If you’re a into gaming but still haven’t taken the jump to mobile gaming, there’s usually one very good reason.
Touchscreen controls.
Let’s face it, the traditional PS4 or Xbox controller sits in the hand beautifully and feels both familiar and “right”. Your thumbs fall onto the analogue sticks and buttons perfectly. You know instinctively where everything is and, perhaps best of all, you’re not too worried about dropping the thing.
In recent years smartphone makers have tried to emulate this experience, either by deploying hardware buttons or adding tactile feedback into the mix.
However, although it comes very close, people are still not quite won over. Everyone mainly plays games via touch screens on their phones. This is similar to a games from the likes of Vulkan Vegas casino slots machine etc. The experience is completely different from the traditional joystick. The alternative is to have a clip-on controller, game triggers, game pads and external sensors. When I’ve tried these in the past they’ve not always worked with all the games. If you’re a big fan, or you like Minecraft, Coin Master, Toon Blast, Candy Crush or another touch-centric game then the add-on controllers might not work quite as well. However, if you have a particular favourite (like Fortnite or PUBG in particular), this is definitely an area you should be checking out.
What got me was the sheer selection of smartphone game controllers. Most are wireless, operating over Bluetooth, and some of them copy the PS4 and Xbox controllers so well that you can hardly see the join. Some come with fans, extending grips, clip-on buttons and most have USB charging.
Here’s a look at just some of them.
First, if you’re a PUBG games, this portable trigger gadget. It clips on the top of your phone and let’s you use the normal smartphone screen to move and aim, but the buttons on top to switch to your sights and shoot. It works by keeping those on-screen contact points but lets you shoot without dropping your phone on the floor as you do so.
Next, the very PlayStation-looking controller which also acts as a holder for your phone. It connects via Bluetooth but, if you don’t fancy this particular one, you can perhaps decide to get a mount for your existing PS4 controller too.
Here’s a look at one of those. It clips onto your pre-existing PS4 controller and lets you adjust your phone. It comes with an OTG cable and is flexible enough to sit comfortably on your PS4. Just plug and play – it works with most smartphones and, with the PS4 Remote Play function and the Remote Play Android app, you can get yourself a full “play anywhere” experience.
Again, if you’re a big PUBG gamer you can get this Mobile Trigger setup. It acts as a cooler thanks to to onboard fan and combines those clip-on triggers with a full hand-held gaming controller. It means you’ll get a good grip on your phone and you’ll be able to play for far longer. Who knows, it might even give you a bit of an advantage in PUBG too 🙂
For Fortnite fans, this iPEGA wireless controller is rechargeable and relatively cheap too. You can use it for over 2 hours and it features the L1 / R1 buttons plus directional buttons and the familiar joysticks too.
If you’re a big gamer, there’s a huge range of controllers that can turn your normal smartphone into a properly portable gaming centre.