Category: Fighting Games

A number of quirks keep this stick from being a top contender even with few other wireless sticks on the market

The PowerA FUSION line has expanded beyond its initial offerings of the FUSION Pro Wired Controller and the Wired FightPad with a full dive into arcade stick territory. The PowerA FUSION Wireless Arcade Stick fulfills a need many stick manufacturers have abandoned as of late, being wireless. Whether other stick makers have done so to cut costs or since most who would buy an arcade stick would want it wired for the best possible connection, the Nintendo Switch is the perfect reason to open back up this seemingly forgotten market. While you’ve got your console on the go, why not have an arcade stick with that same kind of convenience? While the PowerA FUSION Wireless Arcade Stick is a capable device, there are a few glaring missteps that keep it from realizing its potential.

Design:

The PowerA Wireless Arcade Stick has a simple but bold design. With its default panel art, the stick pops with its vibrant candy reds against the solid black casing. This design is right in line with Nintendo’s red and black aesthetic and even without the Switch logo in the top right-hand corner, it screams “Nintendo Switch”. The only things that deviate from the red and black motif are the gray Nintendo Switch function buttons, but this actually makes them easier to see so that’s a welcome choice.

The stick also includes an alternate “FUSION” focused art panel if you’d prefer something a bit more experimental. PowerA has the template for the panel art available on their website, so you can either print your own or have one commissioned that better suits your fancy. All you have to do is remove the ball top and plexi and bam, you’ve got a fresh feeling fight stick. (Word to the wise, just be sure to keep those six screws somewhere safe and that you work somewhere free from cat hair.)

The case has a great weight to it, with a solid metal base that provides durability and support. It has an ergonomic slope that aids with wrist support while playing that I greatly appreciate. The rubber stoppers on the bottom are well sized, well placed, and do a good job keeping your stick from sliding on a table.

There is also easy access to the screws on the bottom to pop off the metal panel to replace buttons, the stick, or swap out the board entirely. There is even a tiny compartment that holds an octagonal gate on top of the already installed square one. It holds the extra gate in place with a little piece of foam and plastic. While it is great they thought of this, it would have worked better with something to snap in place because, after only a couple of swaps, the foam appears to be nearly worn out entirely.

There’s a cable compartment built in where you can store the included 9.8 ft USB-C cable for wired mode. It’s a tight fit but it gets the job done. You can’t charge the stick with the cable though, since there’s no onboard battery. For this wireless arcade stick, you will be using tried and true AAs that can be quickly swapped in a dedicated compartment on the bottom of the stick.

The PowerA Wireless Arcade Stick has a great build with easy enough access to what’s important. It is just the right size, being large enough to comfortably fit all the necessary buttons and features, and compact enough to feel portable. The weight helps it feel grounded and premium when in use, but this same density might make it a bit tiring to carry for extended periods of time. If only the core components could excel in the same way its design does.

Function:

With all of the good design choices, the functionality is where this stick starts to falter. Instead of opting to use more traditional parts, like the widely used Sanwa Denshi arcade stick components, PowerA opted to provide their own. While there is always room for more variety, the joystick and buttons just aren’t up to snuff in comparison to other offerings.

The joystick activates through long registry points that perform the directional inputs. This is in opposition to the four buttons that are usually found in Sanwa joysticks that create a cleaner execution. Because of this, the square gate feels a little off. Inputs register okay, the direction you move the stick is reflected accurately in-game, but you can tell that there is a difference in quality in comparison to the arcade stick standard. Swapping out the default square gate for the provided octagonal one definitely makes the experience better, but not everyone prefers the eight-way input restrictor style. (I personally love the octagonal gate and am very appreciative that PowerA thought to include one.) This all said, the stick tension feels just right, not too loose and not too restricting.

The buttons offer an incredible amount of resistance. While I love a clicky keyboard, the same kind of chunky activation is definitely not ideal for fighting games or any other instance where every millisecond counts. There is an immense amount of feedback and you can actually hear the spring bounce back. This is an incredible shame because the two-toned buttons look so nice. If you have any extra buttons lying around, I’d highly recommend swapping them out. If not, at around $6 a button, that’s quite the investment for a fresh set.

