We've seen plenty of companies already trying to emulate the success of the Nintendo Switch with their own unique accessories and video game devices, and it looks like this trend won't be dying down any time soon.
Chinese technology company Xiaomi has announced the Gamepad 2.0 - a successor to the original accessory that launched for its Black Shark smartphone in April. Android Authority draws comparisons to the Switch Joy-Con controllers. The original model of the Gamepad only attached a single controller to the left side of the phone.
The 2.0 revision includes a joystick and four-button control pad on the left, much like the left Joy-Con. On the right, it has traditional ABXY buttons and a touchpad. Both sides of the accessory include trigger buttons and triangular-shaped buttons at the bottom. Its buttons are even mappable. The accessory will be available on the company's official website for €79/£79/$89.
This isn't the first time a Chinese company has drawn inspiration from the Nintendo Switch. In October, Huawei revealed "the best portable mobile gaming machine" for $1,000. The mobile phone, known as the Mate20 X, has an optional gamepad that can be attached to the left-hand side of the phone to provide analog and control pad support, while the right side of the phone is reliant on touchscreen control. At the time of the announcement, Huawei called out the Switch as its biggest competitor on the gaming front.
Turning our attention back to Xiaomi's Gamepad 2.0, in all honesty, it doesn't look like it's much of a threat. As for the mobile in general, we're mostly just surprised more prominent manufacturers haven't tried to recreate the magic of the Switch Joy-Con with their own accessories.
What do you think of Xiamoi's Gamepad revision? Do you think mobile accessories like this could eventually be serious competition for the Switch? Tell us below.
[source androidauthority.com]
Comments 42
The weirdest part is that they are even more expensive than a regular Joy-Con set.
@PolarExperience ya but atleast this one you only need 1 and your done.
@edgedino I just find it interesting because there is no indication that these controllers have anything near the tech of the Joy-Cons. Plus, Bluetooth phone “pro controllers” are much cheaper.
The most pivotal aspect is high quality software on par with the current consoles. So considering Xiaomi's long pedigree of AAA first party titles and wide range of supporting third party developers, this will definitely destroy the Switch.
These companies can talk about specs all they like, however from experience it’s the software that makes the device a success. With these running mobile games, I unfortunately don’t see success coming for them.
Had a Vita, loved it, great specs and build quality but the fact new releases started drying up killed it. I switched to 3ds, and now to switch and haven’t looked back
Cool so now I can have £80 controllers combined with £1000 mobile phone to create the ultimate portable gaming machine and play ...............................................Candy Crush?
I think devices like, & such as, this could catch on. The comments above mine are correct. The thing is: Without software support, especially popular software, most of these devices are just another piece of expensive hardware, (that is) similar to something else currently available, that has more value, and software backing.
Nintendo has their ips to sell their hardware, and this go-round, 3rd parties are currently on-board.
I'm sure that a co. that has great hardware to run great software, at a great price, could challenge the gaming industry regulars(Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, so on). Or, just a decent pedigree, or is currently popular. I'm talking Apple, and the like, who are already established(have a name for themselves) in the eyes of tech consumers. Most no-name co.s have no standing in the public's eyes, the software, or connections to co.s that do have great software.
I love the Switch, it's basically my favorite game device ever.
But I fully think it is only a matter of time before someone gets the "gaming smartphone" right. And I think it's largely just a matter of time before a real company with an established consumer base in the west, or in Japan, (namely Apple, Samsung or Sony) makes a gaming smartphone right.
And by right, I mean they find that sweet spot balance between cost, power and accessibility, and makes an OS with games support that is well suited to gaming and phones.
And when that finally happens, prepare yourself, the gaming market will never be the same.
But it wont be with some Chinese firm that no one outside of China cares about. It will have to be a company that is known and trusted in the West or in Japan to make that change IN the West or Japan.
@Heavyarms55 Huawei is most definitely a real company... Their market share is rapidly growing in Europe and will probably pass Samsung to become number one there in the near future.
@Heavyarms55 or maybe... Nintendo could just add GPS module to their Switch successor and not be afraid to open their ecosystem to apps and not just games. I know... such a wild idea, having connectivity in your mobile device is quite novel in this day and age.
@Hrimfaksi I didn't mean "Nintendoomed" I just mean that when it finally happens, from a real company, lol, no Xiaomi might be growing but they have a LONG way to go, but when a real company gets it right, gaming is going to change.
@Heavyarms55 to be fair the iPhone has been that device for a long time. Those with a chip on their shoulder over touchscreen controls need to get over it. When games are properly adapted for the format rather than just ported with an overlay the difference is night and day. I can’t stand the iOS port of FFVII for this exact reason yet the port of FFIX is brilliant because it’s been rebuilt with that format in mind.
(I cant speak for Android as there are loads of games on iOS that you can’t get on Android. Look at the Fortnite debacle, for example)
@Heavyarms55 you can't be serious about Sony making a gaming smartphone.
They tried that before and failed miserably. Nobody is gonna go the extra length you talk about and that includes apple and Samsung
Stuff like this existed before the Nintendo Switch was revealed, but of course, Nintendo created this, Nintendo created that, and such.
