xiaomi gamepad connect to pc. Game Controller Xiaomi Mi Game Controller

Today I have on review one of the recent new products from Xiaomi. Namely, the Xiaomi Gamepad joystick. It was bought so that on my Beelink MXIII Plus android set-top box from one of them, you could not only watch videos, but also play games. Fortunately, there are a lot of these games on android now, and they are very normal in quality. What came of it, I will tell further.

I already have several joysticks in stock. This is a joystick from another, the original PS3 joystick, and a wired NoName joystick bought offline.
Why did I decide to buy another one? And the answer is simple: Xiaomi Gamepad is designed specifically for android devices, and there are no problems with setting up, etc. with it.
In order to connect the original PS3 joystick, firstly you need to buy the Sixaxis Controller program (I'll pretend that I don't know about the profile topic on 4pda), this is the first minus. And the second is that when the joystick is connected to the device, the program turns on the bluetooth in some special mode, and it is no longer possible to connect another device via bluetooth to the media player (and sometimes it is necessary). The third disadvantage is the need to configure the control profile in the program for many games. And plus, every time you turn it off / on, you have to run the program and connect the joystick and the set-top box.
The rest of my joysticks have a minus in the form of a wire that cannot be put anywhere, plus one USB port is occupied.
But Xiaomi Gamepad is deprived of these disadvantages. That was the reason for the purchase.
I ordered on gearbest.com among other products, one of which was previously.
Since suddenly the administration did not believe that there are still people buying on herbest for their money, I am attaching a confirmation screen:

Additional Information

Delivery lasted 20 days. Arrived well packaged and nothing inside was damaged.
The box with the gamepad turned out to be quite large. It has the usual Xiaomi box design: hard cardboard made from light-colored recycled paper. On the box, as always, there are no identification marks, except for the MI badge (I wonder why Xiaomi does this?)






Inside the box, on a special bed, was the gamepad itself.


Under it, I found 2 AA batteries and a stylish-looking instruction manual, which, unfortunately, is only in Chinese, and therefore does not represent any useful functionality for our brother.

The gamepad itself looks like a kind of hybrid between the PS3 and Xbox360 gamepads. It lies very comfortably in the hands. Ergonomics are top notch. The body material is plastic, but it is not the usual smooth one, but looks a bit like a soft touch coating, although this coating is not on it either.
The gamepad has two triggers and a control cross, located like on the Xbox360 gamepads. ABYX buttons on the right. In the center is the power button with the MI logo, it glows white when the joystick is turned on, and blinks when the gamepad is not connected to the device and is waiting for connection.


The same button turns on / off the gamepad. Above the Mi button, there are the “back” and “menu” buttons familiar to andriod devices. On the top of the gamepad there are triggers L1,L2 and R1,R2.










There are no more buttons on the gamepad.
There is a removable battery cover on the back of the gamepad. The gamepad runs on two AA batteries.


Also inside the battery compartment there is a sticker with the serial number of the gamepad


I also filmed the unpacking process:

(I will be glad to see and new subscribers.)
Comparison with original PS3 gamepad:






As you can see, the reviewed gamepad is somewhat larger than the PS3 gamepad. But nevertheless, the convenience of grip and holding is no worse for him.
Well, now directly what the gamepad was bought for. GAMES!
The gamepad is turned on by pressing the central button. If you hold it for more than 5 seconds, the gamepad enters pairing mode. And it can be detected via bluetooth:






After connecting, the gamepad vibrates slightly, notifying that it is connected and ready for use.
Using the gamepad, you can not only play, but also manage all the items in the Android OS menu: scroll, select, switch, etc. The control buttons, menu and back buttons behave as they should. Pressing the MI button corresponds to pressing the Home button and opens the desktop in any application.
I do not consider myself an avid gamer, but nevertheless, sometimes there is such a mood that I want to play a little. Therefore, I have several games installed on both the media player and the phone. I will test for the review on the phone, but all these actions also work fine on the android media set-top box.
First, I launched the game I have installed:




At the first start, there was an offer to set up a new gamepad, and after a quick setup, I was already walking and killing zombies with might and main. There is no slowdown or delay. Clicks happen instantly. More than comfortable to play.
After saving the world's population from zombies, I decided to play a different game for a bit:






And here again everything is perfectly played. It is very convenient to manage. The feeling of the game is much more pleasant than when you hold the phone in your hands and press the buttons drawn on the screen.
Well, after I played native Android games, I wanted to remember the good old days and play retro games that I played when I was a schoolboy. A short search led me to an emulator, which is very convenient for the ability to download game roms and emulator bios directly from the program. Without any dances with tambourines. Yes, plus the number of emulators themselves is quite large.
And then it started! Downloaded a lot of games on Sega. Stuck playing Comix Zone:


It's even more awesome to play these games on your TV:




The joystick is supported by the program immediately, without any settings:


After playing ZOMBIES ATE MY NEIGHBORS
Checked in emulators Sega, PS1, PSP, Nes. Everything is working. And I'll tell you this is really cool! As a child, when I had the Sega, and then the Sony PS1, I could not even dream that I could have access to all the games I wanted. Now with the purchase of a gamepad, this is real. (actually, there is no need for this anymore)
Conclusions:
Can I recommend this gamepad? Yes, as long as you play games, or plan to play them.
The gamepad has many advantages:
+ Excellent design and ergonomics
+ Good material and workmanship
+ Support for Android and games out of the box without long settings
+ The ability to play games on your phone whenever and wherever possible, etc.
+ Xiaomi brand (now with every new product, I respect this company more and more)
The only cons I can attribute is that the gamepad runs on batteries, and does not have a battery and the ability to charge it. Although this minus is doubtful. And for many, it is not a minus at all.
That's all. You can see my other reviews

Known worldwide for its smartphones, Xiaomi is starting to produce, or at least sell under its own brand, an increasing number of other electronics. Today we will consider an inexpensive Xiaomi gamepad, which is in many ways a copy of the Xbox gamepad.

Box and equipment

The Xiaomi gamepad comes in a hard cardboard box traditional for Xiaomi, which is not so easy to damage during delivery, even if the package is constantly falling and beating.

Gamepad package is minimal. The box contains the device itself plus two AA batteries. Other reviewers write that batteries are not always available, so be prepared for this scenario as well.

first look

The gamepad itself is available only in black and almost completely copies the Microsoft controller.

The plastic used is matte and practically not easily soiled. No obvious “jambs” in the design and assembly were found upon careful examination: there are no backlashes or other shortcomings in the gamepad. The buttons are pressed well, the sticks move smoothly, their upper part is rubberized so that they do not slip under the fingers.

The gamepad uses Bluetooth 3.0 to connect wirelessly to devices. We managed to check the device on a phone (also Xiaomi, but the manufacturer is not critical in this case), an Android tablet and a PC. There are nuances with connecting to iOS and consoles - not all games from the App Store work with a gamepad, which can be bypassed with a jailbreak and the Controllers For All program. The controller can connect to PS3 and Xbox 360, but will not work. There is no exact information on the PS4 and X One consoles on the Internet, support for these consoles is not indicated in the instructions.

Connection and use

The connection is very simple. The gamepad is turned on by long pressing the middle button with the MI logo, and the Bluetooth is activated on the game device and the gamepad is searched. After selecting from the list, Xiaomi Gamepad will vibrate, which means that the connection was successful. Looking ahead, I’ll say right away that despite the presence of two vibration motors, they are apparently used very rarely. In addition to the vibration when connected, in none of the games tested, the vibration motors were activated.

The gamepad is designed primarily for Android, including phones, tablets, and TVs, so there should be no problems with this system. If the game does not support the controller, then it can be configured using the Tincore Keymapper program.

In Windows, there were no special problems with setting up the gamepad either. The device is detected by a standard search dialog, which can be called up via the Bluetooth icon in the Windows system tray.

Xiaomi Gamepad says that it uses Bluetooth 3.0, but just in case, it is worth noting that the device worked without problems with a Bluetooth 2.0 adapter.