The wireless functionality works fine most of the time, but there have been more than a few moments where I had to remove and reinsert the batteries to get it to wake up and search for my Switch. While only mildly inconvenient, this should not have to be done to get the core stick to wake up. Perhaps a firmware update could resolve this issue, but without it being recognized on PC, that might prove to be an issue. Still, the concept of a wireless arcade stick matches the Nintendo Switch philosophy very well, especially one that can also connect with a cable for minimal latency. If only this stick hit the mark to be a solid companion.

Requiring AA batteries is a bit of a mixed situation. While some may view this as being archaic, there are more devices nowadays that seem to have rechargeable batteries than ones that don’t, for a device that’s meant to be used while on the go, AAs make sense. If your stick dies while you are out and about, swapping out AAs is a much faster and more convenient option than waiting for it to recharge while plugged into an outlet or a console. That being said, you should always keep an extra pair of AAs handy in case your stick unexpectedly dies on you. Unfortunately, there’s no way of knowing just how much battery it has. The player LEDs will change to let you know the device is at low battery, but aside from that, there isn’t any onboard or on console indicator for how much percentage it has available. All you can do is be sure to switch the battery toggle off when not in use and have extra batteries handy in case the need arises.

The arcade stick works just fine in wired mode, plugging directly into the Nintendo Switch dock. The provided USB-C cable feels a little on the cheap side though, especially in comparison to the braided micro USB cables provided with other products in the FUSION line. You could always use your own USB-C cable, but you shouldn’t have to. It’s a tight fit for the USB-C cable with the cable door closed as well. There are two cutouts for the cable to potentially exit through but the internal port isn’t far away enough from either hole to let the stiff cable bend comfortably. You also can’t wake your Switch when connected through wired mode and while this is a minor inconvenience, it is still another on the list of things that unfortunately don’t work well with this stick.

The stick doesn’t have any kind of PC support either. Normally, you can plug in any Nintendo Switch peripheral while Steam’s Big Picture mode is open and you can use it just fine in nearly any game. Steam doesn’t recognize the PowerA Wireless Arcade Stick and at my first connection, my computer said there was an error recognizing the device, after that it never said anything. While PowerA doesn’t advertise the arcade stick being compatible with PC, you can usually at least connect a Switch controller and work out the functionality on your own. This is definitely an odd omission that might have lessened the impact of some of its shortcomings.

Conclusion:

The PowerA FUSION Wireless Arcade Stick is decent enough to get the job done, but when it comes down to the core components, there is a lot to be desired. To make this stick truly exceptional, it would need a refined joystick, buttons with quicker activations and less resistance, more reliable wireless connectivity, an internal battery, and native PC support. The stick itself looks very nice and has a solid enough of a build to where some of these issues can be fixed on your own with replacement parts, but for $129.99 that’s a high asking price for something that should be able to perform on par with other options out the gate. (As long as you don’t care about wireless functionality that is.) With all of these issues in mind, it makes it difficult to recommend the PowerA Wireless Arcade Stick in its current state. Hopefully, PowerA continues providing support for fighting game players, and this is just the start of its arcade stick ventures. Perhaps a future revision or new arcade stick model will bring them closer to the top of mind when it comes to professional fighting game accessories in the FGC.

[At the time of publishing this review, you can currently purchase the PowerA Wireless Arcade Stick for 50% off on Amazon, making it a cool $64.99, which might make it more worth your while and would certainly lessen the blow of getting replacement buttons.)

Pros:

• Wireless arcade stick for Nintendo Switch that can connect via USB for competitively focused wired-mode.
• Solid build quality with good weight and ergonomics.
• Easy-to-remove top panel for customizable art. PowerA provides a file to create your own.
• Includes both square and octagonal gates.
• Last up to 30 hours on one pair of AA batteries.

Cons:

• Wireless functionality can be finicky.
• Buttons offer too much resistance.
• Joystick feels off with square gate due to how it registers inputs. Feels better with the octagonal gate.
• Requires AA batteries.
• The cable compartment is a tight fit.
• Does not work on PC.

Click to view slideshow.

