The Xperia Play, for many of us, wasn’t a device that we would swap our PSP or Nintendo DS for, with a limited number of PSX games available for the Android handset it was a bit of a fail on most accounts.
It didn’t have a Dual-Core processor that was becoming the standard to meet and it didn’t come with the clever Bravia engine that the Xperia Arc had. So it was relying soley on being a pure gaming handset with the Playstation controls.
Shelling out over £300 for the device is not something I would have done, but this is where Fluctel’s Gametel Gaming Controller comes into it — this is a Bluetooth controller that latches on to any (yes any) Android phone that runs Android 2.1 (Eclair) or higher.
Oh, and did I mention that it’ll support over 50 games straight out of the box, including Cordy, Asphalt 5 HD, Reckless Getaway, Guns’n’Glory, MotoX Mayhem, Happy Vikings and Zenonia, that’s not to mention the emulators it will support.
According to PocketGamer, the Gametel Gaming Controller is going to give you about nine hours of battery life from a single charge, and will automatically shut down after six minutes of inactivity. The controller will connect to your phone via Bluetooth, which means that you can also play from the other side of the room.
A handful of powerful Android devices have kickstands these days so that is definitely an option, but if your phone supports HDMI out then you’re in for a real treat. No console, no expensive games, just you, your phone and the gaming controller, duking it out on the big screen.
The controller has spring-loaded clamps and rubber grips to hold your phone in place, but that will not protect against gamer rage, so do not throw the controller across the room, as your phone is attached!
The thing is, no matter how good your phone’s graphics are or how fast your processor is, most games are just annoying when using on-screen controls. That’s why the Xperia Play was such a brilliant idea, it just never caught on – but this is why the Gametel Gaming Controller is an even better one.
The controller isn’t out yet, but the company has an email notification sign-up on its website. The controller will go on.
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