Xiaomi’s modern Smart TVs have turned a regular screen into a powerful multimedia center capable of not only streaming video but also running complex applications. However, the regular remote control, while convenient for navigating menus, is completely unsuitable for dynamic gameplay that requires accuracy and reaction speed. Many owners of Android TV devices often wonder whether it is possible to run the game using only standard buttons, or whether additional hardware is needed.
In this article, we will take a look at all the ways you can turn your TV into a game console. We will look at the possibilities of emulating buttons for old games, connecting third-party controllers and setting up cloud gaming. You will learn which games support control from one remote, and for which entertainment categories you can not do without buying a Bluetooth gamepad or keyboard.
Before you start installing apps, it’s important to understand the architecture of MIUI TV or pure Android TV. The interface is designed to move horizontally, which creates limitations for vertical or complex three-dimensional projects. However, the right setup allows you to unlock the potential of the device 100%, turning the living room into a full-fledged gaming area without having to buy an expensive console.
Restrictions of Xiaomi’s staff remote in games
The standard remote, which comes with Xiaomi TVs, has the minimum set of buttons necessary to control the media player and navigate the interface. It lacks additional shoulder buttons (L1/R1), analog control sticks and a full-fledged keyboard, making it impossible to run most modern Android games. Trying to run a shooter or racing simulator using only the directional pad (crossbread), is doomed to failure due to the lack of functionality.
But don't write it off. For casual genres like quizzes, step-by-step strategies, or simple arcades, the remote can be enough. Android TV has built-in support for gamepads, but it's waiting for an external controller to be connected by default, ignoring attempts to emulate it via the IR port or Bluetooth of the remote itself.
⚠️ Warning: Don't try to use Mouse or Air Mouse mode in fast-response games.The cursor on the TV screen has inertia and latency, making aiming or precision targeting almost impossible in dynamic scenes.
Also, many Google Play Store games on TVs simply don't show up or are labeled "incompatible" unless the system (does not detect) a connected physical gamepad. This is a software limitation that can only be circumvented by installing specialized software or emulators, which we'll talk about below. A standard infrared TV receiver is also unable to transmit the complex combinations of signals needed to emulate a joystick.
Connecting Bluetooth gamepad: the main method
The most reliable and efficient way to play games on a Xiaomi TV is to connect an external controller. Virtually all modern Xiaomi TVs are equipped with a Bluetooth 4.0/5.0 module that allows you to connect wireless gamepads from consoles or PCs. This turns the TV into an analogue of a console where the remote is used only for on and off the menu, and control completely goes to the controller.
The process of pairing devices is quite simple, but requires careful attention when choosing a connection mode. Many gamepads have several modes of operation (Android, iOS, PC), and for a Xiaomi TV you need to activate Android or XInput mode. If you choose the wrong profile, the TV can see the device as a keyboard, which will lead to incorrect operation of the buttons in games.
☑️ Connecting the gamepad to Xiaomi TV
To connect, perform the following actions:
- 🎮 Go to the Settings menu → Controllers and accessories → Add an accessory to your TV.
- 🔌 On the gamepad, press the button combination to enter mode (often it is Home). + Y or X + Home, depending on the model).
- 📺 Select your controller from the list of found devices on the TV screen and confirm the connection.
- ✅ Run the game and check the response. If the control is inverted, check the settings inside the application itself.
It is worth noting that some older gamepad models may not be supported by the system. MIUI TV. In such cases, the use of USB-adapter, if the controller model allows you to work through a wired connection. There are also universal Bluetooth receivers that connect to the device. USB-port of the TV and emulate the keyboard, broadcasting gamepad signals, which helps in situations where direct Bluetooth connection is unstable.
Using a smartphone as a game controller
If you don't have a physical gamepad on hand, and you want to play right now, you can use an Android or iOS smartphone as a virtual controller, so both devices -- a Xiaomi TV and a phone -- must be on the same Wi-Fi network. There are a number of applications that broadcast the taps on the phone screen to the TV, emulating a Bluetooth connection.
One of the most popular solutions is the application. TV Remote Control or specialized gaming consoles like Gamepad for Android TV. The principle of their work is to install the server part on the TV (via the APK-file, if the app is not in the store) and the client part on the smartphone. QR-code IP-The phone screen turns into a touch panel with buttons.
