I tried using the Google TV Streamer for gaming, and it was awful

The Google TV Streamer is without doubt one of the finest and most stunning Google merchandise launched this yr. It’s Google’s first non-Chromecast streaming product (the Nexus Q doesn’t rely), and it incorporates options you don’t discover in lots of different streamers, together with entry to Google Residence controls and dealing as a Thread border router. Throughout my Google TV Streamer overview, I fell in love with how speedy, easy, and highly effective the machine is.

One factor the streamer doesn’t explicitly do is function as a gaming machine. Nevertheless, it runs on the Android TV platform, which means it no less than has the potential of each on-device gaming and recreation streaming too. This, in fact, begets the query: Is the Google TV Streamer any good for gaming?

The headline of this text provides away the reply. Let me break down my expertise with utilizing the Google TV Streamer for gaming so you possibly can see how unhealthy issues actually are.

To get issues began, I grabbed my trusty 8bitdo SN30 Professional Plus controller, particularly as a result of it will possibly function in three completely different modes: D-input (a legacy enter protocol that works very nicely in Android), X-input (mimicking an Xbox controller), and Change (mimicking a Nintendo Change Professional controller). Theoretically, the Google TV Streamer ought to assist all three modes since Android has natively supported all three enter protocols since Android 10. In follow, although, that was not the case.

I began first in Change mode as a result of the SN30 Professional Plus’ face buttons are within the Japanese configuration (A on the precise, B on the underside, and so on.). Nevertheless, I couldn’t get the controller to attach reliably on this mode. The streamer noticed the controller as an out there connection possibility however refused to connect with it. In order that was a bust.

Subsequent, I attempted the X-input mode. This linked OK, however the Google TV software program didn’t acknowledge it as an out there controller. That is complicated, so let me elaborate. I may join the controller to the underlying Android TV working system simply positive, however when you pulled up video games inside the Google TV pores and skin (which exists on high of Android TV, just like Samsung’s One UI on Galaxy smartphones), it wouldn’t let me play them as a result of it mentioned there was no controller linked. In order that was a bust, too.

Finally, switching to D-input was the one mode that each linked to Android TV and was acknowledged inside Google TV. As such, if you happen to do need to attempt to use the Google TV Streamer as a gaming machine, I extremely advocate guaranteeing you have got a controller that helps D-input. The SN30 Professional Plus is an older controller that isn’t made anymore, however the newer 8bitdo Professional 2 ($49 at Amazon) affords the identical performance and is available in a lot of enjoyable colours, so I’d advocate that.

With my controller linked, I may use it to navigate across the Google TV interface instead of the Google TV Streamer’s Bluetooth distant. Instantly, I seen one thing was amiss as utilizing the controller to maneuver round was noticeably slower and jankier than utilizing the distant. I famous that as a potential drawback for gaming and moved on.

First, I wanted some Android video games to play. While you open the Play Retailer on the Google TV Streamer, there’s a piece referred to as “Video games” that provides you a curated collection of titles that work nicely with Android TV. Nevertheless, the listing of video games right here is small, and so they aren’t organized very nicely. For instance, you possibly can’t simply discover free Android video games, nor can you discover video games which can be paid however priced at a sure stage. After getting pissed off with this, I simply used my cellphone. I discovered that Asphalt 8 is free and has Android TV assist, so I put in it by utilizing the drop-down menu subsequent to the “Set up” button to push it to the Google TV Streamer.

Inside a couple of minutes, I had the sport up and operating. It instantly labored with my controller — no configuration wanted. Nevertheless, the body charges had been uneven. That is probably as a result of MediaTek MT8696 SoC powering the {hardware}, which isn’t a high-end piece of package. Regardless, it labored.

What didn’t work (or, no less than, didn’t work nicely) was my controller. As I feared, there was notable latency between once I hit the button and when my automotive reacted to it. I made a decision I ought to strive one other, much less resource-intensive recreation to see if there was a distinction there, and landed on Double Dragon Trilogy. Sadly, this recreation had the identical drawback: I’d hit the button for punching, and my character would throw the punch with a substantial delay. This drawback made fast-paced video games like Double Dragon and Asphalt 8 tough to take pleasure in.

Fortunately, different recreation genres aren’t affected fairly as a lot by this challenge, comparable to JRPGs just like the implausible Last Fantasy III. Nevertheless, you possibly can as an alternative decide to emulate the unique NES model of that recreation, too, which brings us to the following trial.