The gamepad does not support XInput, so to use it on a PC (Windows), you will need the x360ce program, which emulates the Xbox 360 controller. By the way, it became clear in it that the R2 and L2 buttons on the back of the Xiaomi gamepad, like the Microsoft controller, work like sticks , that is, not just their pressing is practiced, but also the degree of pressure - this can be used, for example, in racing for smooth adjustment of the gas / brakes.

After installing the x360ce, the gamepad worked without problems in games that support such devices. Functionality has been tested on GRID Autosport and Game of Thrones. After that, an old dream was realized, which in the original boiled down to buying an 8-bit set-top box, but was successfully replaced with a bunch of FCEUX emulator and Xiaomi Gamepad. Setting up the gamepad in FCEUX is trivial and made it possible to enjoy classic NES games (we know them as Dendy).

Other details

Xiaomi writes about using the same manufacturing process (whatever that means) as Sony when assembling PS4 gamepads. This guarantees the high quality of the elements and the viability of the buttons, for which, depending on the type, at least 100-200 thousand clicks are guaranteed.

The device also has a 3-axis accelerometer, which allows you to use gamepad tilt control in some games.

There are several connectors on the case, the functionality of which is not yet 100% known, but many are inclined to think that these are slots for fixing smartphones in a special case, which allows using a smartphone and a gamepad as a small portable console.

As for the operating time, according to the manufacturer, the gamepad can work from two batteries up to 80 hours in active mode and last 1 year in standby mode. To save battery, Xiaomi Gamepad turns off after 5 minutes of inactivity. To turn it on, just press the MI button, and the device will work again without additional initialization and configuration via Bluetooth.

Results

The gamepad boasts a high-quality assembly and showed itself perfectly in conjunction with Android devices. There is no point in buying it for consoles, since it refuses to work with them. As a controller for a PC, the Xiaomi gamepad looks rather controversial - the lack of XInput support and the need to use an emulator would justify such a purchase only in case of a frankly low price, which we do not see here (computer gamepads with XInput support cost the same or not much more, besides can connect to Android devices via USB OTG).

P.S. Ukrposhta, as promised, . This is the second package this month that arrived from China in about a week (in this case, in just 5 days).

Xiaomi Gamepad provided for review by Tinydeal Until May 10, with the i4Qbr6Lyg2 coupon, the Xiaomi gamepad can be purchased for $30.5.

Manual available for this device

For the Xiaomi Mi Game Controller, a detailed instruction is available in Russian. You can read detailed information on the operation of the device by clicking on the button.

More

The Mi Game Controller joystick is equipped with Bluetooth, which simplifies its connection and eliminates constant communication interruptions. The ergonomic handle has a streamlined shape classic for joysticks, which uses modern composite materials. The grained surface prevents scratches on the surface and it does not leave smudges from wet palms and fingerprints.

Compatibility

The controller connects via Bluethooth 3.0 and is compatible with Android smartphones and tablets, as well as Xiaomi Mi TV and Xiaomi Mi Box.

Button layout

The layout of the buttons was developed with the direct participation of users with different hand sizes - this made it possible to arrange the buttons comfortably for the fingers so that the hands do not get tired from prolonged use of the joystick. The cross-shaped button and ball sticks are positioned in such a way that when you change buttons during the game, you do not touch the rest. Ultra-precise 360-degree positioning of the swivel arms is provided by precise electronics.

Design

The curved design has perfect contours, designed so that the joystick itself lies in your hands and you do not have to put a lot of effort to keep it from slipping out of your hands. The layout of the buttons was developed with the assistance of users with different hand sizes, which allowed us to develop almost perfect ergonomics. Special attention was paid to the buttons, they have a curved shape, which increases the area of ​​​​contact with the finger, when pressed, they do not fall through, but slide down.

360° swivel arms with 0.172° accuracy

The pivot arms have high positioning accuracy, they are located in such a way that when the finger is shaken, it does not move from the lever and you can enter turns or run without stopping for repeated movement of the finger. The texture and material of the lever prevent your finger from slipping off the joystick.

Best asymmetric dual vibration motor

The asymmetric motor joystick has software-adjustable vibration intensity, allowing the player to participate in racing, other sports or action games and get realistic vibration feedback.

