A Kido is the only mechanism to play The Game.
Sandra mentions that there are no spare Kidos to be given to Outsiders and that they don't have the resources to make new ones.
Kleya Smith has said that she has an older version of the Kido which she can repair. She was lying. She just changes her user data so she appears to be using whatever she wants to be using.
Aneeka has stated, in response to a reader's question, that the newer models of the Kido have an IV tube or something similar to keep the users fed. Kido 3, it was just an add-on, but the later models all had it.
From page 208:
"Kido 3 is the one that Kleya’s mom worked on the most. However, Kleya’s mom liked Kido 6 the best. That was when they started equipping the Kidos with a massager so you wouldn’t have to return to a stiff, aching body after a long gaming session. Didn’t always work, though."