LeadJoy M1B iOS Gaming Grip (Hardware)
Official GBAtemp Review
Product Information:
Review Approach:
On the surface the M1B borrows a lot from the Backbone One. Both are telescopic grips that will attach to your iPhone using the standard Lightning connector, and both come with an attachable bit of rubber to allow a fairly wide range of phones to better fit the grip. They both share analogue triggers and a pass-through Lightning port to charge your phone while playing, and they both share a fairly standard Xbox layout. There really are a lot of similarities, with the only notable omission being the 3.5mm headphone jack that’s on the Backbone and unfortunately absent here. Aesthetically the M1B does fall slightly behind with its embossed face buttons looking a little cheap due to being completely black but that in itself isn’t a deal-breaker.
The asymmetrical analogue sticks are both Joy Con-style ones, complete with R3 functionality. While I do prefer the larger analogue sticks you can find on some grips, the Joy Con sticks have become somewhat of a de facto in these lower profile controllers, and they do get the job done. If nothing else you’ll likely know what to expect and know whether you’ll like them before buying. The face buttons I feel may be more divisive than the analogue sticks though, with each of them having next to no travel distance before a defined click. While they do manage to feel incredibly responsive, I’m really not a fan of the instant actuation or the click itself. The buttons work fine, but my preference is more of a muted bump like what you might find on the Switch Pro controller or the other major console players. It’s something PowerA have done well on things like their MOGA XP7-X, though that unfortunately hasn't seen an iOS release to date.
This instant clicky feel extends beyond the buttons and onto the D-Pad. I get on with this more than the buttons, with it feeling a bit like a budget PS Vita D-Pad. It’s easy to roll between the four directions, and I didn’t experience any phantom up or down inputs while trying to hit left and right in platforming games.
Oddly the only buttons that have the kind of bump I was really wanting were the two bumper buttons. Frankly they feel great, if not slightly out of place for being the only things on the controller not to click. The triggers are also a fairly standard affair for this kind of grip feeling a little flatter than I’d like with a short travel distance. The whole controller comes together in a way that I’d definitely describe as functional, but also not quite to my taste. It feels cheaper than I’d have liked, and considering this sits only $30 cheaper than the Backbone One it takes inspiration from at $70, I expect something that feels a bit more premium. At something closer to $40 I could see this being a good pick, but for the extra $30 I’d probably go with the more established Backbone if you’re looking at these controllers in isolation.
The M1B does have one more trick up its sleeve, though it’s not one I view in a particularly positive light: Egg-3DS. Sound familiar? Much like GameSir’s X2 Android controller, the M1B grants the owner access to an exclusive emulator, this time a 3DS emulator for iOS. On paper this is really cool. With iOS not having as accessible routes to emulation as Android with somewhat tedious sideloading usually required, I can see how this might be appealing to some. Making use of Apple’s TestFlight system, LeadJoy allow you to download the emulator with no real restrictions. The app works fine, and on my iPhone 13 Pro Max I was able to play Fire Emblem Awakening and Ocarina of Time 3D fairly well. It supports up to 3x resolution scaling, custom emulation speed up to 1000% (though I doubt much will be hitting that somehow), and a few different screen layouts. It’s all fine, but it’s somewhat because of this app that I’d really advise steering clear of this controller. The app functions fine, but you’re ultimately left paying a premium for a mediocre controller and access to closed source app that more than likely “borrows” from Citra. It’s all incredibly shady, and really not something I would want to support. With iOS 17 rumoured to bring simpler sideloading and apps like EmuThreeDS rapidly developing, you’re much better off waiting and putting a little more money down to support a better product.
Can I recommend the M1B? The honest answer is no. Were it just a mediocre controller priced a little too highly I might recommend picking it up on sale, but that isn’t the case here. These kinds of closed source peripheral-locked emulators are nothing but harm for the larger homebrew community, and shouldn’t be encouraged. Your money is better spent elsewhere.
Verdict
- Decent D-Pad
- Supports all iPhones from the 6S
- Middling build quality
- Buttons have no travel and feel cheap
- Extremely shady Egg-3DS app as a selling point
- No 3.5mm jack
- Too expensive for what it offers