Gyroscope with three axes

The Bluetooth joystick is equipped with a three-axis gyroscope from the leading international brand Bosch G-Sensor, has an accelerated response response on three axes. After a fine but simple adjustment, realistic 360-degree steering can be achieved without dead zones.

Smart Energy Saving

The joystick is optimized for Bluetooth 3.0 (and higher) wireless data transmission technology. The device gives super fast response without delays with very low power consumption. The Intelligent Power energy management system is used. The Mi Game Controller can stay without recharging for 1 year in standby mode.

Instruction:

The controller is designed to connect to game consoles, TVs and other devices equipped with Bluetooth technology.The device connects via Bluethooth 3.0 and is compatible with Android smartphones and tablets, as well as Xiaomi Mi TV and Xiaomi Mi Box.The joystick needs to be connected once, when used again with the same device, it will work automatically.

Device

Pairing with devices

With the gamepad turned off, press and hold the Mi button for a few seconds, after it starts flashing, connect to Bluetooth.
The TV/console menu contains Bluetooth device sync settings. Enter the "search for devices", find the Mi gamepad in the proposed list, perform synchronization.
After successful connection, the joystick will vibrate, the “Mi” key will glow constantly.

1. Turn on the gamepad

Press the "Mi" key, the device will automatically connect via Bluetooth to the nearest active gadget.

2. Turn off Mi joystick

To turn off, hold the "Mi" button. When it stops glowing, the device is turned off.

3. Go to the main menu

Turn on the joystick, press "Mi".

4. Battery charge

During activity, the indicator may flash at intervals of two seconds, indicating a low battery. For normal operation of the gamepad, it is necessary to replace the batteries.

Mobile games have made an impressive leap in their development in recent years. The level of performance of smartphones and tablets has long reached the point where it opened the door for developers to create really interesting and advanced gaming applications and allowed these handheld assistants to completely oust portable consoles from the market. But if the consoles have faded into the background in terms of sales, then there is still an undeniable trump card in their sleeve - ease of management. Indeed, for a comfortable game in such hits as Need for Speed, Grand Theft Auto, World of Tanks Blitz, FIFA, etc. touch screen capabilities are not always enough. Today we will consider a universal solution to this problem from, perhaps, one of the most ambitious companies in the mobile electronics market - the Chinese Xiaomi.

Xiaomi has earned a reputation as a manufacturer of affordable and high-quality mobile devices thanks to the affordable Redmi and Mi smartphone lines. Many also know the brand for its wide range of various mobile accessories, which starts with ordinary headphones and portable batteries, and ends with something extraordinary like a USB fumigator. Announced in 2015, Xiaomi Mi Bluetooth Gamepad was the first and still remains the only gamepad in the assortment of the Chinese giant.

The peculiarity of the controller is that it is designed to work specifically with devices based on the Android operating system (smartphones, tablets, smart TVs), although after simple software manipulations and the purchase of a Bluetooth adapter, it can connect to most PCs running Windows. The gamepad is equipped with a three-axis accelerometer manufactured by Bosch, two vibration feedback motors and is completely wireless, which is pretty good for a price of $16 (about $25 in Ukraine).

Mi Bluetooth Gamepad comes in a medium-sized cardboard box. Those who have bought Xiaomi products before will easily recognize the usual minimalistic eco-style packaging.

Inside there is a figured niche that securely fixes the contents during transportation. At the same time, there is nothing special to fix there - there is no delivery set as such.

In addition to the hero of the review, inside the box there is only a small instruction in Chinese and a pair of ordinary AA batteries.

At a cursory examination, it becomes obvious that when choosing the shape for the Mi Bluetooth Gamepad, Xiaomi engineers inherited the appearance of the reference Microsoft Xbox 360 Controller. This is evidenced by the asymmetric arrangement of the sticks, the presence of a cross-shaped D-pad and the borrowing of the ABYX button designation system.

At the same time, they succeeded only in part, since the gamepad still feels a little different in the hands. First of all, the implementation of triggers is different, which are more reminiscent of those in the Sony DualShock. Two characteristic holes are visible on the end face. Most likely, they are intended for attaching a phone holder, although I could not find a similar accessory on the Xiaomi website.

