MCON Controller: Premium Price, Middling Mobile Gaming Experience
The MCON Magnetic Phone Controller promised to revolutionize mobile gaming, offering a console-like experience on your smartphone. However, after extensive testing, it’s clear that the device falls short of its ambitious goals. While the concept is intriguing, the execution suffers from several drawbacks, making it difficult to recommend, especially given its premium price point. This review delves into the intricacies of the MCON, exploring its strengths and weaknesses to help you decide if it’s the right controller for you.
First Impressions: A Promising Start
The initial impression of the MCON is positive. The controller feels substantial and well-built, with a layout reminiscent of a traditional console gamepad. The magnetic attachment system is undeniably clever, allowing for quick and easy phone mounting. The promise of transforming your phone into a dedicated gaming device is immediately appealing. However, as the saying goes, the devil is in the details, and the MCON’s shortcomings begin to surface upon closer inspection.
The design takes inspiration from devices like phones with flip-out keyboards and the PSP Go, aiming to provide a more integrated gaming experience. Unlike those devices, the MCON uses your existing smartphone screen, which is attached magnetically. This separation allows for compatibility with various phone models but also introduces potential wobble and stability issues that will be discussed later. The “violent” ejection process, as the phone rockets forward, is certainly a unique feature, but its long-term reliability is questionable.
Design and Build Quality: A Mix of Good and Bad
The MCON’s design is a mixed bag. The button layout is generally comfortable, with responsive triggers and satisfyingly clicky buttons. The analog sticks, however, feel somewhat cheap and lack the precision of those found on dedicated console controllers. The overall build quality is decent, but the plastic construction feels less premium than the price tag suggests. There’s a certain “Kickstarter jank,” as the original article notes, that permeates the device, hinting at cost-cutting measures in certain areas.
The magnetic attachment system, while innovative, is also a potential point of failure. The magnets are strong enough to hold most phones securely, but larger or heavier devices can cause the controller to feel unbalanced. The ejection mechanism, which launches the phone forward, feels unnecessarily forceful and raises concerns about the long-term durability of both the controller and the phone. It’s not hard to imagine the magnets scratching the back of your phone over time, or even worse, the ejection mechanism malfunctioning and sending your phone flying across the room. The integration of creative gifts into the design process might have improved the overall aesthetic appeal, but the functional issues remain.
Connectivity and Setup: Mostly Seamless
Setting up the MCON is relatively straightforward. The controller connects to your phone via Bluetooth, and the pairing process is quick and painless. The MCON supports up to three profiles, allowing you to easily switch between different devices. A wired connection via USB-C is also available, although the benefits are minimal. The Bluetooth connection is stable and responsive, with no noticeable input lag. However, the lack of passthrough charging is a significant oversight, as the controller’s battery life is not particularly impressive.
To connect, you simply flip the power switch and hold the Bluetooth pairing button. The ability to switch between three profiles is a welcome feature for users with multiple devices. While a USB-C cable is included for wired play, the latency difference between wired and wireless is negligible. The absence of passthrough charging, meaning you can’t charge your phone while playing, is a major inconvenience, especially during longer gaming sessions.
Gaming Experience: Potential Unrealized
The core question is: how does the MCON perform as a gaming controller? The answer is unfortunately, not as well as one would hope. While the button layout is familiar and comfortable, the overall experience is marred by several issues. The analog sticks lack precision, making it difficult to execute fine movements in games that require accuracy. The triggers, while responsive, feel somewhat mushy and lack the tactile feedback of those found on dedicated console controllers. Furthermore, the weight distribution can be awkward, especially with larger phones, leading to hand fatigue during extended play sessions.
The biggest problem, however, is compatibility. Many mobile games are not designed to be played with a controller, and the MCON’s mapping software is clunky and unreliable. Mapping controller inputs to touch screen controls is a tedious process, and the results are often less than ideal. While some games offer native controller support, the number is limited, and even then, the experience can be inconsistent. The promise of turning your phone into a portable console remains largely unfulfilled. If you are looking for immersive sound while gaming, you might want to consider a pair of best over-ear headphones, as the MCON does not address audio quality.
