Mad Catz’s New Bluetooth Controller Could Be Best Option For iOS Gamers

By

Mad Catz C.T.R.L.i

The iOS game controller market is growing at a pretty healthy pace, but there has yet to be a controller that really steals the limelight. We’ve gone hands on with several options, and they all seem to fall into the same boat: a decent upgrade from touch, but not console-level quality.

Demoed at Mobile World Congress this week in Barcelona, the Mad Catz C.T.R.L.i might be the new controller to beat.

The C.T.R.L.i is made for iOS 7, and it’s basically a tweaked version of Mad Catz’s well-reviewed MLG Pro Circuit controller for the Xbox 360. The company is claiming that users will get 50 hours of battery life on three AAAs over Bluetooth.

Mad Catz’s experience with console and PC gaming accessories gives it the upper hand in designing a controller for mobile. Many competing iOS controllers are quite small, but Mad Catz’s hardware looks more like a traditional controller in terms of size.

A neat addition is a spring-loaded mount for the iPhone to sit on. During its hands-on, Engadget was surprised with how solid the controller felt while holding the iPhone.

Cult of Mac Reviews Editor Charlie Sorrel played with a C.T.R.L.i at MWC yesterday. His verdict: “The buttons feel good.” That’s high praise.

Mad Catz says that the C.T.R.L.i will be available this spring in black, white, blue, red, and orange. Price tag is $80.

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