PowerA provided Shoryuken with the FUSION Wireless Arcade Stick for this review.

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The Defenders of Earthrealm definitely showed up to play in 2020.

Despite the challenges that came along in 2020, NetherRealm Studios released two significant upgrades to Mortal Kombat 11, bringing players six new characters, an extended story, and plenty of balances and changes. Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate is the latest in these updates, offering players all of the major content included in both Kombat Packs and the Aftermath expansion for a significantly reduced price. This makes it a great entry point for new players and an enticing upgrade option for those who have only played the game casually and would like access to nearly everything the game has to offer.

The Next-Gen Difference

While Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate is also available on last-gen devices, the experience truly shines on an Xbox Series X|S or PlayStation 5 with improvements that take advantage of the latest hardware. MK11 was already a technological marvel, providing the most lifelike fighting game characters to date. These visuals have been improved immensely, now running at a dynamic 4K resolution for both gameplay and story mode cutscenes. Playing MK11 on a base console before as opposed to a top of the line PC really makes this jump feel even more immense. Everything is clearer and much more detailed. I definitely can’t wait to see what’s visually possible in NetherRealm’s next title that is built from the ground up for next-gen, or should I say current-gen at this point?

Unfortunately, some character animations are still on the rough side. With how lifelike the characters look in stills and cutscenes, they move like stiff mannequins in actual gameplay. While these rocky animations have been a series staple since the original title this was to be expected then due to the limit to the number of sprites. Mk11‘s approach doesn’t achieve the same success as other titles that attempt to emulate classic arcade titles like Guilty Gear, Dragon Ball FighterZ, and Granblue Fantasy Versus. I have to assume this is a stylistic choice at least because with the budget Warner Bros. puts into these games nowadays there’s no way a lack of resources is an excuse. Still, the animations don’t completely detract from the gameplay experience since it is still a lot of fun and I am constantly impressed with what the characters can do, even if the in-between frames leave much to be desired.

Thanks to the new SSDs on the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, loading times are nearly non-existent. Matches start within a couple of seconds of players selecting their characters and stage. You don’t even have time to read a single hint on the loading screen. If you blink you won’t even realize there was a loading screen, to begin with. This makes it incredibly difficult to play fighting games that aren’t yet optimized for these new pieces of hardware knowing that Mortal Kombat is there waiting for you to not have to wait. While faster loading times might not exciting at first, once you start experiencing the difference for yourself, you can see how much of a game changer the hard drives are in these new consoles. It makes you wonder what the next Mortal Kombat will look like that’s built from the ground up on this hardware. Will there even be a loading bar or those nifty pre-fight animations the developers are known for? If instant gratification wasn’t a problem for you before, it is definitely going to be now.

This next part is not a criticism of NetherRealm Studios or the title itself but an observation of how PlayStation and Xbox upgrades differ since this is the first major fighting game to feature a free next-gen upgrade. On Xbox, the process is completely seamless. Whenever you download a game that features Smart Delivery, (which is indicated multiple times on box art and on digital storefronts), you get the best version of that game on your console, along with all of the DLC you’ve purchased thus far. So if you own an original Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox One X, or a new Xbox Series X|S, all you need to do is purchase the content once and your console does the rest of the work.

The experience is much more involved on PlayStation. Since I owned a digital version of Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath Kollection on PlayStation 4, the free upgrade path was available for PlayStation 5 version. In order to access your PS5 content, you need to claim each piece of owned content individually. For reference, Mortal Kombat 11 has added 13 characters, not including Shao Kahn as a pre-order bonus. That means just to get the next-gen versions of the character DLC, you will need to go to each and every character’s page on the PlayStation Store and click redeem. Same goes for costume packs and any other DLC you’ve purchased. Hopefully, Sony comes up with a more fluid experience in the future because if you still plan on owning both consoles, you will need to do this for each piece of content in the future unless otherwise noted as being something that redeems on both PS4 and PS5.

A Kombat for the Ages

Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate features “Kross-Play” between players across console generations and certain brands. This means that players can join together in certain matchmaking modes whether they are on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, or Xbox Series X|S. This dedication to supporting previous platforms seems to be a trend in this current console generation as more competitive titles are making the jump to next-gen while keeping the less powerful but more abundant console-base in the fold. With this dedication, it makes you wonder how much longer Mortal Kombat 11 will be supported with new characters and features.

