Samsung doesn’t make dedicated gaming phones like other brands, but the Galaxy lineage of phones has always been among the best for gamers anyways. With the Galaxy S20 on the horizon, along with xCloud gaming and other game streaming services making waves, now’s a great time to make sure you’ve got a quality gaming controller on hand.
Latest hotness
SteelSeries Stratus Duo
Staff pick
The Stratus Duo is the latest great Android gaming controller from SteelSeries. Once again, the company has designed a comfortable controller to hold — this time with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and a Wi-Fi dongle that allows you to just as easily connect it to a PC to play your favorite Steam games.
$36 at Amazon
An elite mobile controller
Razer Raiju Mobile
When you consider everything that the Razer Raiju Mobile brings to the table — Bluetooth LE and wired connections, four multifunction buttons that can be remapped to fit your needs, hair-trigger mode for both left and right triggers, and a phone mount with a 60-degree tilt for comfortable viewing angles — the only thing that might give you pause is the price.
$150 at Amazon
Formerly the best
SteelSeries Stratus XL
The SteelSeries Stratus XL used to be our top recommendation because it’s comfortable and easy to use at a great price. The good news it’s still a great option at an even better price. One of its best features is the 40+ hour battery life, although you’ll need to stock up on AA batteries for this one.
$26 at Amazon
Controller add-on
GameVice Controller
The GameVice controller attaches right to your phone and is compatible with the Galaxy S10 and S10+ but not the S10e. The advantages of this design mean you don’t have to deal with phone mounts or kickstands when you’re playing Fortnite or Steam Link.
$60 at Amazon
Retro cool
8Bitdo SN30 PRO Bluetooth Gamepad
This is a great controller if you love the design of the SNES controller but also want compatibility with more modern games, too. This is one of the more impressive designs for a Bluetooth controller we’ve seen and 8Bitdo is known for making quality products.
From $40 at Amazon
Microsoft’s best controller
Xbox One Wireless Controller
Not all Xbox One controllers will work with the NVIDIA Shield. Only the controllers released since the Xbox One S include the necessary Bluetooth functionality for connecting to other devices. This iconic controller is available in a wide range of colors and styles and is a great option that you may already own if you regularly game on Xbox.
$47 at Amazon
Gaming is always better with a controller in hand
The possibilities of mobile gaming continue to expand as more game developers take the time to add controller support to their games. Whether you want better control while playing shooters and platformers, or are keen on checking out xCloud game streaming, Bluetooth controllers can be a real game-changer for mobile gaming.
Our recommendation is the SteelSeries Stratus Duo, which offers the best value for your money and also includes a USB dongle for gaming on PC. It’s a well-designed controller that’s comfortable to hold for extended gaming sessions
For the truly hardcore gamers, nothing beats the Razer Raiju Mobile. It’s the most elite and premium Android controller available and well worth the investment for its all-in approach for mobile gaming.