In May 2026, a class-action lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California brought public attention to the risks associated with firmware updates for smart TVs, naming Roku and its long-term partner TCL as defendants. The complaint alleges that software updates pushed by the two companies failed to improve user experience and instead caused severe malfunctions, with some TVs becoming completely inoperable and unable to power on or function normally. Affected models include Roku's own-brand Select and Plus series, as well as TCL's Series 3, 4, 5, and 6 TVs. The plaintiffs accuse the updates of causing issues such as frozen screens, infinite reboots, and complete failure to power on, with most failures occurring within one to two years of purchase—far shorter than consumers' expected TV lifespans. The plaintiffs argue that Roku and TCL promised to fix software issues in their warranty terms and promotions but failed to provide complete solutions, constituting a breach of contract dispute. Roku responded that the allegations are baseless, while TCL has not commented. Currently, the case is still in its early stages, and the court has not yet made a determination on the factual liability.