screen for an unimaginable amount of time to get burn in. like it legit has to be on the same exact screen for months wihtout any changes. i hate when people see a headline from 10 years ago about something and think thats how it is now.

[@spoingelerboib]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who loves the roku idle screen, it does have that generic and simple corporate artstyle, but I don't know something about it just looks so clean and pleasant to look at

[@Adrenaline0413]

​@jamesolszewski3782exactly. That's where a lot of modern Corporate art fails at.

[@Kira-pv4xq]

Yeah it's simple, but all the shenanigans happening in the background add personality.

[@klaplays8853]

Man I love this art

[@spoingelerboib]

@@klaplays8853 put the letter f in front of art 😈

[@Kong20012]

It might be the complementary colors and the setting of the image. Having colors that match can go a long ways to make something look good.

[@Snst-404]

The artist really went the extra mile with all the little easter eggs splashed on the background and foreground (spent a couple of hours trying to get each reference and im sure i missed some), and kudos to the ad integration as its not invasive being on where you expect to be ads

[@jh66444]

I love Roku City! I always loved the idea of it being a cozy urban space mixed with the excitement of a blockbuster or comic book; with references to Mary Poppins, Spider-Man, The Avengers, Superman, The Wizard of Oz, King Kong, among many others.

[@cashordeals3672]

I never get tired looking at all the eastereggs and references in the front and back and overall it's just a vibe

[@shibainu2528]

There are like 20-30 easter eggs in it. For example, there is a suspicious looking phone booth in front of the town hall. Which may or may not be the town hall / clock tower from Back to the Future. I can't get a good look at the BTTF town hall so it might just be a coincidence. I also think that the screen saver's foreground is randomized.

[@RavenclawNimbus]

The easter eggs are the best part, I always try to find every single one. And Roku has multiple screensavers, so you there are even more easter eggs than just the city

[@klaplays8853]

Fr

[@r66fplaysgames]

​​​​@@shibainu2528The phone booth is, I believe, a reference to the 1989 movie "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" & the town hall\clock tower, in the Roku screensaver, is indeed a reference to Back to the Future.

[@JJISMID]

Yeah I’ve been having Roku since I was seven and I love looking at the screensavers

[@LookAtThisRock]

Roku City finally getting the recognition it deserves! The fact that they've done multiple variations of the cityscape just like Google does variations of its logo, is a stroke of genius (and not just a stroke).

[@JessePinkman27892]

Yes

[@LookAtThisRock]

@@JessePinkman27892 YEAH!!! SCIENCE!!!

[@TheGreenDoggoOfWisdom]

I always loved that Roku City isn’t always the same, small details and buildings get changed all the time

[@blackhrt-k9f]

just like real cities tbh

[@Beachbum-ch9cg]

honestly as someone who has had a roku addon thingy for the tv for like 3 or 4 or even 5 years now, the screensaver is absolute art. it has this purple kinda vibe i just love, it also has lil things that you can always look for and sometimes for different seasons the screensaver may even change.

[@floppa9415]

Ironically OLED could totally bring back the need for screensavers.

[@richardhunter9779]

They have. I need to run one on my HTPC with an OLED TV, because sound cuts out over HDMI otherwise.

[@JrIcify]

​@@richardhunter9779 There's no reason why that should work but I'm glad it does.

[@HowlingMoai]

@@JrIcifyIt’s likely because the sound is connected via HDMI and if the display is not actively screen on then it cuts off the audio passthrough. A bit stupid but it makes sense.

[@iveharzing]

My desktop PC screen has burn in from the Windows search bar on the bottom left.

[@Warp3326]

And crt's are making a slight comeback aswell

[@SirAsdf]

Roku City is the 2020s version of falling asleep to Nickelodeon and waking up to Full House at 3 in the morning.

[@sammyssandwich]

Stfu, it came out in 2018 and the original version came out at least longer than 2016.

