This projector has the most useful Google TV remote I've seen

Google has adopted a very minimalistic and streamlined approach for its Chromecast and Google TV Streamer remotes. They are small, look slick, and have only the essential buttons (along with a couple of very annoying branded streaming ones, but we shall not speak of those) with a D-pad for navigation.

For the last five years or so, I’ve been content with these official remotes on my Chromecast with Google TV and my Google TV Streamer. They’re very ergonomic and quite reliable, and the battery lasts a really long time. But I recently got an XGIMI Vibe One projector, and I instantly noticed that it had a more useful remote. Now I wish Google offered that for its official units.

More buttons for more features

XGIMI’s remote for the Vibe One is, like many of its projector remotes, very tall and very thin. It’s not my favorite form factor; I prefer Google’s shorter and chubbier remote, but what it lacks in ergonomics it makes up for in functionality. Along with the usual power, Assistant, Home, volume, back, streaming services, and d-pad, there are a few interesting additions.

The first one is a profile switcher (the button with the human shape), which is super useful if you live in a multi-person household. Instead of going back to the home screen and scrolling to find the profile switcher, then selecting that, I can just tap this button, and I immediately get taken to the screen where I can switch accounts. The same goes for my husband. It’s such a seamless way to quickly switch users, and it can save a lot of waiting and frustration when several people are sharing the same living room TV. It goes without saying that I’d love to see this on the official Google TV Streamer remote.

The second interesting addition is my favorite one, though. It’s a dedicated Settings button right below the d-pad that opens Google TV’s sidebar no matter which app (or home screen) I’m on. It pops up on top of the current app, darkens the background but doesn’t stop playback, and gives me quick access to some crucial settings like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth as well as any urgent notifications.

This also lets me access my Google Home smart panel to control my favorite devices — a feature that Google sold us on when it added the star button to the Google TV Streamer’s remote. It’s just as easy to access here and turn off the lights, check my security cam, control the thermostat, and so much more. The best part, though, is I don’t have to compromise and choose between either this or switching inputs as I do on the Google TV Streamer’s remote, because XGIMI includes a separate Settings button and input switcher button. Mindblowing utility.

And since the Vibe One is a projector, XGIMI has added a dedicated focus button along with a customizable button that can either act as a mute shortcut or a way to launch the projector’s light effects. While these are nice extra perks, they’re not as interesting as the buttons I mentioned earlier.

Google should follow its own reference remote design

After seeing this remote from XGIMI, my curiosity was piqued. I’ve locked myself in Google’s official remote land for far too long, so what else was out there, and what had I missed? Turns out XGIMI isn’t the only one using this Google TV remote design.

The Walmart Onn 4K, 4K Plus, and 4K Pro all come with the TW Electronics G10 reference design remote, which has had a dedicated settings key, input switcher, and profile picker since 2021. Five years already. The G10 remote is even available on Amazon for $15.99 and should technically pair over Bluetooth as a new input method with any Google TV, including the official Streamer.

Other than the G10, Acer’s 4K UHD box has a very similar remote, too, with the addition of Google’s new mandatory Live TV button. And there’s even a new reference design that adds a solar panel to the existing layout.

If Google is going through the trouble of building these reference designs in collaboration with TW Electronics and Ohsung Electronics, I don’t see why it has been trying to reinvent the wheel with its own Chromecast and Streamer remotes. They may be more ergonomic to hold and have a more elegant and refined design, but the button layout isn’t as useful. I’d much rather have a couple of extra buttons on my Google TV Streamer’s remote than have to exit apps and go to the home screen each time I want to change a setting or switch user profiles.