Battery Life: Disappointing Performance
The MCON’s battery life is another area of concern. The controller is advertised to last for up to 8 hours on a single charge, but in practice, it rarely exceeds 6 hours. This is significantly less than the battery life of dedicated console controllers, and the lack of passthrough charging exacerbates the problem. Running out of battery mid-game is a frustrating experience, and the need to constantly recharge the controller detracts from the overall convenience. In comparison, the battery life of e-readers, such as the Palma 2, is far superior, highlighting the MCON’s shortcomings.
Software and Compatibility: A Major Hurdle
The software experience is perhaps the MCON’s weakest point. The controller relies on a companion app to map controller inputs to touch screen controls. This app is clunky, unintuitive, and often unreliable. Mapping controls is a tedious process, and the results are rarely satisfactory. Furthermore, the app is prone to crashing and disconnecting, further disrupting the gaming experience. The lack of seamless integration with mobile games is a major obstacle, and the MCON’s software fails to overcome this hurdle.
The controller’s compatibility with different devices is also a concern. While the magnetic attachment system is designed to accommodate a wide range of phones, larger or heavier devices can cause the controller to feel unbalanced. Furthermore, the controller’s software may not be compatible with all Android and iOS devices. Before purchasing the MCON, it’s essential to check the compatibility list to ensure that your phone is supported.
Alternatives to the MCON
Several alternatives to the MCON offer a more refined mobile gaming experience. Traditional Bluetooth controllers, such as the SteelSeries Stratus Duo and the Razer Kishi, provide better ergonomics and compatibility. These controllers connect to your phone wirelessly and offer seamless integration with a wide range of mobile games. While they lack the MCON’s magnetic attachment system, they offer a more reliable and enjoyable gaming experience. Another option is to consider top-rated wireless earbuds for improved audio while gaming on these alternative controllers.
Price and Value: A Hard Sell
The MCON’s high price tag makes it a difficult sell. For the cost of the MCON, you could purchase a dedicated handheld gaming console, such as the Nintendo Switch or the Steam Deck, which offer a far superior gaming experience. The MCON’s limited compatibility, clunky software, and mediocre performance make it hard to justify its premium price. Unless you are particularly enamored with the magnetic attachment system, there are better options available for mobile gaming.
Conclusion: A Promising Concept, Flawed Execution
The MCON Magnetic Phone Controller is a promising concept with flawed execution. The magnetic attachment system is innovative, but the controller’s mediocre performance, clunky software, and high price make it difficult to recommend. While the idea of transforming your phone into a portable console is appealing, the MCON falls short of delivering on this promise. Unless you are willing to overlook its numerous shortcomings, there are better options available for mobile gaming. Perhaps future iterations will address these issues and realize the MCON’s full potential, but for now, it remains a niche product with limited appeal. Finding unbeatable deals on e-readers like the Kindle might be a better investment for entertainment on the go.
While the MCON Controller attempts to bridge the gap between console gaming and mobile devices, its execution leaves much to be desired. The high price point, combined with the aforementioned drawbacks, makes it a difficult recommendation. For those seeking a more immersive audio experience to complement their mobile gaming, exploring options like immersive sound best over-ear headphones could be a worthwhile alternative.
Moreover, if you’re looking for a more versatile device for consuming content on the go, consider that the MCON’s limited battery life pales in comparison to devices optimized for reading and browsing, such as the Kindle. Exploring a Kindle Black Friday deal might prove to be a more cost-effective and satisfying choice for mobile entertainment.
Ultimately, the MCON Controller represents an interesting experiment in mobile gaming, but it requires further refinement before it can truly compete with established solutions. For now, gamers seeking a premium mobile experience would be better served by exploring alternative controllers or dedicated handheld consoles. The potential of magnetic phone controllers remains, but the MCON, in its current state, is not the mobile gaming revolution it aspires to be.