[@SirAsdf]

​@@sammyssandwich OK, your fucking point?

[@SciDarkReal]

@@sammyssandwich…so?

[@thet00nedl00n]

For me, it was falling asleep to Cartoon Network, and waking up to Adult Swim

[@Safalmao]

AND???@@sammyssandwich

[@EnderTender]

I fondly remember this absolute beast of an artwork. It's amazing that people are finally recognizing it.

[@Goldenlighter0001]

I’ve always liked looking at that screensaver, there’s a bunch of easter eggs aswell. Roku itself is also pretty cool as you can literally customize it hoe ever you want and download whatever you want by just entering a Konami code with the remote

[@uchihasasuke744]

Please don't swear 🤓

[@grandmasteryoda2605]

The Roku City is a classic work of art, as a Roku owner I have had the luxury of experiencing this screensaver for hours at a time. We will all begin a new life in this purple metropolis.

[@BoopidKadoopid]

I love how people want to live there while there are multiple disasters happening at the same time.

[@CatNigga]

Vibes are immaculate though

[@user-zf4kv9ou2i]

So? I live in America. Why not

[@corbeaudejugement]

no worse than the real world. at least that city's pretty.

[@sometimeslemons]

The way it changes with the seasons and other movie promos too is so nice. The fall one is my favorite

[@pencilshavings_yt]

I often associate this screensaver with staying at hotels at the beachside, the TVs would always play this. Truly nostalgic.

[@undisdained]

nah that verbalase joke about the screensaver was golden 💀

[@cawithang8956]

fr

[@YALLAHELLA-pk1gh]

😂😂😂

[@mrmunch5615]

Yeah I remember thinking that he was running through Roku City.

[@Brunoki22]

I totally agree with you on this, LIMC. Streaming services could benefit of having screen-savers like old computers used to have, mini-games to pass the time like certain TVs used to have, and what I’d like the most to see: menu music while you browse the service like video games have, specially droning sounds like GTA 4 and 5 have on their pause menus.

[@DotKom01]

We need TVs with built in prerecorded subway surfers gameplay in case we get bored

[@jokerofspades-xt3bs]

i think it would be neat if some streaming services had small minigames when loading things, kinda like the WII U Eshop where you could play a little slots style game while it loads the main page

[@AudiDevv]

Roku city is one of the most calming things I've ever seen and it's always dumbfounding to me, when you look at the screensaver all you can hear is the humming noises coming from the fan, the occasional pipe noises from the walls, and the cars that drive by every once in a while, it's the middle of the night and that purple screensaver illuminates your entire room with a dark purple hue, and it's dead silent, only the room ambience fills the room while you watch this what seemingly chaotic city someone be frozen in time and everything looks in place, like everything there was meant to be there, that's what so memorable about this screensaver.

[@Jaxx_GOOF]

Bro as a kid IT WAS HISTORY AT ITS BEST. The robot fighting a giant alligator was sick

[@skywatcher1082]

As someone who wakes up everyday with the Roku City playing, it’s great knowing people also love the aesthetics of it. Part of the fun is watching all the movie references.

[@BrokenCrowbar]

I wake up at 5 am with it on because I go to sleep with the music channel for some reason

[@spectscrawlz_]

THIS THING. My best friend's TV had this screensaver and every time i see it i'm overcomed by nostalgia, it's been like 3 years since i've been to their house and 2 years since i moved countries from where they live...memories man

[@spectscrawlz_]

@@sammyssandwich because my family didnt own a roku tv at the time of this thing's release and i met my friend 4 to 3 years ago and that's why i connect the screensaver to fun memories?? Anything can cause nostalgia for anyone no matter when it was released, it just has to be connected with happy distant memories, i get nostalgia from Lemon Demon's album Damn Skippy because i used to listen to it in my old house and that album came out before i was born

[@imrandom5340]

​@@sammyssandwich have you never had nostalgia for something that happened only a year ago? I do, its a thing, maybe you just never realized that was the name for it

[@imrandom5340]

@@sammyssandwich that explains it

[@JasonBrody1]

Always appreciated the artwork and all of its little references and Easter eggs. Glad it’s getting it’s recognition.

