8BitDo is back with another controller today, but this one is a little different from the ones we've seen before. The SN30 Pro+ is arriving soon to fill that gamepad-sized hole in your device lineup, and it'll be launching alongside new software that allows you to customize pretty much every aspect of its functionality.
Google's launch of Stadia was a big deal for the game streaming market. It put the focus back on the nascent technology and, in a way, confirmed that it was the direction that the big companies wanted to take gamers towards. But when Google launched the Stadia Founder's Edition, it decided that you could only get the Stadia controller once and only during that order. It has made a U-turn and now lets you order a controller separately but with on major word of warning.
There's a new Xbox Elite controller in town, and if you take your gaming seriously - on Xbox or PC - then you should be paying attention. The new Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 made its official debut at Microsoft's E3 2019 keynote today, billed as "the world's most advanced controller" and with the hardware specs to back that big claim up.
How much more improvement can something like a game controller get? The input device has roughly stayed the same for nearly decades keeping the same shape and different only in button and joystick layout, depending on the gaming system. If you ask SCUF, however, there's still a lot of room for fine tuning, and its latest Prestige controller for Xbox, PCs, and mobile wants to show others how.
Google has teased its presence at GDC but it's no mystery really by now. Or rather, all bets are on the company not only formally launching Project Stream but also a possible gaming device. Given Stream's nature, that device could very well be running Chrome OS or even just a Chrome browser. If so, it will need some form of controller and although Google may already have one in the works, it's almost a sign of good faith that it's adding support for Nintendo's Switch controllers, both wired and Bluetooth.
Last year, Microsoft rolled out the Xbox Adaptive Controller. The strange looking device was created to make gaming more accessible by allowing those with disabilities to create their own custom button layouts. It's an impressive piece of kit that was extremely well received by the gaming community, and now it's about to get some screen time during one of the year's biggest sporting events.
SteelSeries has revealed Stratus Duo, a new full-size Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless controller designed for mobile platforms, Oculus Go, Samsung Gear, and PC. The controller targets gamers who need something more substantial than a touchscreen or mini game pad, instead offering plug-and-play functionality alongside a design similar to gaming console controllers.
Were it not for Super Smash Bros., the GameCube controller would probably be a distant memory for most people. A curiosity of the past, perhaps, given its rather unique design and button layout. A stepping stone on the path to the more refined gamepads we have today. Thanks to Super Smash Bros., though, the GameCube controller is none of those things, and instead it’s alive and kicking. Though the original Wii had a set of GameCube controller ports all its own, Nintendo eventually figured out a way to bring GameCube support forward to the Wii U, all in the name of Super Smash Bros. and the Melee veterans who love it.
There is no shortage of game controllers for Android, both the wireless and the wired kind. That’s really no surprise, considering that other mobile platform barely supports such peripherals. So it probably doesn’t hurt to add one more to that list, especially when it involves one of the most trusted brands in the gaming industry. As announced last October, Razer is finally making its Raiju controller available for Android phones, bringing to mobile the same things that made its Tournament-grade controller popular.
When rumors of the Xiaomi-funded Black Shark started to circulate, mobile gamers were more than curious about the possibility of a phone that more or less turns into a Nintendo Switch-alike via removable controllers. When the first Black Shark came out, however, the crowd was disappointed by a one-sided affair. It seems that Xiaomi is finally making up for lost time and opportunity with the Gamepad 2.0 that finally does bring two controllers on each side to truly turn a phone into a mobile gaming handheld.
Just like in the mobile market, most of the developments and advancements in gaming cater to the large majority of able-bodied gamers. That unsurprisingly cuts off quite a sizable number of people that would buy games by the dozens if they were actually playable by people with physical handicaps. That’s why Microsoft was largely praised when it came out with its Xbox Adaptive Controller though, unfortunately, few followed its lead. Fortunately, all it took was a very dedicated gamer to find ways to make the XAC work with the Nintendo Switch.
Back in 2006, Nintendo's Wii console broke new ground when it came to using motion-based controls in video games thanks to its then-unique wand-like remote. Now we're getting a rare look at an official prototype version of the Wii remote, thanks to a Japanese auction listing. Right off the bat it's clear the remote is very similar in appearance to the consumer version that was released with the Wii, but what's interesting here is that the prototype is designed to work with the GameCube, Nintendo's console before the Wii.