3 ms·

Just pair a controller.

by jayd16 5y ago

kbenson 5y ago
At that point, why use the surface duo over some phone that doesn't take up that space with another screen? This does bring up that a good gaming controller meant to mount to a phone might have a lot more use these days with the cloud gaming services than it would a decade ago though. A high quality Xbox or PS4 like controller that could mount a phone might sell well. Or an adapter for the real ones.
- fullstop 5y ago
  > A high quality Xbox or PS4 like controller that could mount a phone might sell well. Or an adapter for the real ones. These adapters exist today.
  - FemmeAndroid 5y ago
    I picked one up for the PS5 controller, and it works great and costs less than $10.
- jayd16 5y ago
  Still seems like a nice form factor to me. If you get a text you can just switch to that and type as you normally would. When a phone is strapped to a controller it seems a bit more cumbersome but I think it comes down to personal preference. This mode only adds a feature and takes nothing away so in my mind its just a nice addition.
  - kbenson 5y ago
    Perhaps I was too dismissive initially. I can see the benefit of having controls already there without having to take up screen real estate, so it does make sense, especially for games that don't require precise timing and movement, and there are plenty of those. Having access to those games easily and without needing a separate controller or using controls on the same screen you view the game with is beneficial, and doesn't preclude adding a separate physical controller for games that would benefit from one, so this seems like a net win.
- opencl 5y ago
  There are controllers that split in half and you stick the phone in the middle for a Switch-like form factor. The ergonomics are much better than the controller clips because those end up being very top heavy with most newer phones. The real problem is that there are few mobile games designed for controllers, unless you want to use one of the streaming services or console emulators.
techrat 5y ago
Thus defeating the entire purpose of having a two screen setup where one screen acts like a controller. You'd be better off getting a larger screen phone and a bracket to clip the phone to a physical controller. Especially with one that has as many buttons as the XBox controller does.
- jayd16 5y ago
  I'd probably prefer this little laptop mode over holding a phone strapped to my controller. You could fold it around to one screen and use that configuration if you like as well. There are a lot of options and I think that's neat.
- SV_BubbleTime 5y ago
  One of the best games I played last year was Outer Wilds. Would have played fine with a touch controller if it’s all I had. I think some people are making too big a deal about this article. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it.
phillipcarter 5y ago
Or use a Nintendo Switch, which has great slate of games that work well with the form factor, a great "grow up story" for social gaming, and physical controls.

Just pair a controller.

by jayd16 5y ago

Just pair a controller.

At that point, why use the surface duo over some phone that doesn't take up that space with another screen? This does bring up that a good gaming controller meant to mount to a phone might have a lot more use these days with the cloud gaming services than it would a decade ago though. A high quality Xbox or PS4 like controller that could mount a phone might sell well. Or an adapter for the real ones.

fullstop 5y ago
> A high quality Xbox or PS4 like controller that could mount a phone might sell well. Or an adapter for the real ones. These adapters exist today.
- FemmeAndroid 5y ago
  I picked one up for the PS5 controller, and it works great and costs less than $10.
jayd16 5y ago
Still seems like a nice form factor to me. If you get a text you can just switch to that and type as you normally would. When a phone is strapped to a controller it seems a bit more cumbersome but I think it comes down to personal preference. This mode only adds a feature and takes nothing away so in my mind its just a nice addition.
- kbenson 5y ago
  Perhaps I was too dismissive initially. I can see the benefit of having controls already there without having to take up screen real estate, so it does make sense, especially for games that don't require precise timing and movement, and there are plenty of those. Having access to those games easily and without needing a separate controller or using controls on the same screen you view the game with is beneficial, and doesn't preclude adding a separate physical controller for games that would benefit from one, so this seems like a net win.
opencl 5y ago
There are controllers that split in half and you stick the phone in the middle for a Switch-like form factor. The ergonomics are much better than the controller clips because those end up being very top heavy with most newer phones. The real problem is that there are few mobile games designed for controllers, unless you want to use one of the streaming services or console emulators.

techrat 5y ago

Thus defeating the entire purpose of having a two screen setup where one screen acts like a controller. You'd be better off getting a larger screen phone and a bracket to clip the phone to a physical controller. Especially with one that has as many buttons as the XBox controller does.

jayd16 5y ago
I'd probably prefer this little laptop mode over holding a phone strapped to my controller. You could fold it around to one screen and use that configuration if you like as well. There are a lot of options and I think that's neat.
SV_BubbleTime 5y ago
One of the best games I played last year was Outer Wilds. Would have played fine with a touch controller if it’s all I had. I think some people are making too big a deal about this article. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it.

phillipcarter 5y ago

Or use a Nintendo Switch, which has great slate of games that work well with the form factor, a great "grow up story" for social gaming, and physical controls.