MOGA Review
TweetGaming on the Android platform has been improving by leaps and bounds with games improving to the point where many people are now using their Android device as their main gaming platform. Many of these new games require precision control and that is lacking when using the touch screen of today’s devices. Enter MOGA with their Mobile Gaming Controller, which aims to fix this whole in the gaming experience.
Design:
The MOGA’s design is reminiscent of the ubiquitous console gaming control. There are two sticks, two finger triggers, four buttons on the right side, and the Start, Select, and a third MOGA button on the left.
The controller itself is very light and easy to handle but does take on the additional weight of the device that sits in its arm. The addition of the 2 (AAA) batteries also will add to the weight of the controller but nothing that will cause fatigue while playing.
The MOGA is smaller than the Nintendo DS XL that my son uses to play games and is also much, much lighter even with a Droid Bionic attached to the device.
Usage:
The MOGA unit performs exactly as one would expect, there was never a problem with key mapping using the device when playing either N.O.V.A or Pacman (the two games I tested). The MOGA pairs using Bluetooth and paired seamlessly and flawlessly each time. To use the MOGA you must install the Pivot software, the software is used to find MOGA compatible games and to sync the Bluetooth between the handset and the MOGA controller. If you have previously used a console controller the usage of the MOGA is second nature. Navigation using the MOGA in the application and in games is straight forward using the joysticks and the start button.
During game play I found the controller to be sticky and difficult to get precise control of the action. I had trouble so I asked my eight year old gaming prodigy to give the controller a run. My sons complaint mirrored mine, that the controls seemed stiff and made game play difficult. In the end my son returned to playing Pacman using the touch screen. With enough time I think that the stiffness would wear off and the controller will be much easier to use.
Another point of consternation was the MOGA app notification that is displayed in the notifications pulldown as well as the top notification area. This constant reminder that the MOGA device was not connected was an annoyance and hopefully be removed in a future update.
The Good:
- Excellent integration between games and MOGA device.
- Size and portability
The Bad:
- Use of AAA batteries
- Does not show apps previously purchased as purchased by Pivot app
- App notification sticks
- Controls are not fluid and stick.
- Limited titles.
The Verdict:
The MOGA gaming device is a aimed at serious gamers who play FPS games. If you are a gamer who uses the titles available you may want to consider it. Casual gamers may want to pass this offering by due to the price ($49.99) and need to carry a second device.
Additional Pictures:
Gotta say I think from a hardware pov the MOGA controller looks the best Android gaming controller out there! My only hope is they can add out-of-the-box support for more Emulators in a future update…
49.99 does seem a bit high for a niche device. Doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t love to have one though.
Never got into gaming on my device simply because I cant stand the on-screen controls. But this looks kike it could sway me to finally get into mobile games. Would love to check one of these our. Thnx for review!!
I’m very intrigued by this device. Thanks for the great review.
I’m with tpags, I do *very* little gaming on my phone, and the few games I do play right now are tap/swipe/tilt style because using on-screen controls are awkward. I’d love to be able to get more serious about gaming on my phone.
Interesting little device. Might actually play games on my phone if i had one.
You know I’ve read a lot about this controller and it seems cool. I would use it if it was given to me but $50 is steep for something that doesn’t work for all games.
with a controller like this, I might actually get into gaming on my phone. My kids are the ones typically playing games on it. I’m sure they would love this!
Seems like a neat gadget.. Thanks for the review.
It’s much better than trying to play games with the touch screen.
I was able to grab one of these controllers for free when the promo code “SecretSanta” was used at checkout. I have a Droid Bionic with an extended battery and while I find the concept of the controller intriguing, I was disappointed at the fact that I could not center the Bionic within the phone grip – the volume rockers of the phone were in the way and were pressed upon by the phone grip. This also caused wiggle of the phone within the grip and slippage of the phone every once in while. Otherwise the controller seemed to work pretty well with little lag within the game.
Yep, the volume rockers are a problem for the Bionic and the Galaxy Nexus. Those are what I used in this review as well.
Nice review. Look pretty fun.
I also picked one of these up during the promo and have thoroughly enjoyed it on my tablet. The only problem I’ve had is that it seems to get warm after about 10 minutes of play time and the controls become laggy to the point of making it unusable on my tf 101.
It looks pretty cool.Thanks for the review. I’ve been looking for different options for controllers.
looks like a great idea, I think nintendo, xbox and playstation will be a thing of the past soon. Hard to compete when cell phones and tablets can handle gaming just as well
Very cool.
I have one of the zeemote single joystick (js1 I believe the model number) and its great for racing games like asphalt when paired via BluezIME app.
But it’s not very useful for games like dead trigger or shadow gun, which I would play WAY more often if I had a controller line this.
Great detailed review BTW . very informative. Would be nice to see an update in the future of whether the stiffness in controls you described gets better either by you getting used to it or the control getting used to you