While visiting accessory companies at E3, such as Power A and Nyko, I saw that steps were being taken to overcome one of the biggest objections to smartphone and tablet gaming. Touchscreen controls are sometimes not accurate enough or they can interfere with what players see on the screen. The MoGa controller from Power A and the PlayPad controller from Nyko are the first two entries into the mobile controller sector, and both work very well. The target for both companies is to make the controllers affordable, as a target of less than $50 is being sought for each.

Power A’s MoGa controller seems to be slightly more portable, and the design allows a smartphone to be seated on the controller for a more handheld-like feel. The controller has two analog discs, four face buttons, and two trigger buttons. The face buttons are a bit small, and the discs feel a little stiff, but the controller works quite well. MoGa works on two AAA batteries, which last for more than 20 hours. I did note a bit of latency when first trying the MoGa behind closed doors with Six Guns, but other games (like Sky Gamblers) worked a lot better. MoGa will also work with tablets, but its primary, more compact design seems to be aimed towards the smartphone market.

Nyko’s PlayPad, conversely, seems targeted at the tablet market. Designed with the support of NVIDIA, the PlayPad also works quite well. In fact, it’s remarkably similar to a console experience. The buttons and analog sliders are responsive and latency is rare. The larger version of the PlayPad -  aptly called the PlayPad Pro -  feels almost exactly like a console controller. The NVIDIA link is perhaps Nyko’s greatest advantage here.

Both the MoGa and the PlayPad offer their own storefronts for games that are compatible with each controller, plus Power A and Nyko are actively courting publishers and developers to take advantage of the new controllers. Power A’s lineup, with Namco, SEGA, and Atari already on board, is a great start. It’s a lot closer to a console experience playing Virtua Tennis with a MoGa than it is with touchscreen controls. Nyko will likely bring other publishers on board as the release date for the PlayPad gets closer.

Power A and Nyko are aware of the explosive growth in the mobile gaming market. Smartphone and tablet penetration continues to strengthen while consoles remain stuck in the current generation of hardware. Getting more involved in mobile gaming, at the very least, is a smart contingency plan for both companies. If console penetration declines in Gen4, as is expected, taking advantage of this relatively new and expanding market will be key to maintaining success for the near-term and possibly beyond.

Note: Snakebyte was also showing off their strangely-named new iOS/Android-compatible Bluetooth controller, the idroid:con, though I was unable to sample it for myself. The design seems in keeping with their past PC and console releases, and Snakebyte promises that the idroid:con will be compatible with every game that uses the iCADE accessory.