Despite the recent demise of Google Stadia, cloud gaming services are still around to supplement our gaming needs; and these needs are often satisfied with physical controllers. However, the controller options for mobile gaming have often been too big - as big as regular controllers but with a phone mount attachment - or smaller, but still not very pocketable, telescopic controllers. 

The new Atom Controller for Android from Turtle beach offers something new, with two-part controller modules that operate independently and attach magnetically to become pocket-friendly. The device currently costs $99.99 and comes with the following items out of the box:

• Turtle Beach® Atom Mobile Game Controller
• Carrying Bag
• 3.3’ / 1m USB-C to USB-A Cable
• One Month Free Subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
• Quick Start Guide
• Turtle Beach Sticker

 

Specs of the Atom Controller are as follows:

• Wireless connection: Wireless 2.4GHz between modules, Bluetooth® Connection from Module to Android Devices
• Product Weight (Kg/Lbs.): 0.18 / 0.40
• Product Dimensions (Mm/In): 132.5 x 102.1 x 42 / 5.22” x 4.02” x 1.65

Weighing only 180g, the Atom Controller is light enough to carry around and to not add too much heft to your smartphone when attached to a weight that feels just right. I was quite impressed by the attachment for the controller’s “travel mode” where each module slots into each other and are securely held together by magnets.

  

To take them apart is as easy as pulling them apart and then clamping them on each side of your phone. The integrated clamps fit phones of 67-92 mm and ensure the phone is held securely. There are also rubber paddings at the areas where the phone gets in contact with the modules (except for the top and bottom of the phone) to prevent scratching. I can fit in my POCO F4 GT easily with its silicone casing on, which is a nice find as I don’t have to take off the casing every time I want to use the controller.

However, the clamps can be a double-edged sword as it won’t fit larger devices such as some foldable phones or tablets, restricting its use to phones within the  67-92 mm width range. But for most phones, it shouldn’t be a problem to use the Atom Controller.

To start using it, you just have to pair it over Bluetooth and you’re ready to go. Included in the package is a very welcome 1-month subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate which enables you to test drive the Atom Controller with the latest Xbox titles through cloud gaming. If you have a decent enough connection, the experience is quite compelling. Playing titles like Halo Infinite, Grounded, Pentiment and Signalis up close on a phone with physical controls is a treat for handheld gamers like myself.

The Atom Controller adds to the experience with its responsive controls, traditional-styled D-pad and analogue triggers. The face buttons and joysticks provide decent feedback while the RB/LB keys deliver satisfactory clicky sounds. With up to 20 hour battery life, the controller is an adequate companion for your cloud gaming needs.

  

Of course, you’ll be able to use the Atom Controller with popular emulators as well as these do recognise physical controller input. However, even if this controller has a handy companion app, the latter doesn’t allow for touch control mapping for Android games that don’t natively support physical control input. You’ll have to rely on a third party software for such cases but I wish more companion apps for mobile controllers would include the feature from the get-go. However, the Atom Controller companion app does provide some welcome features such as adjusting dead zones, calibrating the stick response and finding Android games with controller compatibility. My hope is that Turtle Beach includes a touch input mapping support in future updates.

 

While the software side of things can be updated, the hardware component cannot and the Atom Controller could do with some hardware updates. Firstly, even if it is advertised as a highly pocketable device - and it is - , it is quite chunky compared to other mobile controllers with a telescopic spine. It’s considerably thicker than modern phones and trimming it down would make it further portable as well as better looking.

Secondly, there is a marked lack of textured grips on the handles. Even if the modules sport a bump for a more ergonomic hold of the device, additional grips would be welcome here; especially considering it’s meant for on-the-go gaming and every little extra to prevent your phone from slipping and incurring damage helps.

Then there’s the charging nature of the device which requires the modules to be slotted together in “travel mode” and then plug in the USB-C to a power source. This means if you’re running low on battery, you cannot charge both modules at the same time as only one module sports the USB charging port. This could have been circumvented by having a charging port on both modules for convenience.

Lastly, while Bluetooth controllers are practically the norm for mobile gaming, having an option to plug directly to your phone via USB-C would be welcome. This would limit latency issues as well as the need to keep charging multiple devices. However, given the design of the Atom Controller, this might not be a possible feature.

 

While I would like to see these updates in the next Atom Controller iteration, the current model still does a more than decent job as a mobile controller. While it’s not particularly cheap, it packs an innovative pocketable design, a handy companion app and a sweet 1-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription (with the Black & Yellow model).