Hi, I have lots of leftover computers and want to set one up to run Zwift. Currently I’m using an Apple TV, which is realy easy but I can’t connect my play controllers (I can through the app but it is super laggy, so never do).
So, ideally I’d like a computer directly connected to the TV that boots up quickly and straight into Zwift (maybe also run Spotify, but I can get my music anywhere), so fast and easy start-up. I have an old (2014) Mac mini, a Chromebook (few years old), Raspberry Pis (ok, unlikely), and old Windows laptops. I expect reasonable graphics/frame rate (on par with Apple TV 4k). I’d like to avoid keyboards and mice (because the computer/TV are at ground level and I don’t want a table), but could use a small bluetooth keyboard or mouse for ingame controls if I can’t do everything with the Play Controllers.
Does the brains trust here have any tips? Namely, can I set up any of those devices to auto-boot into Zwift, and does anyone have similar set-ups I could learn from?
i don’t think anything you have in that list is gonna outperform an apple tv, but what you could do is buy something like this HP 290 G1 MT Desktop PC Intel i3 7100 CPU 4GB RAM 240GB SSD | eBay (disclaimer: i am not affiliated with that seller and i am also not sure if you can get something comparable for cheaper, i spent exactly 30 seconds looking for it. that’s also a UK listing but those things are everywhere in the US too because they come from office teardowns) and put a GPU like a 1050ti in it and that will outperform an apple tv considerably for less than £100
actually i’ll happily sell you a 1050ti for cheaper than whatever they’re going for on ebay myself - join ZPCMR on facebook, read the files section (which contains a lot of easy to understand info about building a zwift dedicated pc), decide what type of system you want and if you want do want to take the cheapest/easiest route that i suggested then get back to me
Thanks. I’ll join and poke about. I saw it earlier today and it said Apple TV people need not apply
I’m in Australia, so shipping would kill anything ‘cheap’, so I’ll browse locally, but I appreciate the ideas. I know I can auto-load Zwift on boot, just not sure if I’d have to then go find it to focus the window? I suspect your FB group is all over this, so I’ll look there first!
ahhh… from what i know about the australian used pc market, it’s about as friendly as your wildlife. but yes do join the FB group as there are many people there more knowledgeable than myself. what you want in terms of functionality is certainly possible, i’m sure of that much!
I’m using an old second hand Mac Pro upgraded which was repurposed from another use (it was spare parts for another computer).
I also have a laptop MacBook Air M2 I sometimes use. It just gets connected to a 55” TV screen. Both are pretty simple and never give any crashes.
A PC would work fine as well provided you find one nicely looked after and you are okay with upgrading a GPU and maybe a PSU. Some PCs might have PSUs that are marginal. Okay for intended spec but not for upgrades.
You could also look into places like iPowerResale in USA who are good (I’ve dealt with them on a maximum spec 2019 Mac Pro).
Hey Matthew! For a fast and easy setup, I’d recommend the Mac mini—it can handle Zwift well and should give you similar performance to the Apple TV 4K. You can set it to auto-boot into Zwift by configuring startup apps in macOS. A small Bluetooth keyboard/mouse combo should work fine for in-game controls. Hope that helps!
Whether the Mac performance will be on par with the Apple TV 4K depends on which CPU you have in the mac. The slowest one (Core i5 4260U) is very slow and if you search zwiftalizer results for that CPU you will turn up reports from Mac users that are not very inspiring. The fastest CPU that was available in that system is more than 2X faster. The Since Apple TV does not allow access to Zwift log files, there are no reports in zwiftalizer from Apple TV, but if you search for the model of CPU in your Apple TV you will find reports from people running on iOS/iPadOS devices with the same CPU that may be a reasonable proxy.
Performance of the old laptops will depend on the specs but they’re unlikely to be very good unless they were designed for gaming.
Mac or PC will need 8GB RAM or more. If the Mac mini came with only 4GB then it won’t be a good choice since it can’t be upgraded.
FWIW, I use Apple TV with Play controllers connected through Zwift Companion and it works perfectly with no lag. Something is wrong if you’re finding otherwise.
Looks like the best one is the 2018 Mac Mini which it appears can even be upgraded to 64GB RAM, I had not realised it could take that much. But the GPU is mediocre.
If feasible, choose a setup that optimizes Zwift’s performance, rather than sticking with your current setup or one you are biased towards. It’s a well-known fact that Zwift performs best on a Windows PC, just as no Android device can outperform an iPhone.
I’ve been primarily using Zwift on a dedicated PC for nearly six years, working out twice a day, six days a week, without ever missing a session—not even during the pandemic when there was over +5k riders per ride.
Now, the challenges arise when traveling for races or vacations and using different devices; I never truly appreciated how smoothly Zwift runs on a PC until I began experimenting with tablets, iPads, iPhones, and so on.
Zwift works great on modern macs with almost-as-good graphics profile as I get with a GTX 970 (according to my eyes - others may notice it more) good frame rates, very reliable in my experience. The main problem is it’s not good value for money if the purpose is running Zwift, but the current Mac Mini isn’t as crazy-priced as a Mac laptop, and it’s better than most mini-PCs that use Intel integrated graphics. When I built a dedicated PC for Zwift I ended up using a 12th gen desktop CPU and that old graphics card I got for free.
Thanks. I never buy a computer with minimum RAM, so I’m guessing (haven’t turned it on for years) that my mini would be 8GM Ram. I did add an SSD to it once, which was easy enough. I’m sure they can be upgraded further, but mine is probably a bit old to use as the basis for that.
Maybe I’ll give it another go. I was running Zwift on the ATV 4k, and paired everything through the app to ride Repack Rush, but the turning felt too slow and I always over-steered… Probably no more than 0.5-1 second delay, but enough to mess with my road position, which probably matters less for normal Zwifting. Maybe I’ll try again.
Thank you for your thoughts everyone. I’m going to try 2 options.
see how my old Mac Mini performs (because I have it). I don’t expect much, but we will see.
Run Zwift on my PC (5m away) with a linked bt mouse and cast the screen. I did a 3 minute test today and the casting delay was less than I remembered, maybe half a second, plus I could pair my play controllers (my plan is to get the hub oneday so I can stop cleaning my derailleurs, so the connections matter). BTW, I was getting 75fps and saw stuff I never knew Zwift had (pretty flowers and details, and the 10th anniversary paint isn’t supposed to be pixilated!). I always wondered why Zwift didn’t do better graphics
Ideally I want to find a simpler way to cast my screen than going into chrome (maybe I can put a script on the desktop to automate it all?), but that is for another day.
Possibly. I’ve just set up steam link, which is working well. I can run Spotify on the Android TV and steam link to get Zwift if the PC, of course I see the PC fps, and I’m not sure what I’m getting on the TV, but my very short tests look good enough. I’ll try a longer, busier ride on the weekend and see if it remains stable. Otherwise I’ll consider a cable or dedicated PC.
I use 50ft fiber optic HDMI in a multi-screen setup, and they work great -you can go 100ft with no issue. Personally, to reduce overall latency, nothing beats being wired!
You can set up your old Mac mini or Windows laptop to auto-boot into Zwift by configuring it to launch the app on startup. For a seamless experience, consider using Steam Link for game streaming, which can improve performance while allowing you to control everything with your Play Controllers.
