Turning a standard TV set-top box into a full-fledged gaming console is one of the most popular solutions for owners of Xiaomi Mi Box S. The standard Google Play store offers a limited selection of entertainment, but the capabilities of Android TV allow you to significantly expand your horizons. You can run retro emulators, modern cloud services or even ported versions of mobile hits.
The process of installing third-party software requires understanding the file system and some of the nuances of the operating system. Unlike smartphones, it's a remote-controlled interface that makes navigation difficult, but with the right information, you can easily overcome these barriers and access thousands of applications.
In this article, we will discuss in detail all the ways to download game content. USB-Drives, remote PC connection and the use of specialized downloaders, and also pay attention to the choice of peripherals, because without a high-quality gamepad, a full experience is impossible.
Preparation of the device and setting up security
Before downloading installation files, you need to activate hidden system functions. Android TV by default blocks the installation of applications from unknown sources for security purposes. You will need to allow this option for a specific bootloader or file manager.
Go to the settings menu and find Security and Restrictions, and you're interested in "Unknown Sources." In newer versions of firmware, the system can request permission for a specific application, such as Send Files to TV or file explorer, which is a more flexible approach than the global resolution in older versions of Android.
⚠️ Attention: Install APK-files only from trusted sources such as APKPure or 4PDA. Downloading modified games from dubious sites can lead to malware virus infection.
It's also worth freeing up space in internal memory.The standard 8GB of Xiaomi Mi Box S storage fills up quickly, and heavy games require space not only for installation but also for cache.Remove unused apps via the Settings menu → Annexes.
☑️ Preparing the Mi Box S for installing games
Method of installation via USB-drive
The fastest and most reliable way to install is to use USB-You'll need a computer to preload the installation files (APK) and the drive itself, formatted in the file system FAT32 or NTFS. Xiaomi Mi Box S perfectly reads external drives through the port USB 2.0.
Copy downloaded game files to the flash drive into the root directory or create a separate folder for convenience. Once the drive is connected to the console, the system usually automatically prompts you to open the file manager. If this does not happen, use the File Commander application or similar conductor.
Find the file you want and click on it. The system will issue a security alert, confirm the installation, take from a few seconds to a couple of minutes depending on the size of the game, and when you're done, you'll see either Open or Ready.
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Use it. USB-hub with its own power, if you plan to connect both a flash drive and a wired gamepad, since the console ports may not give enough current.
For heavy projects such as emulators PPSSPP Or Dolphin, you can transfer the game cache to an external drive, and you can do this in the settings of the emulator itself, pointing the path to the folder on the computer. USB-It'll save the internal memory from overflowing.
Installing games remotely from a computer
If you don't want to mess with flash drives, you can use the network capabilities of Android TV. For this, both devices - the PC and the console - must be on the same local Wi-Fi network. This method requires the pre-installing of a special application-recipient on the console itself.
One of the best solutions is Send Files to TV, which is that you install it on the Xiaomi Mi Box S through Google Play, and you download a similar program on your computer, or you use a web-based interface if you have one, and it's simple: you pick a file on your PC, you find the device in the list, and you send it.
An alternative, more advanced method is to use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) debugging.
- 📱 Enable "Developer Mode" in system settings (click 7 times on build number).
- 🔌 Activate “Debugging by” USB» developer menu.
- 💻 Install ADB computerized IP-Address by the adb connect command 192.168.1.XX:5555.
- 📥 Start the installation with the adb install command game_name.apk.
Connection problems with ADB
This is ideal for those who often test new versions of applications, allowing multiple files to be installed in batch processing without being distracted from the main activity, and the speed of transfer depends on the quality of your Wi-Fi router.
Use of specialized loaders
There are aggregator apps in the Android TV ecosystem that make it easier to find and install software, such as bootloader by AFTVnews, a browser and file manager in one bottle optimized for remote control.
With bootloader, you can enter direct links to APK-So you can use the file or the built-in search, and the application automatically recognizes the file type and then asks you to install it, and that eliminates the need to use the computer as an intermediary.
Another popular option is to use cloud storage: install a Google Drive client, Dropbox or Yandex Disk on the console. Download games to the cloud from your phone or PC, and then download them directly to the Xiaomi Mi Box S. This is convenient if you have fast Internet.
| Method | Speed. | Difficulty | Equipment required |
|---|---|---|---|
| USB-flash-drive | Tall. | Low. | Flash, PC. |
| Send Files to TV | Medium | Low. | Wi-Fi network |
| ADB Debugging | Tall. | Tall. | PC, team knowledge |
| Downloader | Depends on the network. | Medium | Remote, Internet |
Setup of emulators and retro games
One of the main reasons for buying Xiaomi Mi Box S is the ability to run emulators. the processor of the device is productive enough to emulate consoles up to the point of emulating the device. PSP, N64 And it's partly a Dreamcast. You'll need the emulator and the files to start with. BIOS (where required) and ROM-u games.
Popular emulators like RetroArch, DuckStation or PPSSPP have a gamepad-focused interface. Once installed, you will need to point the way to the game folder. It is recommended to create a clear folder structure on the external drive, such as /Games/PSP/ or /Games/PS1/.
The important thing is to set the shaders and resolution. Standard emulator resolution can be low (e.g., 480p). In the emulator settings, find "Rendering Resolution" and set a value of 2x or 3x from the original. On a 4K TV, this is critical for clear picture.
Some heavy emulators may require unlocking the full CPU frequency. In standard mode, Android TV can trott (reduce frequency) CPUs over long loads. Using third-party launchers or specialized scripts can help stabilize FPS.
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For a comfortable game of emulators on the Mi Box S, be sure to use an external storage drive for your computer. ROM-Because the internal memory will quickly end.
Connecting gamepads and managing
Playing full-fledged projects with a remote control is almost impossible. You will need a high-quality gamepad. Xiaomi Mi Box S supports connection over Bluetooth and USB. The most trouble-free are the controllers from Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Sony DualShock 4.
To pair over Bluetooth, go to Settings → Controllers & Accessories → Add Accessory. Press the pairing button on the gamepad (on Xbox it is the button on the end, on DualShock – Share + PS).
If you use USB-The gamepad, just plug it into the port, but if the port is occupied by a flash drive, you'll need to USB-Note that some cheap Chinese gamepads may not be properly identified in the Android menu, requiring additional drivers or the Gamepad Tester app for mapping buttons.
⚠️ Note: When using a Bluetooth gamepad, monitor the level of charge. In active game mode, the controller can discharge faster than when playing on consoles, due to the peculiarities of implementing the Bluetooth stack in Android TV.
Games that don't support native gamepads (many mobile ports) will require a mapping app, such as Mouse Toggle or built-in emulator features, that allow you to assign actions of the gamepad buttons to touch the screen.