Let me begin by explaining one thing that got here up just a few occasions throughout my preliminary overview of the Google TV Streamer. There’s a solitary USB-C port on the machine, and Google advised us that it was solely used for delivering energy to the streamer. After the overview embargo lifted, although, other people mentioned that this lone USB-C port might be used for storage, too, if you happen to join a powered USB-C hub to it. We did our personal testing with this, and it seems that is form of true, form of not. Sure, some powered USB-C hubs will work, however some gained’t, and there doesn’t look like any rhyme or motive as to which of them work and which of them don’t. Additionally, for the Google TV Streamer to see your linked storage, it have to be formatted in exFAT, not NTFS, which isn’t superb. In different phrases, though customers can add expandable storage to the streamer, it is vitally clear that Google had zero curiosity in making it simple.

I point out this right here as a result of getting your recreation ROMs onto the Google TV Streamer so you possibly can play them in an emulation app isn’t simple with out expandable storage. Even if you happen to use an Android TV-supported net browser to obtain ROMs to the streamer itself, Google eliminated the native file explorer inside the Android TV working system. This occurred again with the launch of Android TV 12, and I’m at a loss to elucidate why. Regardless, the dearth of a local file explorer causes issues because the emulators are searching for your ROMs within the system however can’t discover them as a result of, nicely, there isn’t a file explorer. Even putting in a file explorer from the Play Retailer doesn’t repair this.

In the long run, my workaround was to open the ROM straight. The Android system then requested me which app to make use of to open it, and the one emulator I put in that appeared on this listing was Snes9x EX+. This allowed me to fireside up Tremendous Mario World with out challenge. It seemed nice on the massive display, particularly once I switched on a CRT overlay to make it look extra like it might have again within the 90s.

Nevertheless, do not forget that controller latency drawback? Hoo boy, it was even worse right here. Getting Mario to leap once I needed him to was mainly not possible, making the all-time platforming recreation a frustratingly unplayable expertise.

I attempted different emulators, too, however some don’t assist installations on Android TV units (Dolphin, for instance), whereas others merely wouldn’t open a ROM due to the file explorer drawback (Lemuroid, for instance).

At this level, I used to be too pissed off to proceed. Even when I may hack collectively a strategy to get a wide array of emulators and ROMs working nicely sufficient on the Google TV Streamer, the controller latency would stay. The entire time I used to be doing this, I believed to myself that if I hooked just about any of the most effective Android telephones to the TV, I’d have a greater emulation system than this.

The one factor left now was to strive streaming some video games.

My most well-liked strategy to recreation is on PC, so I’ve a reasonably respectable rig for that. Due to this, I opted to run Moonlight for this recreation streaming take a look at. In the event you’re not conscious of Moonlight, it’s a tremendous free and open-source service that permits you to play your PC video games from wherever, assuming these video games are put in on a linked PC. Its setup process is a bit convoluted, however when you get it going, it really works nice.

I acquired this all arrange on the Google TV Streamer and, surprisingly, discovered that this was the most effective gaming expertise I’ve had up to now. I streamed Horizon Forbidden West, and the visuals, gameplay, and sound high quality had been all nice. There was some slight latency with the controller, but it surely wasn’t practically as unhealthy as all the opposite video games I had tried up up to now. Even in a fast-paced recreation like HFW, the latency was quick sufficient that I may take pleasure in myself. If I needed to guess, streaming video from my PC left the streamer free to course of my button presses a bit faster than when operating Android video games or emulating even outdated titles like Tremendous Mario World.

After a irritating afternoon attempting to get the Google TV Streamer to be a gaming machine, I gave up. It’s clear that this machine is just not going to be anybody’s most well-liked strategy to take pleasure in video games on their tv. Except you possibly can dwell with the controller latency points whereas concurrently accepting that emulation is basically not an possibility, this isn’t the gaming machine you’re searching for.

Truthfully, the best various can be to make use of your cellphone. Numerous Android telephones, notably newer flagship fashions, assist DisplayPort, so that you simply want a USB-C-to-HDMI cable, and growth: your cellphone is now a gaming console of kinds. This lets you play an enormous vary of video games — native, emulated, or streamed — with stable body charges and broad controller assist.

In fact, utilizing your cellphone won’t ever high the comfort of a streaming machine completely hooked up to your tv. If that’s what you need, then your subsequent finest wager can be to put money into the dearer NVIDIA Defend TV Professional ($199 at Amazon). You’ll have a greater expertise throughout the board with this, thanks to higher controller assist, a way more highly effective processor, and a number of USB ports for straight attaching storage.

I need to shut this out by saying I nonetheless suppose the Google TV Streamer is superb — simply not for gaming. As a regular media streamer with some specialised good dwelling methods, you possibly can’t do a lot better than this, particularly for the $100 value. Possibly if Google launches a follow-up in just a few years, it will likely be higher for gaming. Till then, seize this to observe films and TV, however skip it for video games.