Mobile phone gaming is something that is normally left for particular situations. On the tube/bus/train is one of my favourite, whilst sitting in a doctor’s waiting room is second on the list. And – and I’m not proud to admit this – but a whole ton of mobile gaming goes down while on the lavatory.
See, most of these games are free – or dirt cheap – puzzle games that require maybe two minutes of my gaming time at the most, with a quick fix setting things up the rest of the day. But with the advent of the Nintendo Switch which has become the commuting console of choice for those who can afford it, how does the phone compete with this device? Well, the Rotor Riot Wired Game Controller is the answer; an easy to plug-in controller that connects to any iOS device. It’s the first ‘made for phone’ device that has been created for Apple devices. But how easy is it to set up and most importantly does it work?
In the box the first thing so see is the controller itself. It looks like an Xbox One controller and it would be easy to mistake it for the normal one. It doesn’t have a battery as power comes from the iOS device itself, so the weight is slightly different to what you normally expect, but nothing too much to make it unworkable. There is a 25-inch lightning cable that is attached to the controller that goes directly into your iPhone or iPad (although hold that thought for a moment). This is great, as the connection between the two is quite obviously better than a Bluetooth connection, and the major lag issues that sometimes contains. Nicely there is a charging port at the bottom of the controller, and by plugging this in to the standard supply, and then the phone into the controller, battery issues should be a thing of the past. Provided you’re near a power socket.
Also in the box is a personal clamp holder for your phone. This works by attaching the holder to the controller and it then clamps down onto the phone so you come away with a nice looking controller/phone combo. It works very well indeed and I have loved using this device, with the phone attached on with the clamp. It is especially helpful for a more active game like PUBG Mobile or for sitting down with an RPG. The only problem however is that with the controller and its clamp attached, you might not want to take it with you on the move, as it becomes a little bulky. You can use the controller without the clamp as well, by resting it on something or someone, and this is where the iPad comes in and is best utilised, as of course it won’t fit in the clamp itself.
Away from the hardware and you also get access to an app called Ludu Mapp and this comes with a whole bunch of compatible games to download onto your iOS device. I played a free-to-play RPG which was available, and this worked great; I had nothing but super fast, super flowing gameplay. The big draw though is playing via PS4 remote play or knocking out some Steam games through your phone. Once you understand that this isn’t a DualShock controller and that some buttons will run differently on certain games, then you can relax and enjoy yourself.
The Rotor Riot comes in at the price of an Xbox One game or a new controller and that’s a price that feels pretty damn fair to me. The set up of the controller and the attachments are fairly easy to run through and when you get used to the assembling process, it’s a breeze. The response time from the controller to phone is instant and I only had a few moments when I had to step in and use the touch screen. The App is good too, giving easy access to some big games out there. Fortnite lovers will be in their element with the controller, but be warned your phone battery will need a full charge because unless you’re near a power socket, mobile gaming is going to seriously eat your battery.
If you love a bit of gaming on your iPhone or iPad then this could be a perfect device to help you get the best out of your favourite games. Once you’ve got used to it, and it’s all set up, it’s gotta be right up there with some of the best mobile gaming devices on the market.
Massive thanks go out to Rotor Riot for providing the Wired Game Controller for review purposes. If you wish to purchase one for yourself, you’re looking at a $49.99 price tag. Head on over to RotorRiot right now.
