If you ’re a great mobile gamer that wants to boost the on - the - go play experience , your in effect bet is to invest in a mobile accountant – but which should you buy ? We shoot for to avail with our hand - picked choice of the in effect mobile game controllers for iPhone and Android .
While stake on a smartphone was once limited to dewy-eyed secret plan like Candy Crush or burn the Rope , forward-looking smartphones – andgaming phones , in especial – are right smart more subject than they once were , and that mean game are bigger and secure than ever . Whether you ’re into gratis - to - play titles like Genshin Impact or premium console - grade game ports like Call of Duty Mobile , PUBG and Resident Evil Village , there ’s a game to suit your interests .
The main issue with peregrine gambling in 2025 is n’t handiness then ; instead , it come down to the way you actually play them . Despite phones having mess of ability and top - end screenland to kicking , clunkily tapping icons on a touch screen does n’t exactly emulate the traditional gambling experience .
That ’s where the blossoming marketplace of fluid control come in . These fantastic portable accessory slot onto your earphone and put up something snug to a even game comptroller experience .
The arrest is that not all controllers are built every bit , and for every leading control on the marketplace , there are more than a few that you should all - out avoid . That ’s where we at Trusted Reviews come in ; we ’ve test a wide of the mark range of mobile controllers , using them as our main gameplay accessory for at least a hebdomad , and take the very best for your perusal .
If you ’re more of a traditional big - CRT screen gamer , check out our natural selection of thebest game controllersto boost your PC or console gameplay experience .
SQUIRREL_ANCHOR_LIST
Learn more about how we test mobile controllers
Every mobile restrainer we examine is used by the reviewer as their main gamepad for at least a week . During that time , we ’ll test it on a kind of mobile game , from FPS shooters to racing game .
We ’ll test both wired and wireless connectivity where uncommitted to check there ’s no latency or effect that may hinder your gaming experience . In instances where the controller needs power for use , we ’ll also check the pad ’s battery life , measuring how much playtime it offers before needing to be charged .
Where applicable , we ’ll also test how customisable they are and delve into the companion apps to see what they tender .
Backbone One (2023)
Pros
Cons
GameSir G8 Galileo
Turtle Beach Atom
Razer Kishi V2 Pro
GameSir X3
GameSir X2s
GameSir G8 Plus
Trusted Score
TheBackbone One ( 2023)is the best mobile controller for iOS and Android that we ’ve prove . It not only looks and feels expectant , but it offers wide compatibility with both USB - cytosine and Lightning variants , and its companion app is one of the sound options around right now .
While the Backbone One might not see all that dissimilar from the wrapping of clinch - elan mobile controllers on the marketplace , modest tweaks to its already premium design make it all the more accommodating . These include Modern swappable magnetised adapters that provide accompaniment for phone of all shapes and sizes , along with returning favourites like a 3.5 mm headphone tar for pumped audio and a USB - coulomb port for passthrough charging .
The Backbone One offers your common slate of console table - esque control including analog marijuana cigarette , a D - pad of paper , push button and rear trigger , with the fellowship offering both PlayStation and Xbox - specific branding for compatibility with their respective cloud game pullulate apps . The quality and physique are top - nick , with a smashed tolerance on both the buttons and triggers that make them feel ultra - antiphonal in title like Resident Evil Village .
The accompanying Backbone app is also polished to a high tier , providing shortcuts to install games on your phone as well as inter-group communication to cloud gaming services in a PlayStation - esque UI . And for games that do n’t offer controller keep , Backbone ’s clever TouchSync software automatically maps controls .
It might be high-priced , but it offers a top - snick gaming experience .
When it comes to mobile gaming ironware , it ’s hard to fault theGameSir G8 Galileo . It ’s one of the more premium options from the accessory maker , but it ’s well worth the cost .
It sports the same clamp - manner designing as most other wandering controllers , but the expanding mechanism offer less of a fighting to get the phone into place . It feature a wide and smooth - skid bridge deck , the open rubberise adhesive friction organization means you do n’t call for any fiddly adapters to make phones primed into place , and the experience is further improved by a hinged USB - 100 connecter .
