How to play on Xiaomi TV from your phone: a detailed guide

Modern smartphones have computing power comparable to gaming consoles of past generations, but the screen size often limits the gameplay. Xiaomi ecosystem owners are in a winning position, as the integration of mobile devices and MI TVs allows you to easily stream an image to the big screen without buying additional iron.

There are several technical ways to do this, each with its own characteristics in terms of input delay (Input Lag) and image quality. Native support for Miracast protocol in the MIUI shell for TV allows you to transfer an image without installing third-party applications on the TV if both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network. The choice of method depends on the type of game: for turn-based strategies, wireless broadcasting will suit, while dynamic shooters will require more stable solutions.

In this guide, we will take a look at all the connectivity options available, from built-in system features to dedicated game streamers. You will learn how to minimize latency and connect a gamepad for full control. Understanding the differences between simple screen duplication and streaming content will help you avoid frustration and get the most out of mobile gaming on the big screen.

Wireless broadcasting technologies: Miracast and Chromecast

The basic layer of smartphone-TV interaction is the use of built-in wireless video protocols. In Xiaomi and Redmi devices, this feature is often called Translation or Wireless Monitor. The technology is based on the Miracast standard, which creates a direct Wi-Fi connection between devices bypassing the router, or uses a local network to transmit data. This is a versatile method that works on most Android smartphones.

The alternative is Google Chromecast built-in, which is built into the Android TV or Google TV operating system installed on Xiaomi TVs. Unlike full-screen mirroring, Chromecast allows you to stream content from specific applications, optimizing the flow and reducing the load on the phone's processor. However, games that do not explicitly support this protocol will have to use screen duplication mode.

To activate the feature on your smartphone, you need to lower the notification curtain and find the "Translation" or "Cast" icon. If the icon is hidden, click on the Quick Settings Panel edit button. On your TV at this time, you may need to start the Wireless Display app or just make sure the device is ready to connect. After searching for devices, select your MI TV from the list.

⚠️ Note: When using wireless broadcast for gaming, it is critical that the router supports the 5GHz standard. Operating in the 2.4GHz band will lead to high latency and image artifacts, making the game process uncomfortable.

The quality of the connection depends on the signal power and the absence of interference. If you notice the desynchronization of sound and video, try to reduce the resolution of the output image in the settings of the smartphone broadcast. It is also worth closing the background applications on the phone to free up the resources of the Wi-Fi module and processor for priority transmission of game stream.

Using the Mi Remote app and the Mi Home ecosystem

Owners of Xiaomi equipment have access to unique management tools through the proprietary Mi Remote app or the Mi Home platform. Although the main function of these applications is to control the remote and smart home, they provide deep integration of devices into a single network, which facilitates the initial setup and detection of the TV for later broadcast.

For games, there is no direct streaming feature in the remote application itself, but it is necessary for fast navigation on the TV menu when installing gaming launchers or setting up the network. Make sure that the TV in the Settings → General → Mi Remote section has the detection option enabled. Smartphone and TV must be authorized under the same Mi Account for maximum functionality.

Some users use a bunch of apps to create a virtual touchpad, but for gaming, this solution is ineffective because of delays. The main advantage of the ecosystem here is the stability of the connection and the ability to quickly switch signal sources or adjust the volume without interrupting the game on the phone if you use it as a controller.

It is important to keep an eye on the Mi Home app and the TV system software. Xiaomi engineers regularly improve communication protocols by fixing connection bugs. If you encounter login issues, try logging out and logging in again by checking the password and region of your account.

Streaming games via Steam Link and GeForce NOW

For those who want to play full-fledged PC games or use cloud services, the ideal solution is the Steam Link application. It is available in the Google Play Store on Xiaomi TVs with Android TV. The principle of operation is that the phone can act as a controller, and the heavy computing takes over the PC or cloud server, broadcasting the finished picture on TV.

If your phone is powerful enough, you can run the game on it and, through the Steam Link app or similar solutions (such as Moonlight), stream the image to the TV using the phone as a gamepad. However, a more common scenario is to run the client app directly on the Xiaomi TV, in which case the phone is used only for control or not at all in the process, except for the initial authorization.

To set up Steam Link on your TV:

• 🎮 Download the Steam Link app from the Play Market store on yours MI TV.
• 💻 Make sure your PC with Steam installed and phone are on the same 5GHz Wi-Fi network.
• 🔗 Launch the app on TV and follow the instructions to pair with the PC.
• 📱 Use your phone as a touchpad or connect your Bluetooth gamepad directly to your TV.