Well.... Good luck.
Feel free to burn tons of money, Xiaomi. 😆
@IHateTombs ...not sure what you mean by that...your Switch and Iphone is also made in China...
Does anyone notice how similar the left joycons buttons look like compared to the switch's?
@IHateTombs Xiaomi is a good brand though. They make quality products.
I'm thinking the designer didn't try very hard to make them look good.
While I did enjoy the ultimate candy crush machine comment, the truth is there is a good few high quality and very popular Android MMOs that are either not translated for western markets or just not to western tastes. I would think this kind of product is manly aimed at the the billion or so Chinese, Korean and related markets gamers. For many tech companies the western market is seen as to small, slow and expensive to penetrate. Let's not forget the largest gaming company by far is the little thought of Tencent.
@andykara2003 Hahaha. I'd think twice before putting money on that claim. If anything, the Switch shows that high specs are no requirement for high sales.
This is cool! We recently switch over to Pixel phones and I ended up buying the Gamevice controller thing. Similar concept can't wait to try it out for some emulator action!
People still play games on their phone? It overheats and kills battery, leaving the phone dead when you need it the most.
@roboshort reading your comment about Huawei on my Huawei phone. I think you're onto something.
Side mounted controllers accessories for phones have been around long before the Switch.
Those actually look good. But irrelevant - because you still playing garbage mobile games (hardware can't fix that).
Same way all the mobile budget games are not any better on Switch.
"drawn inspiration" - that's putting it mildly. Half of China's economy involves the wholesale theft of foreign intellectual properties - usually from US and Japanese tech companies. Their government literally goes out of its way to take another nation or company's innovation and turn it into their own product. Since their government is complicit, these thefts are rarely ever dealt with - especially in cases where the knock off product is only being sold in China. This product is just another example of China "drawing inspiration" via theft of IP.
But Aren't There Like 30 Of These Online?
@carlos82 All that money and Candy Crush is the main selling point. xD I'm crying.
Seriously though - this can't touch Switch now that Smash is out. Next year when we get Pokemon too - it's not even a blip on the map.
@IHateTombs For a lot of products you are correct with this statement, but Xiaomi isn't one of those cheap Chinese companies, they manufactured the Oculus Go together with Facebook. That device is very nicely built. But of course I don't think their own joycon + mobile Switch-wanna-be would take off.
Huawei make nice handsets but it doesn't solve their biggest problem outside of Asian markets which is the distrust the west has of the brand due to thier founders close ties with the Chinese government. It's for this reason their involvement in developing 5G networks in a number of western countries has been heavily restricted. Thier CFO is being extradited to the US to face criminal charges ffs. Until they find some way round this they're not going to be able to seriously challenge Apple and Samsung in the west and end consumer buy in will remain low. But as others have said they are still one of the biggest telecoms companies in the world with just thier presence in Asian markets.
I dont think they really take gaming that seriously tbf, thier general tactic seems to be "throw at the wall and see what sticks" and it works for em so fair play.
Ah, just like five years ago, where it wasn't practical either!
Putting controllers on a tablet or phone doesn't automatically turns it into a switch...
@Rika_Yoshitake That's the problem those don't have the GPU power needed to really game. And what do you do when your phone dies or you need to make emergency call. The Switch is a dedicated Gaming portable device made for a Specific purpose those phones are doing this second hand only. Until they can put a 1080Ti into the phone don't even think they can stay on track.
@PolarExperience oh so very true but I would assume the price is from the fact its a new custom made design and have to recover price from R&D somehow.
"we're mostly just surprised more prominent manufacturers haven't tried to recreate the magic of the Switch Joy-Con with their own accessories"
I think because they don't want to get sued by Nintendo for stealing patents.
No matter how good performance, hardware, controllers or batterylife, etc anyone gets out a ”gaming” smartphone it still needs quality software to compete with the likes of switch. When big AAA releases are seen in these devices then we might expect the gaming smartphone to be the successor to the handheld gaming console. Nintendo could make a gaming smartphone with their own stuff and sell like crazy. Sony could also make such move, in fact they have tried it. They just didn’t support it properly. As they didn’t support Vita either.
Also the batterylife on such multipurpose devices would have to be enough so one could go a full day without a charge. The best battery life on smartphones these can barely last a day on heavy use of web, social media, audio & video playback and streaming. Add some bluetooth headphones and use gps. A charge gets you barely a day. To do some gaming on the same device the battery should be double or even triple the size. No one wants their phone to die in the middle of the day.
It will never be competition as long as it's a phone. Stop it.
What difference does it make as long as mobile games are just crapware?
Besides, who'd want to play on that tiny smartphone screen anyway?
Unless Sony makes a Playstation phone, I doubt this will ever be successful.
You can have all the nice gaming tech put in a phone but without good games, that tech is all for naught.
@EeryPetrol It was a joke - they have no chance of challenging the switch
@andykara2003 Lol, I read your post all wrong. strolls off
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