The accountant is self-aggrandizing and cloggy at 253 g , but that ’s because the G8 Galileo adopts a full - size restrainer shape – like an Xbox controller that has been split in two . It includes the regular combination of buttons and analogue joint , and you could swop the stick for Hall Effect option that get along in the boxwood to further tailor the experience . There are two remappable controls on the back too .
With hardware like that , the G8 Galileo was in the running play for our ‘ unspoilt overall ’ honor – but the GameSir companion app set up a dampener on things equate to the ilk of theBackbone OneandRazer Kishi V2 Pro .
The app not only lacks the general gloss of the rival , but it on a regular basis failed to recognize the restrainer on iOS ( though it still worked fine in games ) and even though it provides profiles for game that want comptroller support like Call of Duty Mobile , these did n’t ferment in testing .
TheTurtle Beach Atomis a rather singular mobile controller as , unlike the legal age that are connect by some kind of bound mechanics , the Atom is made of two decided parts that plug into via a proprietary 2.4GHz wireless liaison . So rather than fiddling with a clinch mechanism , the remaining and right percentage attach snuggly to the position of your sound using upright clinch .
The only downside to this approaching is how Turtle Beach handle securing phone into blank space , providing a pair of sizes of sticky pads that stick on each side of controller . It feels comparatively cheap compare to the magnetic substitute fromBackbone , and the spongey texture will probably flatten and become less useful over time .
Fit niggles aside , the Atom ’s design allows for it to be impressively portable , with magnets holding the two one-half together when not in active utilization . The use of Bluetooth instead of USB - C also allows for spacious compatibility with both Lightning and USB - C devices , though as a result , you ’ll have to charge the controller on an individual basis to use it .
Importantly , the gaming experience from the full - size controls is firm , if not quite as exchange premium as other options in our chart . The accompanying Turtle Beach Atom app not only provides crosscut to game , but allow you to customise elements like analogue utter geographical zone and reactivity to get the best operation potential from the accessory .
TheRazer Kishi V2 Prostarted life as a dedicated controller for theRazer Edgegaming tablet , but the party has since started offer the controller separately – and with its USP , it ’s not hard to see why .
You see , unlike most mobile controllers on the market , the Razer Kishi V2 Pro actually extend tactile feedback in the form of the company ’s HyperSense system . It might seem odd , but iOS and Android do n’t officially extend haptic feedback for controllers – it ’s one of the biggest disparity between peregrine play and microcomputer / cabinet gaming .
Razer mystify around this issue by taking audio input as a cue to engender rumbling tactile feedback to explosions , gunshot , and the similar . The downside is that the rumble sometimes complain in at odd times . It ’s not explicitly programmed , as would be the case with personal computer and console play , but it does help bridge the opening somewhat .
Elsewhere , the Razer Kishi V2 Pro is a intimate gadget with the same amplify design as most other option in our chart . It ’s complete with the usual smattering of controls and triggers , though there are extra digital button on the top edge to help give you an edge in on-line games . The performance is refreshingly self-coloured , too , with clicky responsive feedback that translates well to games like Dead Cells .
The great issue in good order now is compatibility ; even with a USB - coke connection fit to the iPhone 15 range , the controller does n’t currently ferment with iOS devices . Razer claim a fix is on the way , but for now , this one is for Android gamers only . It ’s also very expensive liken to other option in our chart , so be sure you ’ll make the most of the haptics before investing .
TheGameSir X3may not reach the same idealistic heights as the fellowship ’s ownGalileo G8 , but it does offer something that most competitors do n’t : combat-ready chilling .
You do n’t postulate us to explain that smartphones can get pretty hot when take on game , especially over longer periods , but you might not know that this can have a negative shock on performance as phones basically throttle carrying into action to keep things cool . The GameSir X3 helps negate this exit with the use of a Peltier cooling system of rules that suck up heat away from your phone ’s body using a combination of silicone dental plate and a prominent old sports fan .
This does mean that the USB - C - enable GameSir X3 is a chunky , powerful restrainer that , at 292 gigabyte , is a thumping 40 g heavier than the already - cumbersome G8 Galileo . You do get a carry case with the controller , but it does n’t really make it that much more portable .
The self-aggrandizing downside is that the controller needs to be plugged into a wall outlet to be powered , which pretty much makes the X3 an at - home gimmick . And that ’s a bit of a pity , deliberate the Nintendo Switch - esque design and digital triggers for fast response time deliver a pretty solid gaming experience , improved by the active cooling of the controller .
You ’ll have already spotted from the competitor on this list that GameSir has give some of the more widely love brands a run for their money , and that continues to be the face when grass for more budget favorable fluid controllers .
At just £ 49.99/$46.99 , it ’d be sluttish to assume that theGameSir X2swould offer a serviceable , albeit compromise gaming experience to meet its budget terms but in malice of those assumptions , it really offer up some premium spec in a few areas – most notably in its stick .
The GameSir X2s utilises Hall Effect joysticks which do n’t bank on friction in rules of order to register an input , intend that they wo n’t grow any issues with joystick movement . This design also do the joystick more undestroyable in the longrun , which is great to see .
The shoulder joint buttons also feel improbably tactile thanks to their utilisation of microswitches to register induction - finger input . For fast paced games like Dead Cells , these types of buttons can make all the difference .
The GameSir X2s itself features a more playful artistic than some of its competitors , making it palpate more accessible from the jump . In fact GameSir has purportedly take some pattern cues from the Nintendo 2DS of all thing for the development of this twist .
It ’s certainly an impressive package for the cost , but the GameSir X2s is n’t completely without fault . One of the biggest omissions is the lack of a 3.5 mm headphone seafarer , which many mobile game controller tend to have . If you expend Bluetooth headphones then this wo n’t be a dealbreaker , but it ’s certain to put off those who prefer using a pumped-up link for eminent fidelity audio recording .
The X2s is also a bit chunkier than other controllers when not in use . There ’s a sizeable bit of a space between each last of the control when it ’s resile , so it wo n’t fit into a pocket quite in the same way that theTurtle Beach Atomcan .
While there are plenty of swell games to play on mobile , if you have another portable console like theNintendo Switch , it may be a better outcry to pick up a controller that works across your main machine . With that in mind , theGameSir G8 Plusis the perfect cream .
Because this controller practice Bluetooth rather of a direct connection via USB - C or Lightning , it is able to twin wirelessly with your smartphone , Nintendo Switch and PC / laptop computer . That storey of versatility is a rare thing to come by , but it means that you could jump from one machine to another without ever find like you need to downgrade your ascendence set - up in the process .
Just like many of GameSir ’s other products , the G8 Plus utilises Hall Effect analogue peg that prevents them from buckle under to the ‘ drift ’ problem that plagues other controllers , which in turning makes the accessory a good option to the problematic Joy - Cons that total with the Nintendo Switch .
Even though there is n’t a physical connector to keep devices in shoes , the G8 Plus use a rubberised grip in its interior , alongside a tight clasp to make certain that everything stay where it needs to be during gaming . Our reader never had an issue during testing wherein they felt that a gadget could have been at risk of falling out of the accountant .
Because of the lack of a forcible port however , this does mean that the G8 Plus also ships without a 3.5 mm phone jack . While that ’s unlikely to be a dealbreaker for most masses , it will be an pain to anyone who assert by wired headphones for their audio fidelity .
to correspond great machine like the Nintendo Switch , the G8 Plus is n’t the most pocketable control that GameSir has ever made either , although it ’s still small enough to be enthral in a backpack .
A big accountant that goes well beyond the realm of wandering play , there ’s a pile to like about the GameSir G8 Plus .
FAQs
They should , but we ’ve mentioned specific cases above ( like the Razer Kishi V2 Pro ) where living is not yet available .
It count on your purpose cause . telegraph controllers deliver lower latency and potentially features like passthrough charging and a 3.5 mm phone seafarer , but you ’ll also be tied to whatever connector is used . Wireless Bluetooth controllers , on the other hand , are compatible with a encompassing range of devices , though they ’ll need charge separately .
Test Data
Full Specs
