Other Game Controllers We’ve Tested
There are several other mobile controllers we tested that just missed out on a place above or failed to make the grade.
Photograph: Simon Hill
Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller for £70: The compact design is great for portability, and Acer’s controller even folds in half to slide into your pocket or bag. You can plug in devices up to 8.3 inches in size via USB-C, and the controller has standard offset joysticks, four standard face buttons, and four shoulder triggers. Everything feels a bit cramped and basic; the triggers are OK, but everything else feels a bit meh. There’s a USB-C port for pass-through charging, but it’s lacking other features to justify the price (no Hall effect, no customization, no software). This is only available in the UK right now.
Gulikit Elves 2 Pro for $50: The shape is reminiscent of old Sega controllers, but Gulikit packed Hall effect joysticks, nine levels of vibration, and six-axis gyro motion control into this Bluetooth controller. The shoulder buttons are nice and clicky, and the floating 8-way D-pad is decent for fighting games and platformers, though it and the four face buttons use a membrane. It’s compact, so I found it a little uncomfortable to use for extended periods, though I have big hands.
GXTrust Mylox Wireless Mobile Controller for £45: This large cradle-style controller connects via Bluetooth 5.0 rather than USB-C. It supports basic haptic feedback and has RGB LED-illuminated buttons. It’s pretty comfortable to use, but it feels kinda cheap, and despite the large design, the buttons and triggers are small. I’m not keen on the D-pad. If you turn on the lighting, the battery life falls well short of the 12 hours suggested. This is only available in the UK and Europe.
Gamesir X3 Pro for $80: This replaces the X3 and stretches open to cradle virtually any Android phone (or USB-C iPhones) in its rubbery embrace. It feels good, with customizable grips, clicky buttons, and Hall effect thumbsticks with different-sized detachable caps in the lovely zip-up carry case. The headline feature is the enormous fan on the back capable of serious cooling power, which could come in handy since smartphones can get uncomfortably warm when you’re gaming for a long time, though I found the sound annoying, and the X3 Pro is very bulky. The customization options are welcome, but the GameSir app is a bit buggy and confusing.
Asus ROG Tessen for $104: My excitement at the prospect of a mobile controller from Asus waned quite quickly when I started using the ROG Tessen. It has a neat folding design, responsive controls, and pass-through charging. I liked the programmable back paddles, and there’s RGB lighting to jazz it up. But the thumbsticks felt uncomfortable quite quickly, and the buttons proved a little noisy. This is also Android-only and doesn’t work with any iPhones (even USB-C iPhones).
Gamesir X4 Aileron for $100: This controller has plenty going for it, including a compact design, RGB lighting, Hall effect sticks, and tactile buttons. It comes in two parts, which is great for folding it away neatly, but means you must pair one side, then the other, and it can be finicky. It’s not a bad effort, but there are better options above.
CRKD Atom Controller for $20: This teeny tiny controller is super cute and very portable, with a wrist strap you can connect to a bag. Battery life goes up to 10 hours with a USB-C port for recharging, though I found it sometimes switched itself on in my pocket. It’s not big or comfortable enough to use for a long time, but if you need a super portable emergency controller, it could fit the bill.
Photograph: Simon Hill
Turtle Beach Atom Controller for $50: With a clever two-piece design, this controller folds away neatly, but feels insecure without a back. The clamps on each side are awkward, particularly with phones sporting large camera modules. I had trouble connecting, and dislike that the right side has to be turned on separately (press the B and menu buttons). The right side connects wirelessly (2.4 GHz), but the controller connects to your phone via Bluetooth. It mostly worked fine for me, but when I played Jydge, the movement was inverted on the left stick. You get around 20 hours of battery life. It takes about two hours to charge. If portability is your main concern, it may be worth a look.
PowerA XP Ultra for $80: I love the idea of combining loads of options into a controller, and PowerA’s crazy XP Ultra is certainly versatile. It works wirelessly with your Xbox, Windows PC, or Android phone, offering solid battery life (up to 40 hours via Bluetooth or 60 hours for Xbox). But the gimmicky mini controller that slides out, Transformer-style, for gaming on the go is too small and hard to grip comfortably. The buttons, triggers, and sticks are all good, and the clip works fine for holding your phone, but the D-pad is stiff. All in all, it’s a pricey mixed bag.
Riot PWR iOS Xbox Edition Cloud Gaming Controller for $20: This is a Made for iPhone-certified controller for Apple’s handset or iPad gaming (older Lightning port devices) that boasts pass-through charging, direct Lightning cable connection, and a 3.5-mm audio port. It feels like an Xbox controller, supports Xbox Cloud Gaming or remote play, and comes with one free month of Game Pass Ultimate. On the downside, the cable is a bit messy. The Riot PWR MFi Controller for ($40) is almost identical, but without the garish green styling and colored Xbox buttons. There’s a USB-C option too.
Turtle Beach Recon Cloud for $40: Here is another Xbox-branded controller that supports Xbox Cloud Gaming and Remote Play and comes with one free month of Game Pass Ultimate. It feels good in-hand, has a solid phone clip, and works with Android, Xbox, and Windows. It also features some audio enhancements (when plugged in), programmable buttons, and a handy Pro-Aim feature that reduces sensitivity on the right stick for aiming in FPS games. It’s a good upgrade pick over the PowerA controller listed above, but only if you want the extra features.
PowerA Moga XP7-X Plus for $94: This controller offers everything the XP-5 X does, but you can also remove the stand in the center to slot in your phone (my Pixel 6 Pro fits nicely). It is sturdy, offers plenty of buttons (only a screenshot button is missing), and can wirelessly charge your phone. But it is expensive, has a Micro USB port when I’d prefer USB-C, and has only a 2,000 mAh battery, so stick with the XP-5 X unless you want that spring-loaded cradle to fit your phone in.
8BitDo SN30 Pro for $45: Conjuring memories of the SNES, this controller works with Android, Windows, MacOS, and Switch. It has built-in rumble, a solid D-pad, good battery life, and a USB-C port.
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