Sometimes, just playing games with a standard touchscreen on your phone isn’t enough. While many mobile games are designed with touch controls in mind, there’s no replacing the reassuring and weighty feel of a controller in your hands, and that’s where controllers designed for smartphones come in. Many of them, though, are poorly-designed or flimsy, so you want to make sure you’re buying a controller with great construction quality. The Nacon MG-X Pro fits that bill, so here are 10 reasons we love it.
1. The compatibility
First, it’s important to note that Nacon’s MG-X Pro controller will work with literally any Android smartphone that’s currently running Android 6 or above. You’d be hard-pressed to find a smartphone on the market right now that isn’t running software this recent, which means that if you’ve got an Android phone in your pocket, you can use the MG-X Pro to play some games. Of course, if you’ve got an iPhone, you might be out of luck, but the MG-X Pro is a very compelling reason to switch sides in the smartphone war.
2. The wireless connection
The MG-X Pro connects via Bluetooth, so you’re not going to be cluttering up your gaming experience with endless tangled wires and cables. It’s a Bluetooth 4.2 Low Energy connection, too, which means that your phone’s battery should survive your gaming session intact. You can use the MG-X Pro for an extended period of time thanks to this Bluetooth protocol, and the lack of cables is nice when you’re out and about with the controller as well.
3. The battery life
You won’t need to worry about the MG-X Pro suddenly running out of battery when you need it most. The built-in battery boasts a lifespan of around 20 hours, and when it does get close to running out, you’ll have an LED indicator to show you when you need to recharge it. Doing so is easy, too; just connect the controller to any USB port with a USB-C cable. You can even use your phone charger! You shouldn’t struggle to engage in protracted gaming sessions with the MG-X Pro.
4. The handles
We like a controller with paddle-style handles, and that’s why we love the design of the MG-X Pro. It comes complete with two Xbox or PlayStation-style paddle handles, which allows for greater grip during gaming sessions. The grip itself is textured, too, which means your hands won’t slip or slide around while you’re gaming. There’s nothing worse than suddenly losing control during a boss fight or particularly challenging platforming section, and the MG-X Pro won’t have that issue.
5. The analogue stick and button design
Since the MG-X is Designed for Xbox (more on which later), the analogue sticks, D-pad, and face buttons have all been designed in a similar way to the standard Xbox controller. Not only does this mean that you’ll be familiar with them when you pick up the MG-X Pro, so there’s a much smaller adjustment period to the new hardware, but it also ensures high quality when it comes to the buttons themselves. Using the MG-X Pro feels great thanks to this design philosophy.
6. The grip
The MG-X Pro comes complete with a vise-like grip that embeds your phone within it, ensuring that you won’t need to worry about your phone falling out or getting dislodged during a game. There’s also a textured surface on which to rest your phone, which prevents scratches or other cosmetic damage to the back of the device while it’s secured within the MG-X Pro. That surface gives additional support to the phone, too, so it’s all working in tandem to keep your device safe.
7. The size
Those of us with smaller or bigger hands than usual can often struggle to find controllers that fit those hand sizes. Nacon says it’s taken this on board when it comes to the MG-X Pro; the textured coating of the controller, as well as the universal grip, mean that all hand sizes should be able to use the MG-X Pro without issue. No longer will you pick up your trusty controller only to discover that you can’t physically reach the buttons or that your hands aren’t comfortable while you’re playing.
8. The Designed for Xbox tag
Nacon is nothing if not well-known for its peripherals, which is probably why the MG-X Pro carries the Designed for Xbox tag. If you’re not in the know, this tag essentially refers to peripherals and accessories that have been designed by trusted Xbox partners; it’s basically a stamp of quality that means even though a product hasn’t been created by Xbox itself, it does meet Xbox’s rigorous quality standards. This means you can be sure of high quality when you buy the MG-X Pro.
9. Xbox Game Pass compatibility
If you haven’t experienced Xbox Cloud Gaming yet, then we’d definitely recommend picking up the MG-X Pro to do so for your first time. Cloud Gaming is a true revelation, and it’s not even reached its full potential yet. Essentially, it means that you can play any number of great AAA Xbox Game Pass titles without needing to download any data; instead, you simply stream the game to your phone, bypassing system requirements and other pesky limitations.
10. Compatibility with other games
Even if you don’t have or want an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription (and we think you’re missing out if you don’t), you can still enjoy the MG-X Pro’s compatibility with other games. Nacon says that the controller will work with Game Pass games and also with “any other compatible mobile game”. Since it’s a Bluetooth controller, you should be able to connect it to pretty much any other game on your phone that supports any kind of controller input.
