E3 2012: Hands on with Nyko's PlayPad controller for Android
Ready to travel
Does two companies announcing wireless game controllers for Android devices constitute a trend?
Maybe not, but given the competition in the peripherals industry, we'd be surprised if all of the major players don't have units available for the holiday season, given the explosive growth of Android devices.
At E3, Nyko - partnering with Nvidia - announced two Bluetooth products: the full-sized PlayPad Pro, which is based on its PS3 controller; and the portable PlayPad.
Little, but good to goForm-wise, the PlayPad looks a bit like the old school Nintendo SNES controller, albeit it's matt black and has two analog sticks and better shoulder buttons.
It certainly handles well, with a soft plastic coating that feels warm. It's also small - perhaps it will be too small for large hands - but that's part of its portability.
Neatly, the PlayPad comes in a hard case that contains a fold out stand for your Android phone. It doesn't look not big enough to handle a tablet, but Nyko tells us it folds out for this purpose, although we didn't see this in action.
Still, while it's a small controller, it certainly feels nice, with the recessed underside (required so the stand fits into the case) providing a good grip position so my medium-sized hands could comfortably access the sticks, D-pad, four action buttons and the small but effective shoulder triggers (one horizontal, one vertical).
There are also Start and Select buttons, of course.
Personally, I much preferred the PlayPad to the larger Pro version, both in terms of look, feel and quality.
Making changesIn terms of how games will support both controllers, developers will be encouraged by Nyko and Nvidia to create official control maps, which can be downloaded from Nvidia's TegraZone channel for Android games. But you can do your own manual mappings using the Playground app if you want to.
Pricing and availability for the wireless controllers is yet to be announced. Nyko's waiting on its negotiations with retailers.
It's expected, however, that the controllers will be available for the holiday season priced around $50. Colours will include black and white and perhaps even blue, red, purple and green.