"Hot Garbage": New Plex for Roku update getting slammed left-right-center

Update 19/09/25 – 09:15 am (IST): Plex has rolled out an update that addresses a few bugs that appeared following the recent update. Here’s the changelog of update v8.6.6.

• Fix a crash viewing Libraries from an older server version.
• Fix overflow options for non-favorited libraries.
• Fix possible crash loading All Libraries screen.
• Fix possible crash when closing the search screen.

While there’s no statement regarding the whole UI change, these fixes should help make the new experience a tad less frustrating.

Update 18/09/25 – 09:15 am (IST): While the backlash just keeps growing, some users have also begun sharing tips to make life a little easier with the new update. User Beardedginger87 posted images showing how one can reorganize the home library in just a few steps.

Meanwhile, for those who are missing the ‘Continue watching’ section following the update, Luke1521 noted that they favorited a few libraries and reloaded Plex. This trick worked for another person who commented, “This worked! Thank you”

Plex hasn’t yet put out an official statement regarding the backlash. However, if this continues, it’ll be difficult for the company to remain silent for much longer. 

Original article published on September 17, 2025, follows:

Plex users are absolutely furious. The company’s latest Roku update, version 8.6.4, has turned what many considered a simple and intuitive streaming interface into what one angry user called “hot garbage.” The backlash has been swift and merciless, with longtime subscribers threatening to jump ship entirely.

The new interface completely overhauls how users navigate their media libraries. Gone is the familiar sidebar that let people quickly access their movie and TV collections. Instead, Plex has moved everything to a horizontal top navigation bar that users say takes forever to navigate. One frustrated Reddit user said: “it takes less steps to enter a GTA cheat code than it takes to just get to my fuc***g library.”

The problems run much deeper than just navigation headaches. Multiple users report basic playback controls simply don’t work anymore. They can’t pause, fast forward, or even search properly. Some have found temporary workarounds by restarting the app through the Roku’s star button menu, but that’s hardly a solution anyone should need for basic media playback.

What’s really got people steamed is how this breaks the experience for older family members who rely on Plex. “My boomer relatives are not going to handle this well,” wrote one user. Others also shared similar concerns, as they help their parents and grandparents with streaming setups.

Playlists, a feature many users spent considerable time curating, are now buried so deep in menus that finding them feels like a scavenger hunt. What used to be a simple sidebar option now requires navigating through multiple screens and submenus. Users have to go to Libraries, select either TV or Movies, then navigate left to find Playlists tucked away in an unintuitive location.

The visual changes aren’t just annoying, they’re causing physical problems for some users. One person reported that the new interface creates a dithering effect that triggers seizures and severe migraines lasting weeks. They described it as “literally a life ruining event” and begged Plex to provide a way to disable whatever processing change is causing the problem. Their post garnered over two hundred and forty upvotes within hours.

The timing couldn’t be worse for Plex. The company is still dealing with fallout from a data breach earlier this month that forced password resets across their platform. Now they’re facing a user revolt over an interface redesign that feels like it prioritizes Plex’s commercial content over users’ personal media libraries.

The 8.6.4 update has been published to the official channel, meaning there’s no going back for Roku users. The company hasn’t provided any rollback options, leaving angry customers with few alternatives. Many are already exploring competitors like Jellyfin and Emby, though those platforms come with their own learning curves and missing features.

Given the intensity of the backlash, Plex might want to move fast before “hot garbage” becomes their permanent reputation. If you haven’t yet seen the new UI, someone recorded and shared a video of it that you can check out below: