I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with gaming on mobile devices. I love the opportunity to game from my couch, or when I can’t sleep at night, but never was a fan of touch screen controls. Touch screen controls are passable for your candy collection games, or playing with birds that are particularly cranky, but not for games that require responsiveness and finesse such as shooters and driving games.
While at CES 2018, I had the opportunity to meet with the fine folks at Gamevice who allowed me some hands-on time with their unique controller solution for mobile gaming (as well as drone and droid control). I had seen other solutions where your phone attached wireless via Bluetooth, but Gamevice wanted a solution that eliminated lag that is inherent with wireless devices and was responsive and comfortable to use. Thus, became the device we now know as the Gamevice.
The Gamevice itself is a marvel of engineering and looks like a gamepad that was sawed in half connected by a very sturdy piece of rubber. Gamevice graciously provided me a unit to review that was made specifically for the iPad Pro 12.9”, however they also support various iPhones and Android devices as well. The gamepad consists of dual analog sticks, 8-way analog d-pad, as well as your standard A,B,X,Y button layout and shoulder and trigger buttons on both halves of the controller. The device also includes a passthrough, so you are able to charge your device without removing the Gamevice itself, and an actual headphone adapter on the phone variants (something Apple still believes their users no longer want). Be sure to check out my unboxing video at the end of this review.
Connecting the device is an extremely simple affair, plug one end into the lightning port and stretch to attach to the opposite side. After that, all that’s need is the free Gamevice app from the app store and you are ready to start gaming. The app acts more than simply a driver to identify the device when it’s plugged in, it’s also a portal to the appstore with a list of games that inherently support the device. Simply select the category or type of game you are interested in playing, pick a game, and it takes you to the location in the appstore to purchase. There are over a thousand games available via their Gamevice live application (dependent of course on your IOS or Android choice).
As mentioned briefly, games are the main focus, but the Gamevice is far more versatile then simply that. They also work directly with Sphero’s app enables droids/robots as well as adding precision control for DJI’s Spark drone. With continual development as well as partnerships with both game and hardware manufacturers the list of games and devices that offer native support will only continue to grow.
The Gamevice attacks the problem with mobile gaming and touch support, and introduces an innovative, and incredibly fun design. It’s easy to remove and pack in your backpack or dresser drawer, and simple to reattach when you are ready for some quality gaming on your mobile device. With support for an incredible number of IOS and Android devices, your certain to find one that matches your needs. With so many alternatives out there, this one certainly proves that you can have quality lag free gaming on your mobile device anytime.
Check out my unboxing video here:
