11 Best Mobile Game Controllers (2025): iPhone or Android
Other game controllers we tested
There were a few other mobile controllers we tested and we just missed the above location or didn’t get a grade.
Photo: Simon Hill
Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller is £70: The compact design makes it ideal for portability, and the Acer controller folds in half and slides into pockets or bags. You can plug in devices up to 8.3 inches in size via USB-C, and the controller has a standard offset joystick, four standard face buttons and four shoulder triggers. Everything feels a little rude and basic. The trigger is fine, but everything else feels a little ah. There is a USB-C port for pass-through charging, but there is a lack of other features to justify the price (Hall effect, no customization, no software). This is currently only available in the UK.
$50 for Gulikit Elves 2 Pro: The shape reminds you of an older Sega controller, but with a joystick with the Gulikit Packed Hall effect, nine levels of vibration, and six-axis gyromotion control to this Bluetooth controller. The shoulder buttons are wonderfully clickable, while the floating 8-way D-pad is suitable for combat games and platformers, while the four face buttons use membranes. It’s compact so I have a large hand, but I found it a bit uncomfortable to use for a long time.
Gxtrust Mylox Wireless Mobile Controller for £45:This large cradle-style controller connects via Bluetooth 5.0 rather than USB-C. It supports basic tactile feedback and has a button illuminated with RGB LEDs. It’s quite comfortable to use, but I feel it’s a bit cheap, and despite its large design, the buttons and triggers are small. I’m not keen on D-pads. With the lights on, the battery life is low enough for the proposed 12 hours. This is only available in the UK and Europe.
$80 for Gamesir X3 Pro: This replaces the X3 and opens to cradle virtually any Android phone (or USB-C iPhone) in a rubber embrace. Customizable grips, click-like buttons, and hall effect feature a thumbstick with a removable cap of various sizes in a lovely zip-up carry case. The heading feature is a huge fan of the back that can provide serious cooling. This can be useful as your smartphone can get uncomfortable warming when you’re playing games for a long time. Customization options are welcome, but the Gamesir app is a bit of a bug and confusing.
Asus Rog Tessen is $104: My excitement with the outlook for ASUS mobile controllers faded very quickly when I started using Rog Tessen. It has a neat folding design, responsive control and pass-through charging. I like programmable back paddles and there is RGB lighting to jazz it. However, the thumbsticks felt very fast and uncomfortable, and the buttons proved to be a little noisy. This is only for Android and does not work on iPhone (also on USB-C iPhone).
Gamesir X4 Aileron for $100: This controller has a large number of controllers, including a compact design, RGB lighting, hole effect sticks, and tactile buttons. It has two parts, which is great for folding neatly, but you have to pair one side and the other side, which can make you feel sick. It’s not a bad effort, but there are better options above.
$20 CRKD Atomic Controller:This little controller is very cute and very portable, has a wrist strap and can be connected to your bag. Battery life can rise to 10 hours with a USB-C port for charging, but I sometimes switched to a pocket. It’s not big or comfortable enough to use for long periods of time, but if you need a super portable emergency controller, it could fit your bill.
Photo: Simon Hill
$50 Turtle Beach Atom Controller: With a clever two-piece design, this controller folds neatly, but you’ll feel uneasy if you don’t have a back. The clamps on both sides are a pain, especially when your phone has a large camera module. I hate that I have a problem with the connection and I need to turn on the right side individually (press the B and menu buttons). The right side connects wireless (2.4 GHz), but the controller connects to the phone via Bluetooth. It almost worked for me, but when I played Youdge, The movement was reversed with the left stick. It has a battery life of approximately 20 hours. It takes about 2 hours to charge. If portability is your main concern, then May Let’s take a look.
Powera XP Ultra $80: I love the idea of combining lots of options with a controller, and Powera’s crazy XP Ultra is certainly versatile. Works wirelessly on your Xbox, Windows PC or Android phone, extending battery life (up to 40 hours via Bluetooth or 60 hours on Xbox). However, the gimmick mini controller that slides the trance style for gaming on the go is too small to grip comfortably. The buttons, triggers and sticks are all excellent, and the clips work fine to hold the phone, but the D-PAD is stiff. Overall, it’s an expensive mixed bag.
Riot PWR iOS Xbox Edition Cloud Game Controller $20: It is created for iPhone certified controllers for Apple’s phones or iPad games (old Lightning port devices) and features pass-through charging, direct lightning cable connections and a 3.5 mm audio port. Feels like an Xbox controller, supports Xbox cloud games and remote play, and comes with a free month of GamePass Ultimate. The downside is that the cable is a bit messy. ($40) Riot PWRMFI controller It’s almost the same, but there’s no flashy green styling and colored Xbox buttons. There is also a USB-C option.
Turtle Beach Recon Cloud $40: There is another Xbox branded controller that supports Xbox cloud gaming and remote play and comes with a one-month game pass Ultimate. It feels good on hand, has solid phone clips and works on Android, Xbox and Windows. It also has several audio extensions (when plugging in), programmable buttons, and a handy Pro-aim feature that reduces the sensitivity of the right stick for aiming in FPS games. This is a good upgrade pick for the Powera controller above, but only if additional features are required.
Powera Moga XP7-X Plus $94: This controller offers everything the XP-5 X does, but you can also remove the central stand into the slot on your phone (my Pixel 6 Pro fits nicely). It’s rugged, offers plenty of buttons (no screenshot buttons only), and can charge your phone wirelessly. But it’s expensive, and has a micro USB port when you prefer USB-C, and only has a 2,000 mAh battery, so you’ll stick to the XP-5 X unless you need to fit your phone into that spring-loaded cradle.
8bitdo SN30 Pro for $45: This controller brings back memories of SNES and works on Android, Windows, MacOS, and Switch. It has a built-in rumble, solid D-pads, good battery life and a USB-C port.
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