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Most controllers are single-purpose and intended to work with a specific platform. Mad Catz takes a different tack with the C.T.R.L.R, a $49.99 Xbox 360-like controller built to work with several kinds of devices in different ways. As an Android controller it's nearly flawless and easily controls games on the Nvidia Shield , Amazon Fire TV, and Mad Catz' own M.O.J.O. Android console, as well as most Android smartphones and tablets. However, it tries to be a fully functional PC gamepad, too, and its PC support falls flat in most games. It's an excellent choice if you just need physical controls for your Android, but you can find better PC gamepad options (especially if you use our guide or a ControllerMAX CronusMAX to connect the Sony DualShock 4 gamepad to your system). And it's not intended for use with iOS devices at all.
The C.T.R.L.R is built much like an Xbox 360 controller with the accessory such as Fellowes Antibiotic Keyboard Wrist Rest Pad CRC91137, Fellowes Antibiotic Laptop Keyboard Wrist Rest Pad CRC91847, Fellowes Flowers Picture Antibiotic Mouse Wrist Rest Pad CRC91792, Fellowes Two USB Laptop Cool Riser CRC80182, Fellowes Flower Picture Antibiotic Mouse Wrist Rest Pad CRC91790, Fellowes Fllower Picture Antibiotic Keyboard Wrist Rest Pad CRC92031, Fellowes Antibiotic Mouse Wrist Rest Pad CRC91177, Fellowes Antibiotic Mouse Wrist Rest Pad CRC91477, with a pair of analog sticks placed unevenly on either half of the gamepad's face. The left (and higher) stick sits parallel with the four main face buttons on the right, and the right (and lower) stick sits parallel with the direction pad on the left. The face and shoulder buttons are all in the classic Xbox 360 configuration, with X, A, B, and Y face buttons, two prominent shoulder triggers, and two smaller shoulder bumpers. It even has standard Star and Select buttons in the center, flanking a large Mad Catz logo button that could easily be mistaken in shape and feel for an Xbox button.
A compartment on the back holds two included AAA batteries to power the gamepad, and Mad Catz claims the C.T.R.L.R can provide 40 hours of continuous playtime before you have to replace them. The compartment also hides a micro USB port, but that port is reserved only for updating the gamepad's firmware; you can't use the C.T.R.L.R as a wired controller.
While its layout is very familiar, the C.T.R.L.R sports some additional distinctive design elements that set it apart from a standard third-party gamepad. A screw mount for the included smartphone holder sits on the top edge of the controller, between the shoulder buttons. The holder is an angled arm with two large jaws holding rubberized pads. The jaws pull apart with spring tension, and close securely around any smartphone you wish to connect. When the holder isn't mounted, the screw mount is unobtrusive and easy to ignore.
Besides the smartphone holder, the C.T.R.L.R features several controls unique to its multi-platform nature. A row of playback buttons (Play/Pause, Fast Forward, Rewind, Volume Up, and Volume Down) sit above the Mad Catz button, letting you use the controller as a media remote. A three-way sliding switch sits on the bottom edge of the gamepad, between the wing-like grips. This switch determines which mode the controller is in, for working with different devices.
Regardless of what platform you use, when the C.T.R.L.R works, it feels like a perfectly functional console gamepad. It's almost slavishly devoted to the time-tested Xbox 360 gamepad design, so console gamers will be right at home when playing games on their smartphones or tablets. The buttons and direction pad are responsive and the analog sticks feel sensitive without being twitchy.
The Mad Catz C.T.R.L.R might not be quite the catch-all gamepad the company envisioned, but it's an extremely capable controller for mobile devices—and, if you're willing to tinker with drivers, wrappers, and control mapping, can be a functional PC gamepad as well. It's a bit pricey at $50 with its spotty PC support and complete lack of game console and iOS compatibility, but it's an excellent accessory if you have any of the many devices with which it works.
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