While this is definitely a step in the right direction, it makes you wonder what kept NetherRealm from opening up Kross-Play to all platforms since its current form leaves PC, Nintendo Switch, and Stadia players out of the fun. This is increasingly odd whenever Power Rangers Battle for the Grid, a game with a fraction of the resources, is able to establish crossplay on every platform it’s available on. (Those are the same platforms MK11 is on by the way.)

This all said, the “Kross-Play” feature is technically in beta, so there might be more platforms and modes added in the future. In practice, it works really well. Players can link up with friends on Xbox or PlayStation through a lobby or battle with a larger pool of players in Kasual matches. My experience online was just as solid regardless of whichever platform my opponent was on. There weren’t any instances of lag. While you can’t add crossplay players as friends, you can view their Kombat Cards in a separate menu where you can view their stats and note their names to try to reach out to them through some other means. Perhaps in the future, there can be a more integrated way to connect with others on different platforms, making it a more social experience as opposed to just giving me more folks to play one time only or friends I already have in a lobby.

Three new Kombatants add more to the experience

Mileena was perhaps the most requested character to make their way to MK11. I skipped MKX and I started with MK9 (let me know if I should go back and play MKX in the comments below!), so my memory of how Mileena is supposed to play is a little hazy but I didn’t remember her essentially being a rabid spinning hedgehog. That being said, she is still a fun fighter, with plenty of mobility options and gloriously gory attacks. Mileena also has quite a few cool costumes as well, I especially like the one that emulates Shao Khan’s look.

Rambo brings along a variety of spontaneously materializing booby traps and his hard-hitting ingenuity to the cast along with his likeness and voice being provided by none other than Sylvester Stallone himself. Rambo is a pretty fun character with solid attacks at both long and close range. He can use his iconic bow and machine gun to keep foes at bay while setting up tripwires and swinging rocks to keep your opponents on their toes whether they are in the air or on the ground.

Rain is my favorite fighter out of the bunch, offering plenty of elemental attacks to qualify his name. He is exceptionally quick with moves that push and pull the opponent lining them up for wherever you plan to strike next. His Argus Plunge move is perhaps my favorite in his arsenal, with Rain hopping into a giant bubble that can absorb the opponent and take them across the screen for a devastating slam. Quantum Slice is another incredibly cool move that strikes the opponent with lighting, if used in-air, Rain dashes either across or down, offering another great option for speed and mobility.

All three characters play very differently and are definitely worth checking out. Kombat Pack 2 is priced at $14.99, making it a fairly reasonable cost for three new characters. The “Ultimate” name comes along with an update, so you will be on par with anyone else who started out with Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate. Unfortunately, if you didn’t pre-order either Kombat Pack 2 or MK11U, you will have missed out on the Time Warriors skin pack. It will still show up on storefronts, but will be unavailable to purchase, leaving you with one less costume for Skarlet, Liu Kang, and Noob Saibot.

Work still to be done

While Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate offers an incredible amount of value, there are still ways that it can improve. First off, NetherRealm should release all previous pre-order bonuses as purchasable costume packs. Having these pre-order bonuses alone makes sense from a business perspective, but after the game or expansion releases, they should be available to purchase for anyone who decided to join the party a little later. There are plenty of great skins that some players won’t ever be able to have and it just seems like an incredibly missed opportunity for both parties. There’s no reason not to put them up for sale unless the plan was to keep them locked to the Tower system or make them purchasable with in-game currency, neither of which are ideal for the players. Even these “all-in-one” packs like the Aftermath Kollection and Ultimate don’t include previous pre-order bonuses, but hey, at least you get Shao Khan, for what it is worth.

Also, it still baffles me that there isn’t a toggle in versus mode that locks all variations to the tournament-legal ones. Sure, the casual versus mode is meant to be just that, casual, but the fact that both my friend and I have to create all of our loadouts for each of our characters while signed in to our user accounts is an unnecessary chore. I get that you are supposed to let your custom loadouts shine in versus mode, and they still can. Keep versus mode exactly how it is but add a switch to enable all three tournament legal variations to make things quick and easy.

