Support MQTT-based IR blasters as InfraredEntity (e.g. via Zigbee2MQTT)

[chopper145]

Integration name

MQTT

Link to integration documentation on our website

https://github.com/orgs/home-assistant/discussions/new?category=integration-enhancements

Describe the enhancement

Since HA 2026.4, a native InfraredEntity platform exists, but it currently only supports ESPHome-based IR emitters. MQTT-based Zigbee IR blasters (e.g. Moes UFO-R11, Tuya ZS06 via Zigbee2MQTT) cannot be exposed as InfraredEntity, even though they work reliably today via MQTT + SmartIR.

The enhancement request is to allow MQTT-based IR blasters to be registered as InfraredEntity – so they can participate in the new native IR platform just like ESPHome devices do.

Use cases

Many users already own Zigbee IR blasters and have them running via Zigbee2MQTT. With this enhancement they could use their existing hardware with future native IR device integrations (LG, Samsung, Daikin, etc.) without replacing working hardware with ESPHome devices.

Anything else?

• HA 2026.4 IR announcement
• OpenHomeFoundation IR Roadmap #101
• Moes UFO-R11 in Zigbee2MQTT

[github-actions[bot]]

🏷️ I've automatically added the integration: mqtt label to help categorize this feature request.

[flubshi]

There is also a feature request for z2m: Koenkk/zigbee2mqtt#31600

[chopper145]

Thank you, I linked this request there as well.

[jbouwh]

I think this is a duplicate of https://github.com/orgs/home-assistant/discussions/3364.
Good news is that I am working on the support of infrared entities via MQTT: home-assistant/core#172796