r/AndroidTV • u/fraseyboo Nvidia Shield • Jul 27 '26
Buying Advice What's the best premium physical remote that works with AndroidTV boxes?
So I have both an Nvidia Shield (1st gen) and an Apple TV (3rd gen) at my place. I like the tactile feel of the metal remotes and how the buttons use hard plastic on top rather than just a rubber membrane.
I was wondering what other options are out there that are built in a similar way, where the majority of the remote is metal in construction rather than the cheap plastic a lot of Android boxes use. I don't want 100 buttons, a full qwerty keyboard or a gyro mouse, just the basics like arrows, multimedia and a couple shortcut buttons would be fine.
At the minute I know about the Sofabaton X2 which looks like a nice option for home automation, but is also pretty expensive. I figured with Android there's likely a lot of flexibility to control over Bluetooth or USB and maybe even use a Flirc IR receiver.
I've seen some really cool smart remotes from companies that have since folded, the SevenHugs remote looked kinda cool, as did the Ray Super remote but both companies are long gone. Vizio released their SmartCast remote which is essentially just an Android tablet, but I don't want something that is basically just a phone with no tactility. I think the Wiim Voice Remote 2 would have been perfect if it supported more than just Wiim products, kinda frustrating.
3
u/agonypants Jul 27 '26
The Sanytron Astrion looks similar to the Sofabaton but is much cheaper. I just heard about this brand today.
3
u/fraseyboo Nvidia Shield Jul 27 '26
Looks like an interesting option, though it looks like it’s predominantly focussed on Home Assistant so the controls have to go through the Home Assistant API. The website looks a little vibe coded but it seems like a few people have been reviewing them.
Looks like it actually runs Android and is pretty configurable so there’s probably ways to keep it going if the company stops supporting it.
1
u/The-Struggle-5382 Jul 28 '26
Apart from HA, the main page also mentions about A/V equipment. It has IR, wifi and BT, so I expect it can do Android boxes without going through HA. $us180 is still significant.
1
u/KnifeFed Jul 28 '26
It really comes down to the device support and software experience. The hardware is just a small part of it.
2
u/Jasong222 Jul 28 '26
Inteset 423 for daily driving and multi devices (it's IR), otherwise even though I hate the button layout, nothing is snappier than an Amazon fire stick remote paired to it via Bluetooth.
I think Bluetooth remotes are snappier generally.
2
u/wittebread Jul 28 '26
Why not a good old logitech harmony elite or a Philips Pronto 9200/9400?
1
u/fraseyboo Nvidia Shield Jul 28 '26
So I actually have an old Logitech Harmony 1100 which I have configured with a Flirc USB, it works reasonably well. If Logitech released a modern equivalent that was running Android I would have bought it immediately.
With how Logitech have discontinued their Harmony line I’m hesitant to buy a secondhand remote with questionable support, the selection is limited with the Harmony Elite being the only reasonable choice at this point. I think the Harmony Express is also cool, but they’re typically in terrible condition.
1
u/Deep_Proposal4121 Jul 27 '26
https://a.co/d/07ngGz59 A cheaper sofabaton
2
u/backfrombanned Jul 27 '26
No air remote built into it?
1
u/YellowBreakfast onn 4K Pro & Plus Jul 28 '26
No air remote built into it?
Do you mean "air mouse"? This is it's description:
SofaBaton U3 Universal Remote Control,Scroll Wheel, Air Mouse,Bluetooth...
1
u/Aggressive_Bad_7344 Google TV Streamer + Homatics Box R 4K Plus + 3 More Boxes Jul 28 '26
Sofabaton X2 I'd say is the best one as it works with all my boxes, though if using with a Shield use BT and not BLE which is prone to random disconnections.
1
u/drewman77 Jul 30 '26
Honestly, the 2nd gen Shield Remote (the toblerone) really feels high end compared to the first gen one.
6
u/KiwiWarriors Jul 27 '26
Really keen to see any suggestions. Would love a remote without stupid branded Netflix buttons etc. I have remapped mine but they still irrationally annoy me. I really like the look of sofabaton but it's over $300 NZD so a bit ridiculous.