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Specifications

Technical specifications

What you need, what you do not need, and what is underneath. The facts, with no padding and no invented figures.

Server: the Android device

Server: the Android device
FieldValue
Minimum systemAndroid 8.0 (API 26) or later
Hard requirementUSB OTG (USB host)The one hardware requirement there is no way around: without OTG the gamepad never reaches the Android device.
Does it need root?No
Does it need ADB or USB debugging?NoYou never have to plug the Android device into a computer to set it up.
Does it need a touchscreen?NoThe whole app is driven with the gamepad’s D-pad, so it works on a television.
Does it need Wi-Fi?NoA box wired over Ethernet is fine. What it needs is a local network, not radio.
Devices that workPhone, tablet or Android TV boxAn NVIDIA Shield, for example.
In the backgroundA service with a session watchdog, reconnection and automatic handoverAutostart on boot or when the pad is plugged in. Wi-Fi in low-latency mode while a session is live.

Client: the PC

Client: the PC
FieldValue
SystemWindowsIt is the only client there is.
Linux and macOSNo client, and none plannedSaid here so nobody finds out after installing.
Shape of the clientA native window with a web console and a USB bridge
Gamepad driver on the PCThe official Windows oneWindows sees a USB device and loads its own driver. The game never needs to know ChimpDeck exists.
Minimised to the trayKeeps working and mirrors the state sent from the Android device

Gamepads

Gamepads
FieldValue
Supported gamepadsAny USB gamepadXbox, PlayStation, Switch Pro and third-party pads.
Connection to the Android deviceUSB-C directly, or the pad’s own USB receiver
RumbleOn the way back, from the game to the padOn pads with trigger motors, such as Xbox ones, all four motors are driven.
Several pads at onceYes, with nicknames per pad and filters
Diagnostic toolsButtons, drift and dead zone, trigger curve, four-motor rumble and a reaction testThey live on the Android device and work whether or not a session with the PC is open.

Network, transport and encryption

Network, transport and encryption
FieldValue
Transport protocolAn own implementation compatible with USB/IPBuilt clean-room: the protocol is known through behavioural analysis, not by copying anyone’s code.
ReachYour local network, over Wi-Fi or wiredThere is no server in the middle: gamepad traffic never leaves your network.
Link encryptionEnd to end with the Noise protocol, on its own portNothing travels in the clear between the Android device and the PC.
Encryption setupNone: it is on out of the boxThe two devices recognise each other on their own the first time they meet on the local network. There are no keys to copy and no setting to switch on.
Data sent to the vendor’s serversNoneNo account, no analytics and no advertising identifier.
LatencyMeasured on your network, with a synchronised clock and the margin of error in plain sightThat is why this page publishes no number: the real number is the one the app gives you at home.

How it is built

How it is built
FieldValue
CoreRust
Android appKotlin with Jetpack Compose
MethodClean-room, with an own implementation of the protocol
Is it open source?No

How it is used

How it is used
FieldValue
Free tierWith a per-session play-time limit
Non Stop PassThe paid unlock that removes that time limit“Non Stop Pass” is the name of ChimpDeck’s paid product. It is not a company, a sponsor or a third-party service, and the name is not translated into any language.
PriceNot published yet
Where to download itNo public links yetThe app is not published on Google Play yet.

Who publishes it

Who publishes it
FieldValue
Legal nameTecno Eurotrading SL
Tax ID (NIF)ESB82779562
Registered addressCalle Caravaña 4, Local 1 · 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, España
ContactForm at chimpdeck.com/contactThe site publishes no email address, to keep it away from spam harvesters.

What cannot be specified yet

There is no published price, no release date and no download links: the app is not on Google Play yet. There is no latency figure on this page either, because latency depends on your network, your gamepad and your PC; the app measures it in your own home and shows it with its margin of error. When any of these exist, they will be published here.