⚠️ Note: When using a smartphone as a gamepad, there may be a noticeable input delay (input lag), which is critical for rhythm games or shooters, but is quite acceptable for turn-based strategies, card games or quiz games.
The advantage of this method is that you don't have to buy any additional hardware, and you can also display additional data on your phone screen if the game supports the second screen, or you can use a smartphone gyroscope to control the tilt in racing simulators, but the phone's battery will be consumed much faster, and the quality of the connection depends on the stability of your router.
To set up a connection, you often need to allow debugging over USB or establish a connection via ADB (Android Debug Bridge).
adb connect 192.168.1.XXThis command allows a computer or other device to control the TV, but for games it is more convenient to use ready-made emulator apps that have a friendlier interface and do not require manual input of commands.
Retro console emulators and control
Xiaomi TVs with Amlogic or MediaTek processors have enough power to run emulators of old game consoles such as Dendy (NES), Sega Genesis, PlayStation 1 and even PSP. For these platforms, a regular remote can be enough if you properly configure the mapping keys. Emulators allow you to override the remote buttons by assigning them the functions of the gamepad buttons (A, B, X, Y, Start, Select).
The most popular Android TV emulator is RetroArch. It supports a huge number of cores for different consoles and has a built-in control setup. Unlike simple emulators, RetroArch allows you to create a control profile specifically for the Xiaomi remote by assigning keyboard combinations for complex actions.
When setting up an emulator, it is important to consider the number of buttons available. On a standard remote, there are only 5-6 (up, down, left, right, OK, Back, Home, Voice). For games that require 8 or more buttons, you will have to use combinations. For example, holding the Back button can emulate the Select button, and the voice button can emulate the Start button.
The table below shows the approximate distribution of functions for emulation of Sega consoles on the Xiaomi remote:
| Function on the console | Xiaomi remote button | Combination (if necessary) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Directional Pad | Navigation wheel | - | Major displacement |
| Button A (Action) | OK / Enter | - | Main action |
| Button B (Cancel) | Back (Back) | - | Jump/Cancel |
| Start | Voice search | Long press. | Pause/Menu |
| Select | Home (Home) | Long press. | Change of arms/Regime |
Cloud Gaming and Streaming from PC
For owners of powerful computers or subscribers to cloud services (GeForce Now, Xbox Cloud Gaming), Xiaomi TV can act just like a monitor. In this case, all the computing load falls on a remote server or home PC, and the TV streams video. Control in this scenario also requires a gamepad, but the quality of the picture and available library of games is incomparably higher than that of native Android applications.
For PC streaming, the best option is to use the Steam Link or Moonlight app, which is optimized for Android TV and supports high-resolution audio and video (up to 4K and 60 FPS), and the TV remote is only used to launch the client application, after which the control is completely intercepted by the connected gamepad.
If you use cloud services, make sure your Internet channel has sufficient bandwidth.The minimum recommended speed for a comfortable 1080p game is 25 Mbps. When using 5G mobile networks through the hotspot on the phone, quality can fall due to signal instability and high ping.
It is important to adjust the output resolution correctly. In a client application (for example, Moonlight), you should set the resolution corresponding to the matrix of your TV, usually 1920×1080 or 3840×2160. The resolution mismatch can lead to blurring of the picture or black bars around the edges of the screen, which will worsen the gaming experience.
Installation of games: APK-file-store
The official Google Play store on Xiaomi TVs often filters apps, leaving only those with a remote-adapted interface.To access a full range of games, including those that don't have a TV version, you can install third-party app stores like Aptoide TV or APKPure.
The process of installing third-party software requires permission to install from unknown sources.
- Download. APK-The file of the desired store (for example, Aptoide) TV) computer.
- Transmit the file to the TV via the Send Files to app TV using USB-accumulator.
- When you first start up, Xiaomi’s security system will request permission. Go to Settings → Security → Install unknown applications and allow installation for the selected file manager.
- Set up a store and look for games tagged with “Gamepad supported.”
⚠️ Attention: When installed APK-There is a risk of malware infection of the system using only authoritative resources such as the official Aptoide website or 4PDA, Check your files with antivirus before launching.
It is worth remembering that games that are not adapted for the horizontal interface can run in vertical mode or require emulation of a touch screen, which makes playing from the remote impossible. In such cases, special launchers or mapper programs that create a virtual touch layer on top of the game, allowing you to assign screen zones to the buttons of the remote or gamepad.