The exact dimensions of the case are 156x104x65 mm. The handles are elongated and rounded, which allows you to hold the controller with different grips. In general, the ergonomics of the Mi Bluetooth Gamepad is at a good level and it will easily suit players with both large and small hands.

It is worth noting the high build quality and the choice of materials for key elements. For example, the block of ABYX buttons and the cross are made of glossy plastic, by analogy with the same competitor from Microsoft. But if in the case of the Xbox 360 Controller this often leads to slipping of fingers (especially with wet palms), then the opposite is true - the surface is in excellent contact with the skin even if there is moisture on it.

The remaining five buttons have a smooth matte texture. The upper part of the sticks is additionally covered with a rough layer of rubber.

A slot for two batteries is visible on the back of the case.

The manufacturer claims that the charge of one set will be enough to maintain 80 hours of operation. These data are close to real, because after two weeks of intensive tests, a pair of Ansmann batteries with a capacity of 2700 mAh showed 25% of the residual charge.

The central button engraved with the Mi logo is responsible for turning the controller on and off. It is also designed to activate the Bluetooth 3.0 module and connect to compatible devices.

The connection procedure itself is very simple and is performed in two steps. First you need to activate Bluetooth on your smartphone or tablet by holding down the Mi key for a few seconds and waiting until it starts blinking characteristically. After that, in the list of devices, select the line signed in Chinese - this is the Xiaomi gamepad. With further use, the controller will be determined automatically.

Testing in the Android operating system environment was carried out on several mobile devices at once: Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 smartphone (Android 5.0 Lollipop), HTC One M7 smartphone (Android 6.0 Marshmallow) and Xiaomi MiPad 2 tablet (Android 5.1 Lollipop). A set of diverse games consisting of eight applications was used as test applications: Real Racing 3, Dead Trigger 2, Dungeon Hunter 5, Gunslugs Free, GT Racing 2, Asphalt 8: Airborne, FIFA 15 Soccer Ultimate Team, World of Tanks Blitz.

These games detected the presence of a new control device without any problems and switched the control menu to the appropriate mode. In most games, the user also has access to the button reconfiguration section, where you can set the most convenient combination of symbols for yourself.

Subjectively, it will be justified to use a controller paired with a gaming tablet, especially if there is a functional smart cover. Then you can sit back comfortably in your chair and experience all the benefits of advanced control options: smooth gas and brakes in races thanks to the use of triggers, organizing quick attacks in FIFA thanks to the use of sticks and full-fledged buttons, and so on.

Of the obvious shortcomings of the Mi Bluetooth Gamepad, only two points can be singled out here: the vibration motors remained silent in all gaming applications, and there was also a certain difficulty with adjusting the gun along the vertical axis in World of Tanks Blitz when playing on a tank. Attempts to fix any of the problems through the installation of auxiliary programs for setting up the gamepad, unfortunately, were in vain.

For tests in the Windows environment, an HP Pavilion 15 laptop was used. As mentioned earlier, the controller can be connected to a stationary PC via an ordinary Bluetooth adapter. The connection procedure is no different from that in the Android OS and takes no more than 30 seconds.

It is worth remembering that the basic Mi Bluetooth Gamepad is not designed to work as part of the Windows platform, so it does not support the XInput standard, which is important today. In order for the gamepad to start being detected in computer games, you will need to install and configure one of the Xbox 360 controller emulators, for example, the Xbox 360 Controller Emulator. After that, the controller can be used in approximately 90% of current gaming applications.

I tested it in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and Mortal Kombat, where it worked without a single failure and proved to be no worse than the Speed-Link Torid used at home. The exception was the Burnout Paradise racing arcade, where Xiaomi product failed to connect.

As for other platforms (iOS and consoles), Mi Bluetooth Gamepad should not be considered here. For iOS, a lengthy setup procedure and a jailbreak will be required, and the gamepad is not fully compatible with consoles, as we have seen on the example of the Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3 and Sony PlayStation 4 consoles.

conclusions

If you are a hardcore gamer and cannot see life without full gaming even on mobile devices, then Mi Bluetooth Gamepad is your choice. It is made of high-quality and well-chosen materials, has an ergonomic shape and a simple connection procedure to all products based on the Android OS. If you are looking for a controller to use as part of a home PC, then there is reason to think. The well-known gamepads Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, Logitech Gamepad F710, Speed-Link Torid and others act as direct competitors. All of them natively support XInput, which means they are guaranteed to work in all current games and do not require the use of software emulators. At the same time, the price for them ranges from 35 to 65 dollars, while the Xiaomi solution can be purchased from us for $25-27 or ordered directly from China, thereby reducing the price to one unit.

