When I picked up the Gran Eye for steel‑tip darts, the natural companion app was the GranDarts app — the platform Gran is building as the eventual successor to the classic GranBoard app. Even though the app originally supported only steel‑tip setups, the roadmap makes it clear that it will eventually replace the GranBoard app entirely and connect with all soft‑tip GranBoards.

If you’re looking to get into the Gran ecosystem yourself, here are the products I’m using:

• GranBoard (soft‑tip board)
• Gran Eye auto‑scoring system
• Orange Pi 5B (16GB model)

Pairing the GranDarts app with the Orange Pi 5B running Android 12 seemed like a perfect match. The Pi is powerful, inexpensive, and ideal for custom dart setups. And in many ways, it is a great combo — but it also comes with some very real issues you should know about.

The Good: Power, Stability, and High‑End AI

Despite the quirks, there are some genuinely impressive upsides to using the Orange Pi 5B with GranDarts.

Strong enough to run the “Pro” AI model

The Orange Pi 5B has enough horsepower to run Gran’s highest‑level AI. Going through setup, it suggests the Orange Pi is strong enough to use the “Pro” AI model.

The app is stable and doesn’t crash

On Android 12, the GranDarts app runs smoothly. No random shutdowns, no freezes, no mid‑match crashes. For a device at this price point, that’s impressive.

These strengths make the Pi 5B a compelling option for a dedicated dart‑machine build.

The Bad: Input Bugs, Audio Problems, and Camera Issues

Unfortunately, the latest versions of the GranDarts app introduce several frustrating issues that make setup — and especially online play — more difficult than it should be.

You can’t type into input boxes

This is the biggest headache. Login fields, password fields, Wi‑Fi SSID fields — none of them accept typed input.

A workable (but annoying) hack:

1. Type your info into a text editor
2. Copy it
3. Tap the input box
4. Paste quickly — it may take several attempts

Once you’re logged in and configured, you rarely need these fields again, but the initial setup is rough.

Online play is almost completely silent

Audio works for about one second, then cuts out entirely. Unlike the GranBoard app, there are no audio‑output options (device, HDMI, etc.), so you’re stuck with silence.

The camera feed is rotated 90 degrees during online matches

There’s currently no setting to rotate or correct the view. Your opponent sees a sideways camera, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

GranDarts support says Android boxes aren’t supported

These issues have been reported, but the official response is that Android boxes — including the Orange Pi — aren’t supported. That means no guarantee of fixes, even though the GranBoard app worked flawlessly on the same hardware.

These problems don’t make the app unusable, but they definitely make the experience feel unfinished.

The Gran Eye: Good, But Not Perfect

The Gran Eye itself performs well most of the time, but it still only seems to hit around 95% accuracy. Most days it’s fine, but occasionally it has “off days” where it struggles more than usual. This isn’t specific to the Orange Pi, but it’s worth noting if you’re building a dedicated setup.

Still Hopeful for Improvements

Even with the current issues, I’m still optimistic. The GranDarts app is clearly the future of the Gran ecosystem, and the Orange Pi 5B has already proven it can run the app smoothly and handle the most demanding AI modes. The fact that everything worked perfectly under the older GranBoard app suggests these problems are software‑side — and potentially fixable.

For now, the Orange Pi 5B + GranDarts combo is a mix of great performance, solid stability, and some frustrating limitations. If you’re willing to deal with the quirks — or if Gran eventually updates the app to better support Android boxes — it could become one of the best dedicated setups for home dart enthusiasts.