Why is this not a thing? (Lynx style mobile gaming case)

[leech]

So in looking at atari.com, they sadly are concentrating on the mobile games market, which I always thought was terrible. I hate playing games on my cell phone, mainly because A) they're all full of annoying ads and microtransactions and B) you have to cover up the screen with your hands.

 

Now while I have seen the atrocities that are the gamepads with a phone holder on them, I think they're designed terribly and are horribly balanced. Maybe this is the main reason behind the manufacturers trying to make ultra thin phones? They're pretty uncomfortable to hold by themselves, and well we've seen what happens when they make them too thin with the battery in the Samsung Note 7 and others that catch fire.

 

Anyhow, outside of that, why on earth do they not make containerized controllers for these? What I mean by that is something along the lines of the GearVR. Anyone who has one of these knows that you connect the phone via the USB port, and then strap it to your face as a screen, then it uses the phones accelerometer to track movement. Why on earth has someone not created a box where you insert the phone in the center of it, connect via the USB port (or whatever connector of the week that Apple devices use) and have extremely low latency controls on the sides of the phone in the same style as the Lynx? Would be far more comfortable to hold, and wouldn't have the travesty of on-screen controls making you miss most of the action.

 

Plus it'd be killer for a Lynx emulator.

 

Thoughts?

[Flojomojo]

This has been tried many times, on iOS and on Android. You're just a few years too late if you missed them for sale everywhere, because they flopped hard.

 

Why didn't they sell? I can think of lots of reasons.

 

It's another thing to buy, carry, charge, and lose

They were quite expensive

They mess with the ergonomics of the device

Despite standards, not every device worked the same way with different software

 

Personally, I like slim phones that fit in my pocket, and will choose convenience every time. Not every phone game needs hard buttons to be fun.

 

You can still find these things online easily enough, probably at lower prices, and yes, they're fine for playing Lynx games.

[+LS650]

"You can still find these things online easily enough, probably at lower prices, and yes, they're fine for playing Lynx games. "

 

 

 

 

Is there any particular model of device that you or others might recommend?

Edited January 12, 2017 by ls650

[mvirtuale]

example:

http://www.ebay.it/itm/Mini-console-3G-quad-core-Android-4-2-2-gamepad-tactile-16Go-5-pouces-Double-SIM-/142163167839?hash=item211995ca5f:g:KagAAOSw-0xYQEPP

Edited January 12, 2017 by mvirtuale

[Flojomojo]

Is there any particular model of device that you or others might recommend?

Lynx emulation isn't very demanding. Just about any Android thing made in the last 4 years should be fine.

[7800fan]

Not portable but there was iCade. A little smaller than Vectrex and usable with most phone and tablets that has BT support.Originally retailed for about $150, I got a couple from local Khol's when they were on sale for $15 each. One's still sealed and one I planned to make a mini arcade out of PCE gut and TED a few years back. Never got started though, might use Raspberry emulator instead to have damn near everything playable.

[Flojomojo]

iCade is a little weird and not very well supported anymore ... it's basically a keyboard, which hits different "keys" depending on whether you press or release buttons.

 

Bluetooth controller for Android and MFi controllers on iOS are the way to go if you want to play things other than emulators.

[leech]

But the external controller thing pretty much sucks, that was my point. I am talking about a case you put your phone into to make it a proper handheld. That way the ergonomics for playing games aren't terrible, and you can pop out your phone when you need to make/take a call.

 

You could even have the case act as an extra battery pack.

[Flojomojo]

But the external controller thing pretty much sucks, that was my point. I am talking about a case you put your phone into to make it a proper handheld. That way the ergonomics for playing games aren't terrible, and you can pop out your phone when you need to make/take a call.

 

You could even have the case act as an extra battery pack.

One more time, with feeling. Pay attention this time

 

this

https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-940-000151-Powershell-Batteryaccs-Ctlr-iphone/dp/B00FHREO8K/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=atariage&linkId=5e7457bb8c6b48472c8bdd56069428b6

 

has

https://www.amazon.com/Gamevice-Controller-iPhone-Plus-6s-Mac/dp/B016GNXJG6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=atariage&linkId=6cc9946c3c0546060bc6b1e71cc06f76

 

already

https://www.amazon.com/MOGA-Power-iOS-Mobile-Game-Controller/dp/B00H01EXM8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=9TYQXKHPEQJYFR9RM71G&linkCode=ll1&tag=atariage&linkId=d2905828175fe07c1dbefbd8d1eaca5a

 

been

http://www.razerzone.com/press/detail/press-releases/razer-goes-mobile-with-junglecat-ios-gaming-controller

 

done

https://www.ionaudio.com/products/details/icademobile

[leech]

Yeah, that is more along the lines of what I was talking about (though most of those look pretty terrible). The first links you posted were the phone that was a game controller, which I think would fit with your 'terrible ergonomics for a phone.'

 

Either way, mobile gaming pretty much sucks, I'd still rather one of those you listed in the last post then have to use the touch screen which for most type of games are terribly annoying, inaccurate.

 

So otherwise the consensus is that mobile gaming sucks?

 

Edit: I missed the iOS link earlier (mainly because iOS can die in a fire, and I was looking on my tablet late at night and missed that you'd embedded links).

 

I kind of like the look of this one; https://www.ionaudio.com/products/details/icademobile

 

This one would be nice if only they'd make one similar for Android phones.

http://support.logitech.com/en_ca/product/powershell-controller-and-battery

Edited January 18, 2017 by leech

[Flojomojo]

mobile gaming pretty much sucks, I'd still rather one of those you listed in the last post then have to use the touch screen which for most type of games are terribly annoying, inaccurate.

 

So otherwise the consensus is that mobile gaming sucks?

No. Mobile gaming is great. People who don't have the imagination or initiative to seek out games that make good use of innovative controls are what sucks.

[leech]

Ha, I pretty much came out of the womb holding a CX40. But most mobile games are terrible ad infested crap. Then even playing the 'hidden object' games only seem really decent when playing with a stylus (fortunately I buy the note phones, well unfortunately due to the Note 7 fiasco).

 

Not sure what imagination and initiative have to do with the fact that mobile gaming is still not as popular as just getting an xbox or playstation.

[Flojomojo]

New versions of GameVice

https://9to5mac.com/2017/01/24/gamevice-new-iphone-7-mfi-game-controller-w-headphone-jack-lightning-charging-ipad/

 

I think it's smarter to stop worrying and learn to love the touchscreen, especially at these prices, but this is totally a thing you can buy.

[Turbo Laser Lynx]

I feel you on this one leech. It's such a relief going back to my Lynx or 3DS after playing mobile games on touch-screen. Touch screen controls works best in one button games like flappy bird, but even that one is better on the Lynx with real buttons. But to each his own, so I think for us who are not so impressed with mobile games it would be a good idea to support future 'real' handhelds like for example the Switch. I guess the Switch is some sort of hybrid, but you know what I mean. There was an interresting debate (in the modern gaming forum/switch thread IIRC) that handheld consoles indeed is another market than mobile devices.

Edited January 28, 2017 by Turbo Laser Lynx