The GeForce NOW cloud service also has a native Android TV app.This allows you to play games with high graphics requirements using the power of Nvidia's remote servers. The phone in this scheme can be used to input text or control a media player while the game is on the TV through the cloud.

⚠️ Attention: For comfortable play via Steam Link or cloud services, an Internet channel with a speed of at least 25 Mbps and a ping to the server of not more than 30 ms is required.

The advantage of using specialized streaming apps over simply streaming the screen is streaming the video stream. The H.265 codec used in Steam Link provides a better picture with less bitrate, which reduces the network load and reduces the likelihood of “squares” and blurring in dynamic scenes.

Connection via HDMI: wired method without delay

The most reliable way to ensure that there are no delays and compression artifacts is wired connection. For Xiaomi smartphones with a USB Type-C port, there is the possibility of outputting a video signal through a USB-C to HDMI adapter. This turns the phone into a full-fledged gaming console that transmits a signal directly to the TV matrix.

Not all smartphone models support video output via USB. Flagship series Xiaomi Mi (for example, Mi 10, Mi 11, Mi 12, Mi 13) and Xiaomi 13/14 are usually equipped with a USB 3.0/3.1 port with support for DisplayPort Alt Mode. Budget models of the Redmi Note series often have only USB 2.0, which can not transmit video without using DisplayLink technology (requires the installation of drivers and a powerful processor).

To connect you will need:

• 🔌 adapter USB Type-C to HDMI (preferably supportive 4K 60 Hz).
• 📺 Cable HDMI (2.0 or higher for high resolution).
• 🔋 External power (it is recommended to connect the charging to the adapter, since the game consumes a lot of energy).

Once the cable is connected, the TV will automatically detect a new signal source. Switch the source to the appropriate HDMI port. The image from the phone should appear instantly. In the phone settings (Settings → Connections → HDMI), you can choose the display mode: mirror or extended desktop (if supported).

The use of wired method is especially relevant for competitive games, where every millisecond matters. Unlike Wi-Fi, a cable connection is not affected by neighbor routers or microwave ovens, providing a stable Input Lag at 10-20 ms, which is comparable to gaming consoles.

Setup of gamepads and controllers for Xiaomi TV

Playing with your finger at the screen of a smartphone that is broadcast on the TV is impossible because of the desynchronization of touch and image. Therefore, for full gaming you need to use a physical controller. Xiaomi TVs based on Android TV are perfectly compatible with most Bluetooth gamepads.

The most popular options are controllers from Xbox One/Series X, DualShock 4 and DualSense from Sony, as well as specialized gamepads from 8BitDo or GameSir. Connection is via the Settings menu → Controllers and Accessories → Add Accessory. Put the gamepad into pairing mode (usually by pressing the power button or a special Bluetooth button).

For Xiaomi smartphones, there are also mobile gamepads that attach to the phone. Using the wired method (HDMI), this phone with a fixed gamepad becomes an analogue of the Nintendo Switch. In wireless mode, some gamepads allow you to connect directly to the TV, ignoring the phone, which further reduces latency.

It is important to note that not all games support external controllers. The description of the application in Google Play should be marked “Gampad Support”. For games that do not have such support, you can use mapper applications that assign on-screen buttons to the gamepad buttons, but this requires complex configuration through ADB.

Optimizing the system and eliminating delays

Even with the right connection, performance issues can occur. The Android TV operating system on Xiaomi TVs sometimes requires manual optimization for heavy tasks. The first step is to turn off all background apps and unnecessary services. Go to Settings → Apps and force heavy processes to stop.

Turn on Game Mode or Game Mode in your TV image settings. This Game Mode turns off post-processing (noise reduction, motion smoothing), which significantly reduces input latency. Without this mode, latency can reach 100 ms or more, making shooters unplayable.

Also worth checking is the router settings. If possible, set aside a separate 5GHz network exclusively for gaming devices. Using the 2.4GHz band for streaming games is highly discouraged due to high ether congestion and low bandwidth.

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Use an Ethernet cable to connect your TV to your router if the port is USB It's occupied by the adapter. LAN-Connections are always higher than the fastest Wi-Fi.

Regularly cleaning the system cache and games helps keep the performance going. On low-memory (RAM) TVs, this is critical. Remove unused applications to make room for the system temporary files needed to buffer the video stream.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Wired connection through HDMI-The adapter remains the only way to get a picture without compression and delays that are not available for wireless technologies in the current generation of Wi-Fi.