never been more popular. You can relax with a casual puzzle, indulge your , or dip into some competitive shooter action. These days, there’s something for everyone. The can run demanding, graphically impressive titles, so ports of popular PC and console games are increasingly common, but they’re not always fun to play with touchscreen controls. What you need is a mobile game controller. We tested several of the top
smartphone controllers by playing various games for hours at a time to find the very best performers. These are our favorites. We’ve marked which platform each controller officially supports, though there may be others that unofficially work. And be sure to check out our many other guides, including the , , and , to level up your gaming kit. WIRED. With a unique combination of features, a thoughtful retro design, and solid performance, all at a reasonable price, this is the best mobile controller for most people. The D-pad is all too frequently a disappointment in phone controllers, but not here. The buttons are satisfying, and the analog sticks are sensitive. I love the subtly textured back, which adds grip. There are double shoulder triggers with two clever programmable buttons around the back so you can keep your thumbs on the sticks. This Bluetooth controller can connect to four devices, so you can easily jump between a Nintendo Switch, MacBook,
Android or
iPhone, and Windows PC, or you can connect with a cable using the controller’s USB-C port. Just make sure you snag an to go with it. The 8BitDo Pro 2 has a rechargeable battery inside that’s good for about 20 hours, but it is removable, and you can swap in two AA batteries if you need. To sweeten the deal further, the 8BitDo Ultimate Software app for or lets you remap buttons; tweak the stick, trigger, and vibration sensitivity; and even set up custom macros in your favorite mobile games. All this controller lacks is support for PlayStation and Xbox. The latest version of GuliKit’s King Kong controller is the 3 Max. Resembling a Switch Pro controller, it feels durable with a textured finish on the back for enhanced grip. I found it very comfortable, even for long sessions. Silky-smooth joysticks and satisfyingly clicky buttons (not mechanical) make it a pleasure to use, and the D-pad is decent. Just like its predecessor, it has Hall effect electromagnetic joysticks designed to combat drift. There is also a programmable button for Auto-Pilot Gaming (APG), allowing you to record up to 10 minutes of gameplay and tap the button to repeat. The vibration is strong with three modes, and there’s a six-axis gyroscope for . GuliKit has added four slots for detachable metal paddles on the rear, and you get three pairs in the box. There’s a plug-in dongle for latency-free gaming on Windows PC, a USB-C port for wired gaming or charging, and Bluetooth 5.3. The GuliKit KK3 Max has a 950-mAh battery (slightly smaller than its predecessor) that’s good for up to 24 hours, but you’ll only get around a third of that with all the bells and whistles turned on. I enjoyed playing on Android and on PC. The lack of a companion app is good and bad; there’s a learning curve to calibrating features, and firmware updates must be manual. On the other hand, who wants another app? The controller comes with a snug, molded, translucent carrying case with just enough room for the cable too.