HBO Max Is Now On Xfinity X1 And Flex (But Still Not Roku, So Don't Ask)

UPDATE: At the time this story ran, HBO Max was not available on the PlayStation 5. That's changed – it's now available on PS5. Still no Roku, though. The original story continues below.

Ever since the launch of HBO Max, one question has come up again and again: when will the app be available on Roku? Well, folks, HBO Max has heard your question, and they've decided to, uh...ignore it. Instead, WernerMedia and Comcast have announced today that the HBO Max app is launching on Xfinity X1 and Xfinity Flex.

HBO Max already has a lot of great content to offer, and in the wake of the recent announcement that Warner Bros. is sending all of their 2021 theatrical titles right to the streaming service, it's about to get even better. And yet...HBO Max has not had the smoothest of launches. For one thing, people are still confused as to what the hell HBO Max even is and how they access it. And then there's the fact that the app is still not available on Roku, the most popular streaming device in the U.S.

As previously reported, HBO Max and Roku remain "in talks," but " both sides have signaled that they are unwilling to budge on their positions: Roku wants to keep HBO/HBO Max as a channel it can sell directly to its own customers, while WarnerMedia is insisting that HBO Max be available as a standalone app."

After Warner Bros. made their big announcement about dropping their 2021 slate directly onto the service, I thought it would only be a matter of time before an announcement was made that HBO Max was finally on Roku. After all, Wonder Woman 1984 will be on HBO Max in time for Christmas – surely the problem would be settled by then, right?

Well, no. It really looks as if HBO Max and Roku remain in a stalemate. In the meantime, WarnerMedia and Comcast are rolling out HBO Max on Xfinity X1 and Xfinity Flex. X1 and Flex customers will be able to access the HBO Max app over the Internet by saying "HBO Max" into the Xfinity Voice Remote or by saying the name of the desired title they're looking for (just for fun, try saying "Roku?" into the Voice Remote to see what happens; maybe HBO Max will tell you to get lost). Xfinity customers will also be able to "find the HBO Max app content library integrated throughout the X1 and Flex experience.

This move is meant to overlap with the Wonder Woman 1984 Christmas Day release on HBO Max (it's also hitting theaters on that day, but come on, we all know you'll be watching it at home). Wonder Woman 1984 will be available in 4K Ultra HD, HDR 10, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos to Xfinity customers on supported X1 and Flex devices.

"Since launching HBO Max, our teams have worked closely to deliver an HBO Max experience that would provide more frictionless access to Xfinity X1 and Flex customers, and we're thrilled to debut the app today," said Jennifer Mirgorod, Head of Sales and Account Management, WarnerMedia Distribution. "Millions of Xfinity customers can now easily explore all that HBO Max has to offer with a simple voice command."

I'm sure HBO Max will get this all sorted out eventually. For now, though, they seem to hold all the cards, since they hold all the content.