Controller Fun on Mobile

I have a certain fondness for controllers. Ideally, I'd be doing most of my gaming with a controller, except for decidedly touchscreen affairs like, say, "Cut the Rope". It's probably because I started video games on a generic Atari (i.e. clone unit) and the old NES, so, growing up, holding a game pad feels natural to me (this is different from being a naturally-good gamer, though - I'm just pedestrian).

Fast forward to today, and smartphones and tablets are essentially the mobile game units of choice for many people. But going the way of these touchscreen devices doesn't mean that you have to also give up on physical buttons. In fact, the existence of Ouya and Nvidia's Shield is proof that even in these mobile computing times (granted the Ouya isn't exactly mobile, but it is portable and does run Android), there is a desire to still be able to use physical controllers when gaming, especially when you're into, say, platformers, shooters, or even waxing nostalgic for some old-school gaming via emulators.

Here's the thing, though. Ouya's having some troubles with their console. The Nvidia Shield won't be here until June (and that's if you pre-ordered) and it costs $349. But maybe you're not into that gamepad form factor. Maybe you already have a smartphone/tablet and you're not really looking to buy a new one so soon. But you really do want to play games with a gamepad. What do you do?

Do Nothing (Android / iOS) - $0

Well, yeah, it's not the best choice, but it IS a choice. :D

Here's me trying to play Super Mario World using onscreen controls provided by RetroArch (please don't mind the fan noise in some of the vids - it's sweltering hot when I took these):


There's no harm in just getting used to touchscreen controls. We're mostly headed there, anyway, not to mention it costs zilch.

But yeah, you didn't come here just to be told that, right?

Get a Bluetooth Controller (Android / iOS) - $20 up (+ shipping from Amazon)

No muss, no fuss, and depending on the controller you get, it even has a nice slot for your device to fit in to keep your mobile device... mobile. I don't have a couple of thousand pesos lying around yet to get one to test, though. Also, keeping the Bluetooth connection open contributes some to faster battery drain, so that's another concern. I'll update this section when I'm able to source a controller to test, but in the meantime, here are some links if you're interested to go this route:

- Amazon search
- Sulit search

Get Slap-on Buttons (Android / iOS) - ~$5 (via CD-R King)

Here's a cheaper option if you think you're not gonna use game pads much. Also, there's no need to configure this. Just slap these bad boys wherever the game places their onscreen controls, and you're good to go.

The one I got from CD-R King costs PhP 180 (~$5) and comes with 2 directional stick-ons and a set of 2-, 3-, and 4-button set-up stick-ons.

CD-R King Thumbies

Thumbies attached to tablet.

 The directional stick-on worked pretty good, but the other stick-ons had a hard time staying on the device. It's nothing that couldn't be remedied by temp adhesives like Blu-Tack, though, so I don't see it as a deal-breaker. Here it is in action:


One thing to remember, though, is that these stick-ons are essentially just there mostly for tactile feel, and they have zero electronics inside. What this means, gaming-wise, is that there's a split second delay between game pads that you're familiar with and using these stick-ons. Whereas the former produces an action immediately without needing to press down the button fully, the latter needs to be pushed firmly down before it even registers a button press. It's not a huge delay, but it takes some getting used to.

CD-R King also sells a variant of the stick-on directional pad. Instead of the usual 4-way deal, you can get a joystick-shaped one for PhP 180 (~$5).

CD-R King mini joystick

Joystick applied to device.

Because I don't play fighting games outside of get-togethers with friends, I don't really benefit much from using a joystick over a d-pad. It's all the same to me. I do prefer that this joystick stick using a suction cup, so it holds in place better than the d-pad. It works well, personally. Here it is in action:


Relevant links:
- CD-R King Thumbies
- CD-R King Joystick

Nope. The fun doesn't stop there. There's one last option out there.

The OTG + USB Gamepad Solution (Android-only) - ~$0.70 (OTG adapter) + ~$2.50+ (USB gamepad)

Yup, this essentially gets you there. A full gamepad experience for a fraction of the cost. Just get one of these OTG adapters (they look like regular adapters except for a slightly bigger USB-end; make sure you get one with OTG).

Take this and a USB controller...

...and pair it up with a USB controller

You don't even have to buy a gamepad if you already have one. Any USB gamepad will do (it also works with a PS3 controller and Xbox 360 controller). Of course, there are a couple of downsides to this one.

1. USB-OTG support is mandatory. This is a hardware limitation, so if you don't have it, this is out of the question. As far as I know, all Android tablets have OTG support, even the lower-end ones from Ainol. It's in the smartphone area that's a bit of a question mark. Some phones do have it, but I think they're more of a minority so far.

2. Controller support must be built-in to the game you want to play. Unlike the stick-on solutions which you can place over any game using touch controls, gamepads need the app to have support programmed-in (not sure if there's a third-party app where you can map buttons to areas on-screen, though).

3. It's not the most elegant-looking of solutions. And it certainly isn't ideal for knocking down some game time on the train commute.

If you're A-OK with those two items, you're good to go. Just plug it in and enjoy. How well does it work? Very well. Here's the set-up in action:


Yep. That's the way it's supposed to be played. Good stuff. Yes, I died at the start of the video, but that's my own fault, haha.

- CD-R King OTG adapter
- CD-R King gamepads

I link CD-R King because they have the cheapest adapter. You can very well get an OTG cable from V-Mall, though that would run a hundred pesos (~$2.50) and up.

So there you have it. In the off-chance that you're hankering for some controller action, there are plenty of choices out there. Now go out and game the way you want to!