If we end up getting a Kombat Pack 3, hopefully it focuses on bringing lesser utilized characters from the series’ history. Throw in fighters we have only seen mentioned in character’s stories in older titles, characters from movies, comics, or why not use the novel for some inspiration? Guest characters are great and generate a lot of hype, heck, I was originally interested in MK11 because Spawn was announced for it, but with how many we have gotten so far, why not bring attention to the players and fans from throughout MK‘s extensive mythos?

Konclusion

Mortal Kombat 11 has continued to impress me with each new character, balance patch, and major addition. With its extended lifespan on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 (through either free upgrades or standalone purchases) and its dedication to building cross-platform and cross-generation play, there’s no doubt that we will continue to see more content coming in the near future, whether its more characters, modes, or costume packs. NetherRealm Studios is dedicated to bringing on as many new players as possible with each new expansion at a price point that works whether you are just adding more characters or starting out your MK11 journey with nearly everything the game has to offer. If you’ve ever been interested in picking up Mortal Kombat 11, there’s no better time than now to see what all the hype is about.

Warner Bros. Games provided Shoryuken with a review code for this review. Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate was played on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 4.

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A wonderful bridge between video games and card battles that feels familiar and fresh at the same time.

No one ever said a fighting game had to be played at an arcade, on a console, or with a computer. The Exceed Fighting System tabletop game expertly translates the strategic and fast-paced gameplay of its video game inspiration by swapping the sticks and screens with cards and your imagination. There’s a lot to learn at first, but just like with its digital counterparts, the more time you spend with it, the better your knowledge and experience become.

I am already a big fan of tabletop games, especially battle card games, having played quite a bit of Yu-Gi-Oh! in my childhood. One thing that has caused me to fall out of love with my favorite card games of the past is the constant need to buy more packs to improve your deck to an ever-changing meta. With Exceed, you don’t have to worry about building your deck, everything is pre-made and pre-balanced, and there are no individual packs. Each set comes with four decks as well, each featuring an individual character with their own unique abilities and moves, offering a variety of different playstyles for you and your friends.

While this approach is different than evolving trading card games like Magic The Gathering, Pokémon, or Yu-Gi-Oh!, this takes away the “Pay-to-win” environment that tends to fuel them. New sets are released regularly with new franchises being added to the mix like Street Fighter, BlazBlue, Shovel Knight, and Dead Cells alongside original playsets from Level 99 Games. There are plenty of new characters, moves, and abilities to check out, and who knows, maybe a character from a franchise you aren’t familiar with will match your playstyle perfectly.

Characters are faithfully adapted with moves and attributes that reflect their digital counterparts. For this review, we were sent the Chun-Li box set which includes the World’s Strongest Woman herself, Vega, Dan, and C. Viper. Chun-Li focuses on keeping a distance between herself and her opponent while closing in for an attack. Vega works best when at the edge of the playing field, with moves that allow him to strike while leaping multiple spaces. Dan is a pretty tricky character with moves that are less straightforward but can be devastating under the right circumstances. C. Viper rewards boosting your attacks by giving you additional effects giving her options at nearly any range with the right combo.

While the art used for the cards and their icons is fantastic, something that could make the Exceed experience even better would be the introduction of foil cards for the characters and their special and ultra moves. While typically used to indicate a form of rarity in other card games, pre-built decks usually highlight their signature components with shiny, holographic materials that make them feel special, even if they were included with every box. While it is usually obvious if you are using a character’s unique move since they are on the art, it would be an even better differentiator, especially with normals all using the art of other characters that are also playable like Ryu, Akuma, Sagat, and Zangief.

The core gameplay in Exceed revolves around players taking turns making actions and reactions with their individual characters while trying to knock their opponent’s health down to zero. There are a lot of things you can do in a single move but you can only settle on one main action. If you choose to move your character card on the 9 space playfield, that’s your turn, if you choose to attack, that’s your move, and so on. Small actions like normal attacks can have devastating effects if you play your cards right (Pun oh so definitely intended) by combining them with Boosts. These are special effects listed at the bottom of cards allowing them to be used as enhancements as opposed to an attack. Also, you draw at the end of your turn instead of the beginning, and if you strike at all, you are unable to draw, limiting your resources for the next phase of the battle.