We express our gratitude to the online store for providing a test sample of Mi Bluetooth Gamepad for review.

Good day, dear Muscovites. I have been staring at the gamepad for a long time, since it is much more convenient to play some games on it on a smartphone, the same DH5. And today, a gamepad from the notorious company Xiaomi will appear before us, and we will try to figure out if the animal is good? About its use and application with different devices - under the cut.


The order was placed on Gearbest, driven by everyone, and the parcel went for a month and a half. There was no track as such, so I waited blindly. (With the store for delivered parcels, I still have a 5:0 score in my favor). Sent the next day with a photo of the parcel:

Came here is such a box with the joystick itself, 2 batteries and instructions.



So, I got my hands on it. The sensations are pleasant, the quality of the AAA brand is felt, it is very comfortable in the hand, but the design is essentially licked with the xbox. Plastic does not slip in the hand, does not collect prints. The buttons are pressed comfortably, but oh well. You can evaluate the appearance from the photo below.

Photos gamepad

> INTERACTION WITH SMARTPHONES

Well, here we have moved on to the performance of the device. To begin with, it will only work with Iphone if there is a jailbreak, and in new versions it will no longer be available, so, alas, I can’t recommend this joystick to apple lovers. So now android only.
We press the button in the middle of the gamepad, it lights up white, go to the bluetooth settings on the phone and connect to the gamepad. All. It's so simple. When connected, the gamepad will vibrate to you, letting you know that everything is fine. Then we can go into the desired game and play. I tested on Xiaomi Redmi 2, on MIUI 8 firmware.

If it does not work on some kind of firmware, it is treated like this
In some games, you will be prompted to configure the gamepad buttons manually (Unkilled):


And in some, everything will be configured already in advance (Ashaplt 8).
The list of games that work with the gamepad can be viewed
You can play with both phones and tablets on android. The only thing is that xiaomi did not release the original smartphone holder, but it doesn’t matter, it will fit and, since it’s worth a penny.

> INTERACTION WITH TV

There are probably several options for interaction:
1) We connect the smartphone via miracast, wi-di, etc. and play through it, and a gamepad is connected to the smartphone.
2) We connect the gamepad directly to the TV on android or with bluetooth.
3) Connect it to a TV dongle or set-top box.
In my opinion, it's a great pastime. You lie on a soft sofa, you kill zombies after a hard day, on the big screen.

> INTERACTION WITH PC

Tested with Windows 10.
Open start-parameters-bluetooth devices and connect our joystick
ATTENTION: each time you have to tear the pairing and connect it again.


Connects quickly, everything works at once. Check the functionality of all buttons:


Everything is fine, everything works.
Now we can play, HOWEVER. The gamepad does not support xinput in some games, you will have to play through the x360ce program:


No dancing with tambourines, the program will immediately identify the models and load the settings.
If there is no bluetooth on the PC, you can order a bluetooth whistle on Ali. You can play a variety of games. For example, a girl and I go through different LEGO games, because. They are easy to play with a joystick.

Pros:
+ Quality, design, appearance, convenience
+ Work with different devices where there is bluetooth
+ Wireless, it's very convenient!
+ Battery operated yet lightweight

Minuses:
- No input
- Vibration works only when connected to some device, it does not work in games.
- DOES NOT WORK WITH CONSOLE!

My verdict: I liked it! A lot of different applications and hours of exciting leisure time with family and friends. In my opinion, it will suit those who do not like wires and use different devices. If you take only for PC, I recommend taking something else, BUT why do you need so many gamepads if this one works with almost everything.

Many thanks to everyone who read, I hope you still decide to buy this device. This is my first review and I will be glad to receive your constructive criticism.