[@alexatrr7089]

I love how slow, calm, and detailed that the screensaver is. I leave it on at night cuz it’s that good. Lore also good too.

[@Mr_Muda_Himself]

The most attention Roku’s gotten in years.

[@yinyangyt8749]

Finally. People are just realizing this? I love it so much. It looks amazing

[@benjrobrt9029]

Ever since I first saw the screensaver in 2019, I was mesmerized, I would stare at it longer than I stared at the bouncing DVD, I immediately tried finding every reference and still to this day stare at it for way too long and notice a few small references. And then I just see this on a thumbnail. Incredible, absolutely incredible. Also there are other versions of it too, there sometimes ad buildings, or different changes for the holidays. But few people know there are like 5 other themes for it. Like underwater or jungle. There's also an old version of Roku city, and they are all complete with movie references everywhere.

[@chingdingtinklewinkle]

When I was little, I used to try and find the little Easter eggs and secrets. Like the shadows in the windows, and I loved it. I still love it today

[@MonsolEnsagia]

There's several really nice scrolling screensavers, besides just the city ones, all full of easter eggs. There's also really nice dynamic wallpapers for your home screen. Legit love my Roku! Glad it's getting some random appreciation.

[@TheDarkangel719]

I’m so glad that this masterpiece is being used in memes. It’s used to spend hours watching it , counting all the references.

[@matthewclark703]

Finally, someone who appreciates this great work of art. I to myself have used roku devices since around 2019, and they at least help save some money on cable cost.

[@bigcooltony437]

I genuinely hope screensavers make a comeback, I love watching them

[@loganlaslo2098]

The fact you didn't allow the DVD logo to hit a corner in this video is a crime! Come on Lessons in Meme Culture!

[@kirbplayer]

I'm so glad to see my childhood Screensaver in the presence of this channel. Still wake up to it sometimes.

[@jakedoesyoutube]

I've loved the Roku City art for like 5 years now. Very nice wallpaper.

[@rowboatfleet]

me and my brother have watched this city for hours since we were young, I love it so much

[@CloverDrawsStuff]

I've had a Roku for years and man Roku City is just so fun to look at. All the hidden characters and building references are so fun. Glad to see it has become a meme

[@codeguy11]

Has anyone thought he would talk about Verbalase spending 50k$ on THAT animation or is it only me?

[@senderk4712]

He already did

[@kheperaptah]

He did. Look 2 videos ago.

[@codeguy11]

@@kheperaptah really?

[@absolutezerochill2700]

he already did bro you're slow as hell

[@turkeysgotmorecloutthanyou]

It’s his first video to reach 2 million in the year

[@theblacksilence]

it's the good type of corporate and simple artstyle imo

[@Videokid7234]

I also like that in spring, the city becomes calm and peaceful, so sometimes it ain't all chaos.

[@Wallmart5]

As a Roku owner, I noticed just how amazingly detailed this piece of art was when I paused it to eat dinner and then the screen eventually changed to it.

[@TheBowTizzle]

The line between genuine and ironic enjoyment is very very fine indeed

[@FrozenPyro]

My only exposure to it is at the gym to the point I didn't even know it was tied to Roku until recently. However, because it's used in 'chiller' areas of the gym, it helps reinforce that need to just relax and take in the view while cooling down.

[@pinksywedarnoc8017]

I love the Roku Screensaver. Such a nice forground (with the ninja turtles) and the background filled with references from hollywood movies and historical creations.

[@LlywellynOBrien]

I cannot believe that this has gotten so much attention. So good. I love Apple TV's and Google's amazing scrernsavers. Apple's slow moving top down shots are amazing.

