There are many things you can do with an old mobile. It’s a waste to have it stored in a drawer that collects dust and you can even convert it to Android Auto for your car. Do you know what else you can do with an Android mobile? Create a desktop consolesame, with Xbox Series X quality.
Next we will tell you how to do it, but we are not going to get into emulators or that kind of softwarebut in games and systems that we can run on our mobile without strange configurations or loopholes.
Hardware needed to turn your Android mobile into a desktop console
Before considering the options available to us, materials must be prepared. Obviously we can’t tell you which mobile to use, but if you changed this year or last year and the previous mobile had a powerful processor, you can enjoy it without problems.
If it’s a Snapdragon 8 series, great, but if less powerful, although many native games do not work well, you can use it for streaming. We will come back to this later. We will proceed step by step and, as they say, the first thing is to see what we need. Here is a list:
- The mobile (obviously) you want to use.
- A Bluetooth controller.
- A USB-C to HDMI cable or a USB-C to HDMI dongle with other inputs (Ethernet, USB, etc.). If the dongle has a USB-C input to supply power, the mobile will not discharge while we are playing. It is the best option and from 20 dollars there are interesting options.
The “shopping list” is simple and, at most you will have to spend the money the dongle costssince you will surely have a remote control at home and the mobile is either old or your current one.
If you don’t have a Bluetooth controller and need to buy oneAlthough there are excellent options on the market, we recommend that you go for the most compatible ones.
And it is that, although the vast majority of games that can be played with a controller accept any controller, there are exceptions that only work with PS5 Dualsense, PS4 Dualshock or Xbox Bluetooth controllers. If you can buy one, go for it.
EYE! Important: Not all USB-C phones support HDMI output. A few months ago I tried to convert a first generation Google Pixel to Steam Link and it was impossible. That said, we can start.
Native games for fun with a controller
The first option, obviously, is to play the n ative games for Android
Of course, there are plenty more, from ports of classics like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic to more modern titles like Stardew Valley. Call of Duty Mobile is also compatible, but only if we connect Xbox, PS4 or PS5 controllers via Bluetooth.
On older mobiles, you will have to play with the graphics settings to get better performance.
Among the compatible games, there are titles like Sky: Children of the Light which are so well adapted that, as soon as you start them with a controller, we can see controller button mapping automatically.
Now well, the visual and performance performance of these games is highly hardware dependent from your phone. For example, the one I like is Diablo Immortal, but the mobile I use for it doesn’t work as well as it should.
If you are going to use your more or less current mobile to convert it to a console sporadically you will have a very wide catalog, but if the mobile you are going to use is older, you will have to play with the visual configuration of the games. However, below we go with some options that may be a little more interesting if you have a cell phone that is a few years behind.
GeForce Now and Steam Link give it a second life with streaming gameplay
Let’s move on to streaming optionsbecause they are my favorites. Unfortunately Stadia is no longer in the equation due to the shutdown a few months ago (and that’s a shame because it had huge potential), but we have both Steam Link and GeForce Now.
If you still think the Steam Link is hardware, you need to get up to speed because Steam stopped selling the device a few years ago. Yes, as we discussed in our review, Steam Link was a great device, but it really doesn’t make sense anymore. The reason? It could be replaced by an app and therefore the scope was much greater.
We’ve seen it in some TV models (like those of Samsung) and we also have the application on Android. You can download it from this link to the Play Store, and basically we can play our library of purchased games on Steam, but from mobile (and TV, by extension).
It is a system that requires our PC to run the game in real time and, thanks to Steam Link, the video signal is sent to the mobile screen. The Bluetooth controller connects directly to the phone and the truth is that latency is very well controlled.
To configure Steam Link, all you have to do is download the application and complete the configuration process (connect a Bluetooth controller, connect the mobile to the same network as the PC that is going to run the games and have a good connection). And ready to play.
When we start Steam Link we must have the PC with Steam turned on and connected to the same wifi. A link number will appear, automatically a speed test… and play.
On the other hand we have GeForce Now. It’s a service we tested that’s similar to Steam Link, but differs in one very important way: you don’t need a PC to play the game while streaming to the console.
In other words, just like in Steam Link, you have to buy the games. They can come from Steam, but also from other launchers. However, you don’t need to have a powerful PC (not even a PC) to run the games: you pay a subscription (if you want the best quality and no waiting times) and the games you have and which are compatible with the service, run on Nvidia’s PC servers. Also you can use it without paying if you want to test how the service works.
The quality is more than good and the latency is minimal, but as is obvious this will depend on your connection. It’s something I tried in its beta state and I think it’s a great service, but I haven’t used it as much as Steam Link.
And you can even turn your old mobile into an Xbox Series X
Now well, What I use the most is my mobile as if it were an Xbox Series X thanks to Game Pass and the xCloud system. I have a Series X in the living room, but in the office I have an old TV for old consoles and the PC for gaming.
If the living room TV is busy and I want to play Xbox, I can use my phone as a laptop, but I can also connect it to the TV and start playing Game Pass. With the HDMI connection and a Bluetooth remote control, you have a good part of the service catalog.
It is true that the resolution is not ideal and you’ll depend a lot on both the status of the servers and your Wi-Fi connection, but you do have the Game Pass catalog with achievements, your saved games, and so on. And if, obviously you need a subscription to Game Pass Ultimate, but unlike Steam Link, you don’t need an Xbox to take advantage of this service. You pay the subscription… and it’s over.
We hope you liked these tricks to turn your old mobile into a desktop console. Without a doubt, they are an excellent solution for playing at home or on weekends.
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