This controller turns your Android cellphone into a conveyable Xbox

It appears unlikely that Microsoft will ever make a conveyable Xbox. Between Sony’s failure with the Vita, Nintendo’s dominance of the market with the Switch, and Microsoft’s device-agnostic enterprise mannequin, there isn’t actually a lot want for such a product.

That doesn’t imply there’s no demand for moveable Xbox video games, although. Microsoft has been pushing cloud gaming arduous with Xbox Game Pass, in addition to the power to stream video games immediately from your individual Xbox console to your cellphone. And although a shocking variety of gamers are doing this with touchscreen controls — I do know individuals who swear by the contact model of Hades, consider it or not — it’s not a super setup for many Xbox video games.

That’s why I used to be to strive the RIG MG-X, a cell controller from Nacon. It’s an formally licensed Xbox controller that works with nearly any Android cellphone, giving it all of the buttons you’d discover on a typical Xbox One pad. This ought to make it an excellent match for Game Pass video games on the go.

Mobile controllers aren’t a brand new concept, and there are stable choices for Android on the market already just like the Razer Kishi — together with a lately launched Xbox-specific model. The RIG MG-X, although, has an appealingly simple design for a product class that may be somewhat awkward, which makes for a sleeker method when coupled with the Xbox buttons. It’s good to not have to consider which icons map to which instructions; you possibly can simply naturally use the identical buttons you’d have on a traditional Xbox setup.

The controller has a niche within the center that extends out to clamp round your cellphone, which connects over Bluetooth. Nacon says it ought to work with any cellphone operating Android 6 and above with a display screen as much as 6.7 inches; I largely used it with a Vivo X70 Pro Plus, which is a huge cellphone with a 6.78-inch display screen, and it really works high-quality. (It doesn’t, nonetheless, work with iPhones in any respect.)

This is sort of a chunky machine, and it’s wider than an Xbox controller even earlier than you lengthen it to insert your cellphone. That’s not essentially a nasty factor — it feels well-built and and I wouldn’t have an issue tossing it right into a bag when touring. The use of Bluetooth as a substitute of a USB-C connector is a trade-off I’m okay with, as a result of it makes for a extra appropriate design and ensures the controller can be utilized with the cellphone in a case. It does imply that you need to manually pair with the cellphone, although, and cost the controller itself over USB-C every now and then; Nacon quotes round 20 hours of battery life.

Overall, the RIG MG-X’s controls are small however efficient. The analog sticks aren’t as huge as a full-size Xbox controller’s, however they’re greater than a Nintendo Switch Joy-Con’s and really feel extra satisfying to make use of. The face buttons are additionally fairly small however tactile and clicky, whereas the D-pad is correct sufficient regardless of being somewhat mushier than I’d favor. I’ve huge palms and I discovered the RIG MG-X to have fairly good ergonomics over time for many video games.

There is one exception, although, with regards to the triggers. For some motive they’re unusually tough to press in all the best way, which is a giant downside for video games like racers the place it’s essential to maintain them down lots. A recreation like Halo Infinite the place you’re commonly making particular person squeezes to fireplace weapons is okay, however I used to be questioning why I used to be dropping so many races in Forza Horizon 5 earlier than determining that I didn’t have my foot pressed firmly sufficient on the gasoline. You can do it, however it takes extra power than another controller I’ve ever used, and it’s by no means comfy for prolonged play periods.

It’s unlucky that this isn’t an excellent Forza Horizon 5 controller — you might have heard that it’s a fairly good recreation — however it does work effectively for many different genres. You can use it for non-Xbox video games, after all, whether or not they’re from the Play Store or elsewhere — I performed loads of Fortnite with it, and also you even get native Xbox button indicators within the menus.

The RIG MG-X is a good controller with a single huge flaw, so simply know what you’re entering into if you happen to’re a fan of racing video games. I occur to be one, in order that was disappointing for me, and I’d personally go along with the Xbox model of the Razer Kishi for that motive. But for plenty of different Xbox video games, this can be a stable resolution that will get you nearer to a conveyable Xbox than ever earlier than, and apart from the triggers I favor its design to the Kishi. This month Nacon additionally introduced the MG-X Pro, which seems to be way more like a typical Xbox controller — hopefully the triggers are higher.