Android is a very versatile OS and as our devices get more powerful, the things that we can do on them gets more extensive. It’s the same with games consoles – back in the 70s we had the Atari 2600, then we had the NES, the Super Nintendo, the Mega Drive and then the Playstation. The list goes on.
Most of these great consoles I have listed have an emulator that can be used on the Android operating system. Obviously these emulators require games to be ran on them, which need to be games that you own!
The main issue with these emulators is that the controls are generally on the screen, obscuring your view of the classic retro game you are glued too. Well there are a couple of ways around this but the best option yet is an app available from the Market called Sixaxis controller.
It is a paid app costing just over £1 and you need to have your Android device rooted. The app basically allows you to connect your PS3 Sixaxis controller to your Android device, removing the on-screen controls and giving you a familiar piece of equipment in hand to play your beloved classics with.
It’s not quite as straight forward as installing the app but the small amount of work is worth it. The app gives you your Android handset’s Bluetooth address, which you then manually enter into the Sixaxis controller through a PC based application which is a free download. There are a few compatibility issues, but the developer provides a free compatibility check to see if the app will work on your phone. The main problems seem to be with HTC handsets running Sense UI – it’s the HTC Sense Bluetooth protocol that seems to cause the issue. However if you are running MIUI or CyanogenMod, you are likely to be in luck.
I have tested the app and it works brilliantly and will give you access to all your favorite games on the go with a greater experience than the touch orientated controls can offer. You can pick the app up from here.
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