Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

First off I would like to start with the basics, for those of you that are tech enthusiasts and have to be on the cutting edge of technology this is an amazing tool. If you can create a .sdk or script to run with your phone than more power to you. I love my gadgets and have come to realize that in a way this controller is almost irreplaceable. Not only can I use it with my phone but I have been using it non-stop with my computer since the day I purchased it and received it in the mail. For computer installation I will get to that later, first I want to comment on the phone functionality. The Opening: Upon opening the box you realize this is a definite upgrade from the first iteration of this controller the Moga Pocket. The controller is a cross-breed between the original controller in terms of thinness and an Xbox controller. Inside there is: the controller, a cheap USB charging cable that basically everyone already has with their fancy smart-phones, a plastic encased instruction manual with a bar-code to obtain some free games and finally to round it off a stand for a tablet. I myself do not enjoy the layout of an Xbox controller but from the perspective of the creators and the craze for first person shooters this controller should definitely make people feel at home. It's like putting down your controller after playing hours of Modern Warfare and having a mobile version of it in your hands for on the go. Simply lift the door and the controller turns your phone into a portable console with capabilities to communicate with your phone and allowing you to play those games that just deserve that real-console feel that comes with a good controller. Phone Connection and Functionality: I will never use the Pivot App so for those that plan to go the clean-shaven way and play by the rules with what the controller was supposed to do I cannot comment on it. I have done hours of research on the Pivot App and have heard that it is very buggy and only allows you to play with "Moga-Enhanced" games therefore limiting you to a small library of games. Emulator lovers will be disappointed if they plan to use the Pivot App for this since the Pivot App turns the controller into a paperweight. On the flipside we have the obscure B option on the controller that uses H.I.D. support. Now I will not go into detail but basically this allows a device to communicate over Bluetooth with a phone with a small set of universal buttons that correspond to the y-axis of a controller and the buttons (in this case it only supports A, B, X, Y, L1, R1, L3, R3). With the Moga Pro HID option selected you have the ability to use the phone with any application because it is natively supported through the sdk library of Android. What this means is for now until the Universal Driver App is updated a person can use the controller with an emulator and any other app that supports gamepads. I have tested this with any emulator and it will register the Y-Axis, the analog stick on the left and the D-pad, and all the buttons mentioned earlier therefore breathing life into the controller without the need of an app to have a connection. Emulators tested: ePsxe, N64oid, Snesoid, Nesoid, Atarioid, Gameboid, M.A.M.E4Droid, GBCoid, and Gearoid. As mentioned earlier in my review there is a Universal Driver App which in the past saved the Moga Pocket from being a piece of garbage, the app has yet to be updated to support the Moga Pro but the developer has confirmed there will be a patch released within the next few weeks as soon as he can make a patch for it. The Universal Driver App is wonderful in that it can pair with the controller in its native A mode and assign any buttons you want to it. You can assign the analog to use numbers, the native D-pad and so forth. The app will allow the user for this controller to use all the analogs for the phone which is definitely necessary for more advanced games on emulators such as the N64 or PSI that takes full advantage of every button and analog. If you buy the controller I recommend installing the Pivot App for now if you must and wait until the Universal Driver App has support for the Moga Pro, but remember that you have to have the Pivot App in order to play certain games to their fullest extent if you purchase some while waiting for an update the the UDA. The Pivot App and UDA cannot be installed at the same time, they conflict with each other. Quality: The layout of the controller is surprisingly comfortable and after extended hours of gameplay, through a computer of course because the phone would not be able to last unless plugged in, I have had no aches or pains in my hand unlike the Moga Pocket. The controller is comfortable and feels natural, after using it for awhile I realized that it felt better than some PS3 controllers that I have. The lightweight feel might make some people think that it is cheap but in fact it makes the controller more durable, the rubber grips on the side have resulted in sweaty hands for me but they help keep the controller secure in your grip and there is no fear of it slipping out of your hand. The concave analog sticks are comfortable and there is the much-needed clicking noise to help you know that the controller is being used and is responding to your movement. In a quiet environment that might be annoying to others around you but on a bus it is inaudible and no one will hear it. The buttons are natural and responds with the right amount of spring-locked feedback that lets