There are many factors that go into every attack, including Range, Power, Speed, Armor, and Guard. These elements capture the essence of frame data, taking into account the speed and distance moves that can activate along with partial frames of invincibility. Since moves are based on speed, even if your opponent declares the attack, you can shut them down with a strong and quick strike that shatters their guard, causing them to be stunned, ending their turn and starting yours on top of adding an extra point towards your gauge.

This is where meter management comes into play. As mentioned, every successful move builds your gauge, allowing you to unleash your Ultra moves, add a Critical effect to your character and moves, or place your character into Exceed Mode. A character that activates their Exceed Mode gets additional abilities for the rest of the game which can help make the most out of your cards. There is a great element of risk-reward when it comes to saving and spending your gauge. Do you use it to pull off an Ultra for massive damage? What if that attack misses because your opponent is faster? Then you get stunned because your Ultra has no armor.

The quick turn-based combat emulates the “footsie” mentality found throughout the Street Fighter series and other fighting games. It is all about managing your spacing and making small calculated actions until your opponent opens up to be punished. It’s as if battles are happening a handful of frames at a time. This gives you more time to think between moves allowing you to be even more calculated.

It doesn’t take long to complete a full match, my early experiences ranged from 20-30 minutes, which feels just right. While it definitely takes a minute to wrap your head around all of the many systems and actions, there are plenty of tutorials out there to help make sense of things if you are feeling overwhelmed or you want to make the most out of your experience. With so many moves, abilities, and actions, there is plenty to master, giving Exceed plenty of replay value.

You can tell that the Exceed Fighting System was developed by true fans of the genre. There is such immense attention to detail that shows Exceed is made by players who understand what fighting games are at their core allowing them to transcend the screens they are typically played on. It doesn’t matter what, where, or how you play. Fighting games are all about strategy and the love of competition while representing your best self on the battlefield, whether it’s with an arcade stick or a card deck.

Prices vary per set but range from $29.99 – $34.99 with playmats, while not necessary, are also available for purchase to enhance the overall experience with great designs and functions. Want to take a look at a tutorial game in action? Check out this video from Level 99 Games detailing the Exceed Fighting System below!

Level 99 Games provided Shoryuken with the Exceed Fighting System – Street Fighter – Chun-Li Box and playmat for this review.

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Whoever thought of a controller that can charge your phone while you play is a genius

There are a lot of different controllers that can work with your phone nowadays. While most games on mobile devices are built with touch controls in mind, there are an increasing amount of titles being released that also work with a standard controller. Throw in the fact that cloud gaming services like Xbox’s xCloud, Google’s Stadia, and Amazon’s upcoming Luna are taking mobile devices by storm, (except for you iOS but don’t worry iPhone and iPad users, workarounds through web browsers are on the way) there are more and more reasons to pick up a controller for your phone.

Thanks to nearly universal Bluetooth, your typical Xbox or PlayStation controller has the potential to sync with your mobile device whether you are on Android or iOS. That being said, there are some controllers out there more suited for mobile play. Along comes the PowerA MOGA XP5-A Plus Bluetooth controller, a device that seeks to offer as many solutions for mobile players as possible. While the extra features are more than welcome, there are a few basic aspects of the controller that could have used a bit more refinement to make it the go-to mobile gaming controller.

The MOGA XP5-A Plus, which I will probably just refer to as the MOGA, is reminiscent of the Xbox controller with its offset control sticks and similar form factor. There are currently two MOGA models, the first, which this review is based on, is black with gray and orange accents, with the most recent, the XP5-X Plus, trading in the orange hue for green to match its Xbox Game Pass branding. Overall, the controllers appear similar in form and function aside from an upgraded phone clip on the XP5-X Plus. The MOGA looks very industrial and it feels that way too with its combination of sharp lines and curved edges.

