Xiaomi TV Stick 4K Review 2026: Google TV in a cheap stick

Xiaomi TV Stick 4K: 2nd gen vs. 1st gen

The first Xiaomi TV Stick 4K came out in 2022. It runs Android TV 11 on a chip with four Cortex-A35 cores and a Mali-G31 graphics chip, with 2 GB of RAM, 8 GB of storage, dual-band Wi-Fi, AV1, Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD. It is still sold by some retailers as the ‘Xiaomi TV Stick 4K XM310009’.

The second generation runs Google TV instead of Android TV 11 and has the much faster Amlogic S905X5M-K with Cortex-A55 cores up to 2.5 GHz. According to Xiaomi the processor is 80 per cent faster and the graphics chip 150 per cent faster. Wi-Fi 6, Dolby Vision and HDR10+ are new. RAM and storage have stayed the same: 2 GB and 8 GB.

If you're buying new, choose the second generation. The first generation lacks Dolby Vision, has a slower chip and runs an older Android version. When ordering, look for ‘2nd Gen’ in the product name.

Xiaomi TV Stick 4K or Fire TV Stick 4K Max?

Both sticks have 2 GB of RAM and play 4K with Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max does have twice as much storage (16 GB), Wi-Fi 6E and a separate Ethernet adapter from Amazon. With the Xiaomi stick, Xiaomi doesn't officially support an adapter.

The big difference is in the software. The Xiaomi stick runs Google TV with the Play Store and Chromecast, so you install TiviMate with no detours and don't have to deal with the list of apps that Amazon blocks on Fire TV. On the 4K Max you install IPTV apps yourself via Downloader, and the home screen shows a lot of Amazon advertising.

If you want as much storage as possible and a network adapter, choose the 4K Max (euro RRP €79.99). If you want Google TV, Chromecast and the Play Store, the Xiaomi stick, with a euro RRP of €59.99, is the cheaper choice.

Wi-Fi only: no network port and no USB

The stick only has an HDMI plug and a micro-USB port for power. According to Xiaomi's FAQ there is no LAN connection, no USB host function and no storage expansion. An Ethernet adapter or USB stick is therefore officially not supported. The site androidtvbox.eu reports that OTG does work, but when buying, assume you only have Wi-Fi.

That Wi-Fi is fast, though: Wi-Fi 6 on 2.4 and 5 GHz. A 4K stream needs about 8 to 25 Mbit/s, so with a router nearby on 5 GHz that goes fine. If the Wi-Fi by your TV is weak, choose a box with a network port, such as the Homatics Box 4K V2 with gigabit Ethernet.

Picture, speed and everyday use

The stick plays 4K at 60 frames per second, with Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HDR10+; androidtvbox.eu and GIGA list HLG, but Xiaomi itself doesn't. For sound it passes Dolby Atmos on to your TV or soundbar and decodes DTS:X and DTS-HD, over HDMI only. Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube are already on it.

The 6 nm chip is the same family as in the Xiaomi TV Box S (3rd gen), so menus and apps respond smoothly. The 8 GB of storage does fill up fast if you keep several apps, an extensive TV guide and the cache of streaming services, and 2 GB of RAM is tight with channel lists of thousands of channels. It is a pity, too, that power still goes through micro-USB instead of USB-C.