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Recommended Hardware

Ian McLoughlin

For $45 total you can get a $30 AndroidTV box capable of running stim at 4K 120hz, and a $15 controller. We are grateful to have the opportunity to test hundreds of devices each year, some of which are not even available to the public. These products are not sponsored in any way. These are not affiliate links. These are just products our team uses when we game, all of which have been tested thoroughly with stim.

Android TV (If You Don’t Already Have a Device):

On smaller devices the Wifi antenna is typically very close to the CPU which tends to be noisy at the same frequency. The CPU is not shielded very well on cheaper devices. For this reason, ultra low latency streaming usually has a lot of packet loss (stuttering) on smaller Android TV sticks. We highly recommend an Android TV box (not stick), using Ethernet (when possible), and at least Wifi 6.

We recommend visiting Stim.io on Chrome for Android, then using a Controller to navigate launching your Cloud PC and launching Steam Big Picture Mode (controller friendly). Both of the below devices also come with a controller & keyboard but we recommend a gaming controller (later in this article).

  1. <$40 Android TV Box https://www.amazon.com/TOPIPRO-Android-13-Wireless-Keyboard/dp/B0CHNM1NWV
    1. Ethernet + Gaming Controller Recommended
  2. <$30 Android TV Box https://www.amazon.com/Android-X88PRO-RK3528-Quad-Core-Bluetooth/dp/B0CHB1LS1J/
    1. Ethernet + Gaming Controller Recommended

Gaming Controller Clips (Mobile Phone):

Attach your wireless gaming controller to your mobile phone for stim.io gaming on the go! LTE & 5G are recommended.

Bluetooth Gaming Controllers (A Must Have):

  1. <$70 Dual Sense (Playstation) Bluetooth Controller: https://www.amazon.com/DualSense-Wireless-Controller-PlayStation-5/dp/B08FC6C75Y - Pair this via bluetooth to any iOS, Android, PC, or Mac device and use it with Stim. USB-C makes it easier to charge on the go when compared to the Xbox One S controller which requires AA batteries. It is also much smaller to fit in your bag, and much quieter to use in public places. It works out of the box with more devices than the Xbox controller as well.
  2. <$40 Xbox One S Bluetooth Controller: https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Xbox-WL-Controller-Gaming-Console/dp/B08K4HLCPR - Pair this via bluetooth to any iOS, Android, PC, or Mac device and use it with Stim. More comfortable to hold in your hands (ergonomic), but aside from that, it is pretty much worse in every way when compared to the Dual Sense. Louder buttons, harder to pair, heavier, not rechargeable, bigger to fit in your bag. It is however nicer to hold for very long gaming sessions, and is about $10 cheaper than the Dual Sense.
  3. <$25 https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Bluetooth-Controller-Switch-Vibration-Nintendo/dp/B0CLM5Q155/
  4. <$15 https://www.amazon.com/VOYEE-Controllers-Wireless-Programmable-Function/dp/B0BNTK5C8B/

 

I personally use a bluetooth Dual Sense controller, AirPods Pro, and Viture Pro TV glasses all together with my iPhone 15 Pro. Then I have my Cloud PC configured to auto launch Steam Big Picture.

 

Pocket 120" Displays (Highly Recommended):

I refrain from calling these AR glasses, because the AR functionality in its current state is more of a gimmick. But these glasses are amazing portable 120+ inch big screen gaming monitors which fit in your pocket. Because it is not VR/AR, you don’t get any motion sickness. Just rest your head on something and enjoy a 120FPS gaming on a 120+ inch 120hz screen.

 

Absolutely amazing to use as a big screen for your phone, tablet, laptop, or Steam Deck. Just a display in your pocket. I highly recommend using these glasses with a DualSense controller and some bluetooth headphones.

  1. Virtue Pro XRs https://www.amazon.com/VITURE-Pro-XR-Glasses-Electrochromic/dp/B0D3LRH8G4/ : - Everyones eyes are slightly different. You will need to close each eye and adjust the diopter on each eye, but once you do that, these are crystal clear. Micro OLED 1080p really feels like 4K.
    - Gaming: 10/10
    - Movies/TV: 10/10
    - Reading Text: 10/10
  2. XReal Airs https://www.amazon.com/Glasses-Massive-Micro-OLED-Augmented-iOS-Consoles-Compatible/dp/B0C3MKPLHP - I actually think these originals are less blurry than the later model XReal AIr 2s or Pros/Ultras. They seem to only be getting worse each new model as they try to make them more lightweight.
    - Gaming: 8/10 (ghosting and blurry edges makes in-game text very hard to read)
    - Movies/TV: 10/10
    - Reading Text 3/10 (ghosting and blurry edges makes text very hard to read)

Launchers:

  1. Steam + Big Picture Mode (Similar to SteamDeck OS) is great for when you are using a controller. 

Pro Tip: Autolaunch Big Picture On Cloud PC Start (You Can Always Close It)

Your Cloud PC should come with Steam installed. Next you can enable steam to autostart in big Picture Mode when your Cloud PC starts, so you don't need to navigate a windows desktop on mobile. Steam Big Picture mode is great for touchscreens and controllers. You can even add games outside of steam to your steam library, and launch them via Steam Big Picture mode with a more controller/touch friendly launcher.

Launch Steam. If Steam asks you to sign in, enter your password and tell Steam to remember your password so you won't have to sign in each time you boot up.

Click the "Steam" menu, select "Settings", and click over to the "Interface" tab. Enable both the "Run Steam when my computer starts" and "Start Steam in Big Picture Mode" options.

 

Note: You can always close Steam Big Picture and use the windows desktop as normal. It is just nice to have your Cloud PC boot directly into big picture for when you are on a mobile device. We are planning on adding an option to the Stim UI to launch big picture mode in the near future.

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