First impressions of Duo Gamer and Pinball controllers

Yesterday, Discovery Bay Games announced that it was introducing two new developer-specific controllers to the world of iOS devices: Duo Gamer for Gameloft titles, and Duo Pinball for Gameprom pinball games.

Today we had a chance to go hands on with both, and what follows here is our initial impressions about the physical devices themselves.

More in-depth reviews on how they actually handle in gameplay will come on Wednesday and Thursday.

But before we begin, it should be noted that I have rather large, indelicate hands so here's a picture of me holding a SD card for scale:

Now then, to the good stuff!

The Duo Gamer has a pleasing size and feel, with a slightly trapezoidal body that's neither fully rounded or square. It seems built for someone with my large mitts, and I could see it being a bit of a handful for those with palms smaller than my own.

The Gamer's case is plastic, and it feels a bit hollow but not overly fragile or cheap. A vigorous shake has the shoulder buttons rattle slightly but little else is noticeable.

In terms of weight, the Gamer is 175g which is comperable with the PlayStation 3's Dualshock 3 controller (192g).

It certainly feels less solid and substantial than a PS3 controller and its design is far from elegant, but it fits well in the hand and all input options are crisp and springy. It will be fun to test this out on N.O.V.A. 3 and Asphalt 7 tomorrow.

This thing is rather substantial. Built to accommodate an iPad and weighing in at over 500g, the Pinball is not an accessory that would easily fit in a cluttered backpack.

Yet players are encouraged to use Pinball on a flat surface and not hold it their hands, so it doesn't lose points for its form factor.

The housing feels solid and well constructed, and its plunger gives a satisfying, echoing 'twang' when released. Nothing about Pinball feels delicate or rickety, making it ideal for younger players.

Storage of the larger Pinball might be a bit of an issue, but its pleasing angle and button positioning make it a prime accessory for those interested in replicating the feel and feedback of an actual pinball table.