[@UnknowinglyDerpy]

with OLED Displays starting to take hold in the market, screensavers may actually have a comeback since OLED phones occasionally also suffer from burn in like the CRT TVs and monitors of the past

[@user-fq3ns1uk5w]

CRTs are also making a comeback yk, for retrogaming and other benefits

[@sdsharksgoodpenguinsbad]

A couple years ago, I visited my grandparents house for a reason I now can't remember. But when I was there we planned to watch a movie or something and they couldn't figure out how to get it to work, and while we were waiting, I watched the Roku City art play out multiple times, and I thought it was pretty cool. Several years later, I am glad to see that this has become a meme.

[@chrise8275]

I remember Roku City, My grandparents used to have Roku. But after my grandfather passed away, My grandmother got rid of it. I really should’ve paid more attention to that City, BECAUSE IT’S SO FREAKING COOL-LOOKING!!!!!

[@IamExtremelyBoredAtLife]

If you want the even shorter answer Roku city is a city.

[@Chris-ev6cp]

Yeah this background has been one of my favorites for years

[@SouthernGothicYT]

its the color palette of Roku city that I love the most - the cool purple with the warm pinks/reds, its so cozy

[@ilgufagd4145]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 🌆 *Roku City, featured on Roku screensavers, has become a meme in 2024, gaining popularity for its cozy and inviting atmosphere, reminiscent of a dystopian future.* 00:27 🔄 *The meme resurgence may signal a return of computer screensavers, considered a lost art due to LCD screens; this trend could bring about creative and captivating animations.* 00:57 💰 *Roku City presents an opportunity for streaming services to boost revenue without resorting to unskippable ads, offering potential for the revival of entertaining screensavers from the '90s and 2000s.* 01:39 🎮 *To enhance engagement, streaming services could introduce mini-games or interactivity in screensavers, providing a more dynamic and enjoyable experience for users.* 02:07 🌐 *Despite its humble origins as a screensaver, Roku City's unexpected success highlights the global fascination with simple animations, reminiscent of the late '90s and early 2000s.* Made with HARPA AI

[@Plasticshavings]

If verbalase doesn't get added I will throw my roku out the window

[@Crypticdragon1]

This is why I love "Wallpaper Engine" on PC. Its nice having some movement to look at.

[@fenrischained4401]

I love Roku city. Me and my sisters once spent a good thirty minutes watching it scroll and calling out all the references we could find. Then we did the same with different versions, like the valentines/romance one. It was pretty fun!

[@SilasKeon]

This is nice. Gotta love screensavers.

[@Dradeeus]

I just like anything that takes a wholesome moment to appreciate something like this.

[@mactherolhippolyte1212]

I only saw this once and it was on the large monitor at my college as the professor was preparing us for presentations. He was talking as he was setting up but this just had my distracted. It really is good art.

[@davidfeltheim2501]

The Roku screensaver on a 70 inch TV with the warm lights of the sound system in a cozy room with a huge couch right before you watch your favorite movie in crisp 4K is one of the best feelings ever.

[@therevenger259]

No one has ever pointed out that there are only 3 ninja turtles in Roku City.

[@rexyjp1237]

1 of them got eaten.

[@floofydevil2648]

Roku city looks beautiful! Let me live there!

[@lilsquiddle1964]

I found this thing a massive vibe the first time I saw it, glad it's getting the attention it deserves.

[@DolltheFool]

Roku screensavers are absolutely beautiful, I'm glad that more appreciation is being given to them. My personal favorite is the nautical screensaver, but all of them look really nice.