At first glance, you might assume the MOGA is a typical controller, but upon further examination, you notice all of the features it has that sets itself apart from other mobile-focused controllers and even first-party console alternatives with everything you’d need for your gaming on the go and then some. The MOGA checks the boxes for most premium controllers, featuring things like rubberized grips, additional mappable buttons, and dedicated wired and wireless modes.  Then, it goes a step further with a 3000mAh power bank (about 1 iPhone 12 charge) built-in to the controller that allows players to charge their phones with their controller, something I would never have considered a possibility before my experience with the MOGA. The controller has a battery level indicator as well so you get a good idea of how to manage the battery as well.

The MOGA is overall pretty comfortable aside from the rough material used for the control sticks. This is really odd especially when comparing the MOGA to PowerA’s other controllers which tend to use a more comfortable rubber. The face buttons all activate just fine and the bumpers have a very satisfying click to them, but the triggers feel hollow when activated. They operate properly, but there’s something about them that feels off, especially in comparison to a traditional Xbox controller. It feels like there is more room for them to travel but something stops them before reaching the end of their swing. The directional pad functions well, but it is a little mushy. While there aren’t any definitive clicks to let you know whenever you’ve activated a particular direction, it does have a nice concave to it along with chiseled triangles that work well to subtly let you know when your thumb has neared the end of the pad. All in all, the MOGA is a fairly functional controller that does the basics just fine, but not better than first-party console offerings.

Beyond its own functionalities, the MOGA includes a number of handy accessories inside the box to enhance your overall experience. You’ll find a variety of cables that can connect the MOGA to your computer or mobile device through wired connections for direct input and mobile charging. A phone clip is packaged in as well and is designed to take full advantage of the controller’s form factor, clicking into place when aligned properly to ensure a secure connection between your phone and the controller itself. The clip even has a small stand that lets you place your controller safely on any flat surface without worrying about applying pressure to the main clip hinge or your phone. The stand is only intended to assist with laying your devices down, however, and doesn’t assist with alleviating any pressure you might feel while holding the combined weight of the controller and your phone which definitely adds up over time.

The clip is designed to be used with phones without cases, and while this might be a cause for some concern, the rubber grips on the clip should keep your phone in place without issue. I used a Samsung Galaxy S8 to review the MOGA and it didn’t seem to move one bit, even when shaking the controller back and forth and side to side. It can fit larger phones as well, like an iPhone 8 Plus but unfortunately, the controller can’t actually work with one.

Perhaps one of the biggest knocks against the MOGA is that it does not support iOS devices. It can connect to them via Bluetooth, but it will not function. This must be because the MOGA does not meet the MFi standards necessary for full compatibility. While there are currently no cloud gaming apps on the Apple App Store due to its restrictive policies, providers are developing workarounds to become accessible through web browsers. Even with cloud gaming taken out of the equation, this feels like a real missed opportunity to benefit the entire mobile market since there are plenty of titles on iOS that are compatible with controllers. Still, once the cloud gaming situation gets worked out with Apple, PowerA will undoubtedly offer an iOS focused product for iPhone and iPad users.

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While the core controller isn’t perfect, you’d be hard-pressed to find something that tries to provide as many solutions for mobile gamers as the MOGA does for $69.99. Small design quirks for the sticks and triggers, while unfortunate, don’t take away from an overall solidly built device that comes with everything you’d need to start playing games on your phone. I would say though, with everything considered, this is definitely for folks who plan on playing mobile games frequently and for an extended period of time. If you see yourself only playing mobile games casually and already own a console controller, you might be better off buying a controller clip, which is something PowerA also offers.

Pros:

• Rubberized grip.
• Mappable rear buttons.
• Features built-in 3000mAh Power Bank that can charge your phone while you play.
• Includes phone clip and multiple charging cables.
• Works on PC.

Cons:

• The rubber on sticks is a bit too rough.
• The triggers feel hollow when activated.
• The combined weight of the controller and your mobile device may add tension to your joints over extended play sessions.
• The phone clip has issues holding onto phones with cases.
• Does not work on iOS.

PowerA provided Shoryuken with the MOGA XP5-A Plus Bluetooth Controller for this review.

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