you know you have pressed it. The previous Moga did not have this and this left my fingers in pain because there was no feedback, just dull clicking. The trigger-like buttons L2 and R2 are not supported through HID on my computer nor my phone so I cannot comment on the natural feel of those buttons. The D-Pad feels awkward, but when used for the PS1 gets the job done and lets you feel that natural feel that comes with playing a PSI with its native directional pad. The placement of the Start and Select button are somewhat awkward, but there was nowhere else that they could have been put considering the arm in the middle of the controller. No HID will support the select button because Android perceives it as the back or cancel button. The arm, one of the most important parts of the controller this is solidly built and does not seem that much different from the Moga Pocket. Looking more closely you can see the arm blends in much more nicely with this full-sized controller and it is sturdier because it fits more securely and has better construction towards the bottom of the arm. It has the same rubber grips on the top and bottom and holds the phone perfectly, there is no fear of it falling out unless of course you have a phone with a bulky case, then it just does not feel as natural as it should and feels like it might fall out. The volume or lock buttons did not get in the way and the phone I have, which is on the bulky side in the shape of the Samsung Galaxy Relay 4g, did not encounter this problem. The battery life is sweet since it can be charged and you do not have to worry about the battery needing to be replaced, the 15 hour battery life and higher is assuring since no phone will last that long running emulators or apps. The backlit buttons are a nice touch for those that are laying in bed, in a dimly lit area or any other place similar to that, the good part is they are not overbearingly bright, no annoying blue-led, it blends in nicely with the orange letters on the controller and seems natural. Miscellaneous: I love this controller and the fact that I use it on my laptop as another controller with all my emulators is a major plus that gives me an excuse for the sixty dollar price-tag. To do this you need bluetooth on your computer, if you do not have bluetooth you need to purchase a bluetooth dongle which is very inexpensive. Once you have located bluetooth on your computer if you are running Windows, have not tested this on MacOSX but highly doubt it works because Apple is very strict about generic drivers, type in the main "search programs and folders" start typing in bluetooth and if the option to "Add a bluetooth device" pops up click on that. Make sure your controller is on in B mode and the search Wizard should eventually find something similar to Moga Pro HID or any other device that looks unfamiliar as a device. Select it and the computer should eventually connect with the controller. It will not work straight out of the box because there are a couple more things that must be done. Type in Bluetooth again in the search box and select "View Devices and Printers" and find the icon that looks like a controller. Right click and go to properties, find the bluetooth services tab and click on it then check "Drivers for Keyboard, mice, etc.." The driver should then install and the computer will confirm the controller was installed. It might still not work, check by going to the icon again, right clicking and selecting "Game controller settings," click on the Properties section and choose the Testing Tab. Move the analog back and forth, if it does not show any movement that means it is not working properly. Turn off the controller and let it auto-connect with the computer and wait for the controller icon to be solid and repeat, if this does not work leave a comment and I can send some screens and have a conversation with you. Run any emulator, I recommend Dolphin, look for the controller labeled "DInput/0/Android Controller Gen-2(ACC)" and select it, move the analog back and forth and it should show the feedback. Map out the buttons your way on each emulator and you're done, you now have two controllers for the price of one. This may seem complex but the computer supports both the y and x axis so you can use both analogs and the D-pad is considered different as well so you can use it as a full-fledged controller. The only buttons that do not work are the trigger buttons so that does create a bottleneck but the fact it works with a computer makes up for that. Conclusion: The controller is amazing, durable and feels like a full-console controller. Now it can not be thrown in your pocket and fit unless you have cargo shorts but it is good for long journeys and to keep you entertained. Once the UDA is updated this controller will be gold. It works with phones, it is supposed to have Windows and eventually Apple support, and computers which makes this a double whammy. In the long-run this will pay for itself because it has native support and eventually all the buttons will be usable on Android through the UDA but for now H.I.D. mode gets the job done. I recommend purchasing this for both the app heavy gamers and true gamers that want a console-like experience through emulators on their phones. With the cores of phones getting stronger and faster eventually they will be able to support major consoles such as PS2, PSP and Gamecube, there is in fact a Pre-Beta of Dolphin in circulation so that is testimony to the possible future. Sincerely, iSklcndykid