[@eeboiee]

Oh god, the Roku screensaver is a meme now-

[@Springboi9832]

verbalase in roku city confirmed

[@EthanFilms]

Electric Sheep is a GREAT screensaver with regular updates, its just super trippy fractals, i recommend it

[@Colorfullll]

My dad has his own office room in the house, and he has a Roku tv. I can tell you right now that the idle screen is really well made with lots of thought put into it. I just wanna live in that city because it looks so nice

[@Lucius_Shiro]

For full immersion, play "Virbank City Theme" from Pokemon Black and White 2 Thank me later

[@StrikerSans]

When I first read the name I first thought it had something to do with Roku's Basilisk. Some dystopian city or something. But it was actually a pleasant screensaver.

[@caringheart34]

Thankfully it's not called Roko City or we'd see a remake of IHNMaIMS

[@VinTheDirector]

When I heard about the basilisk I immediately thought about the Roku streaming service

[@StrikerSans]

@@VinTheDirector I didn't even know there was a Roku streaming service before watching this video. You don't see any promotion for it, paramount plus and many others here in germany. People here mainly use Netflix, Disney+, Sky and Amazon prime video.

[@Justin94339]

as an owner of a roku tv who sees this screen every day i'm glad people are starting to notice this through memes.

[@DIMIUXanimations]

1:48 I always count three ninja turtles in Roku City and spend hours trying to find the fourth one too lol

[@ismaelsequera2982]

I love how Roku city has seasonal changes whenever a new season has. Truly a work of art! 😊

[@thesniffler5]

Damn, I didn't even know it was a meme.

[@pochiluis0570]

I love to sometimes pause whatever I’m doing and just stare, at the screen, mesmerised by Roku idle screen, searching for little details, references, easter eggs, see if something has changed or if the little screens in the dirt are advertising something different!

[@Epic_OnYTT]

I still remember I think it was 2015, my mom got home from target with a Roku, I still remember after we left it alone the original city slideshow would show up. it is my childhood especially with the blinking cell towers in the background like how it was at my house when I probably woke up at 5:45 am. Love this masterpiece

[@mastertheboi]

0:24 so i am not the only one to think that this looks like the city where verbalase lost his virginity

[@Crudscum]

For 50k 💀

[@wafeenotme1289]

Verbalace: NO NO NO

[@modestzachman758]

I’ve known about the Roku City for years. I feel so validated seeing it become so popular.

[@Sagninaw]

this is great that people are finally recognizing roku as a company since i've been using it ever since 2014

[@BATTLEFORNIGHTMAREISLAND]

Verbalase💀

[@aaron6479]

roku city

[@wweeeee]

One of my relatives have a roku tv and sometimes I would just stand there, staring at the city for a large period of time

[@DustBinny]

Seeing this Aquarium screensaver at 1:04 brought back SO MANY MEMORIES Me and an old friend of mine used to hang out at the offices where our parents worked, and we’d watch this screensaver go by and by until a shark came up onscreen, at which point we’d yell “SHARK!” and run to the furthest space we could access at the time as a sort of game. Man, I miss those days

[@vapreom]

50k....

[@Madison0193]

😭

[@bxck]

I was waiting for this moment

[@Madison0193]

@@bxck Lmbo

[@Goom6]

Hi

[@ToasterBath]

What makes the acreensavers even better is that they are absolutely LITTERED with references to popular media and then some. Hell, the space ship one alone has over 20

[@nygomi8652]

I happen to really like art with color palettes like Roku City, so naturally it's one of my favorite "idle screens" ever made.

[@GlowGuyVR]

dude during grimace’s birthday month, they had a little mcdonalds and it had every mascot in there celebrating the birthday it was cool

[@NeonBeeCat]

my favorite part about the piece is that the artist is from my city and it has subtle references to the city of nashville

[@TheFenecFox]

With the rise in OLED screens that can burn in I'm pretty surprised we haven't seen Screensavers come back yet

[@kaonee1046]

Ya'll really want to move to Roku City? They got giant robot and kaiju attacks, alien invasions, and shadow dudes lurkin'. Shit chaotic there

[@destinyprod.2371]

Over the last 5 years of having roku tv’s, I can confirm that it brings a certain joy to my life that you can’t find anywhere else