Both 8BitDo and GameSir announced mini gamepads designed to move smartphones into Game Boy-inspired handhelds astatine CES 2026. GameSir released its Pocket Taco months ago, but the longer hold for 8BitDo’s FlipPad has been good worthy it. While the Pocket Taco whitethorn beryllium a amended fresh for immoderate players and devices, the FlipPad is simply a thinner, lighter, cheaper, and smaller replacement that’s easier to support connected manus for occasional gaming connected your telephone without having to trust connected an emulator’s touchscreen controls.
The FlipPad is 1 of 8BitDo’s smallest gamepads to date, but alternatively of utilizing Bluetooth, it straight connects to and communicates pinch your smartphone utilizing its USB-C charging port. That attack eliminates the request for a rechargeable battery, making the FlipPad bladed capable to time off attached to your telephone erstwhile slipped into your pocket.
The FlipPad is simply a large upgrade complete an emulator’s touchscreen controls.
The underside of the FlipPad is covered successful a bladed rubbery furniture to forestall scratches wherever it makes interaction pinch your phone’s surface and to adhd immoderate grip and stability. However, because the gamepad is only secured to your telephone utilizing its USB-C connector, it does thin to wiggle backmost and distant by astir a 4th of an inch while you’re playing.
The gamepad’s USB-C connector isn’t adjustable aliases extendable, and while I had nary problem connecting it to OnePlus and Google Pixel phones protected by bladed silicone cases, it was a no-go for my iPhone 16 Pro while it was wrong 1 of Nomad’s thicker folio-style cases.
The FlipPad’s USB-C connector isn’t extendable and whitethorn not beryllium capable to link to immoderate phones while they’re wrong thicker cases.
The USB-C connector is hinged, allowing the FlipPad’s controls to beryllium flipped down to springiness you afloat entree to your phone’s touchscreen.
I for illustration not having to complaint the FlipPad aliases excavation into Bluetooth settings to re-pair it erstwhile moving the gamepad betwixt aggregate phones, and its USB-C connector is hinged truthful erstwhile connected to your instrumentality the controls tin beryllium flipped retired of the way, giving you complete entree to your smartphone’s touchscreen. You don’t request to disconnect the FlipPad to unlock your instrumentality aliases jump betwixt apps.
8BitDo has agelong been known for its fantabulous hardware, and the FlipPad looks and feels arsenic premium arsenic its astir costly console controllers, pinch fastener labels etched onto astir of the buttons themselves. However, while 8BitDo confirmed that the FlipPad’s D-pad and ABXY buttons usage silicone membranes, they’re stiffer and person much of a clicky consciousness than you’ll get pinch the company’s different controllers.
The FlipPad has 2 pairs of enarthrosis buttons, but they’re located connected the beforehand alongside the gamepad’s different buttons.
The buttons still consciousness very responsive but person overmuch little travel. It’s not needfully bad, conscionable different. What could beryllium much divisive to gamers is the FlipPad’s 2 pairs of enarthrosis buttons that aren’t located connected its apical edge. You’ll alternatively find them lined up on the apical of the beforehand of the gamepad arsenic a azygous statement of 4 information buttons. It feels for illustration a workaround to thief support the gamepad thin, but not a bully one. Using your scale fingers to property the FlipPad’s enarthrosis buttons while your thumbs grip the remainder feels awkward and unnatural.
The FlipPad only useful pinch smartphone games that tin beryllium played vertically, and you whitethorn request to set their positioning connected surface truthful they’re not blocked by the gamepad.
You’ll besides want to beryllium mindful of the controller’s limitations. You tin only usage it pinch games you play vertically and that won’t beryllium blocked while the controls screen astir half of your phone’s screen. I tested 8BitDo’s FlipPad pinch Game Boy, GBA, Super Nintendo, and Sega Genesis games utilizing the Delta and RetroArch emulators connected my iPhone. Delta centers games vertically erstwhile you’re utilizing a controller and they get partially obscured by the FlipPad, but it’s easy fixed by turning connected touch controls and utilizing a tegument that positions the crippled person to the apical of the screen.
The FlipPad comes successful 2 colour options: an all-black type and 1 inspired by the original Game Boy’s colors.
Preorders for the FlipPad are now disposable done 8BitDo’s online shop and Amazon, and the gamepad is expected to merchandise connected July 30th. It’s disposable for $29.99 successful achromatic aliases a type inspired by the original Game Boy’s colors.
The buttons connected the Pocket Taco (left) are larger and consciousness much for illustration accepted controller buttons than the buttons connected the FlipPad (right).
The Pocket Taco (left) is larger and heavier than the FlipPad (right) because it clamps onto the beforehand and backmost of your telephone and features a rechargeable battery.
With a value that’s somewhat cheaper than the $34.99 Pocket Taco, the FlipPad whitethorn look for illustration the evident amended option, but location are a fewer things the Pocket Taco does better. While I for illustration the FlipPad’s slim design, I’m besides much of a casual gamer who doesn’t pursuit precocious scores and sticks to classical Game Boy and Game Boy Color titles. Others whitethorn for illustration the larger D-pad and buttons connected the Pocket Taco, which person much of a soft and squishy feel, aliases its enarthrosis buttons, which are positioned connected the backmost of your telephone wherever your scale fingers tin much comfortably scope them.
The Pocket Taco’s creation makes it larger and heavier than the FlipPad, but its clamping system feels much unafraid erstwhile attached to your phone, and it opens wide capable to accommodate devices wrong a heavy case. The Pocket Taco’s rechargeable artillery besides intends it won’t drain your phone’s artillery while you play, and it tin usability arsenic a standalone wireless controller for a myriad of devices, including the Switch. As overmuch arsenic I for illustration the FlipPad, for an other $5 the Pocket Taco still makes a beardown lawsuit for itself.
Photography by Andrew Liszewski / The Verge
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