NACON’s MG-X mobile holder is perfect for mobile gaming
The MG-X is the first of NACON’s new Designed for Xbox mobile gaming controllers. The MG-X has an ultra-slim and pocket-friendly design making it ideal for gaming on the go, whilst the MG-X Pro has more traditionally sized hand grips for those who want an experience more akin to using a normal controller.
Microsoft has recently updated its Xbox Cloud Gaming servers to use Xbox Series X hardware, which lets mobile gamers harness the full power of next generation games, with improved graphics, higher frame rates and faster loading times; As long as you have a stable data connection, you can play at 1080p and 60 fps on your mobile. When games look and play so well, you don’t want the experience to be marred by a substandard controller experience.
Scheduled for release on 20th September 2021, with a recommended retail price of £89.90, the NACON MG-X is the perfect companion to an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription. There are lots of games on the service that support touch controls now, but if you’ve tried using them it quickly becomes clear that, although usable in a pinch, it’s no substitute for physical analogue sticks, triggers and buttons.
I’ve tried playing with a regular Bluetooth Xbox controller, but it’s impractical having to shove one in a bag to carry around with you, not to mention finding some way of comfortably positioning your phone so you can see it. Even the ones with the clips mounted on top are ungainly and impractical. The MG-X looks to be the ideal alternative, giving full controller-like functionality in an ultra-portable layout.
In use, the MG-X essentially turns your Android phone into a Switch-a-like handheld gaming system. Your phone clamps securely into the expandable chassis, and it will fit any phone up to 6.7″, which caters to almost every device out there. Once in place, you simply connect to the controller with low-power Bluetooth and can play any game on Xbox Cloud Gaming, as well as supported mobile games.
Compatibility is excellent, with the MG-X supporting devices running any version of Android from Android 6 (Marshmallow) onwards. Android 6 was released in 2015, so there’s a good chance the device you already have will be compatible, but it also means any old phones you have knocking about could be set up and handed to the kids as a game phone.
Battery life is also an excellent 20 hours, which is good for all-day gaming for even the most dedicated player. It has USB-C for charging and comes with an included cable, but we aren’t sure yet whether that is USB-A to USB-C or just straight-through USB-C. Either way, most people will have the required cables already, and if not, they can be picked up for next to nothing online.
We are hoping to get one of these in for review soon, but based on our experience with other NACON hardware, I’m fully expecting this to be a sturdy and reliable controller. The only thing that I’m unsure about is how accurate you will be able to be with the shorter throw analogue sticks, and how progressive your inputs can be with smaller triggers. For shooters and racing games, making small and incremental inputs is essential to play at a high level. This, of course, is something we’ll address in the review, so check back soon and we’ll give you the full lowdown.
The NACON MG-X releases in Europe on the 20th of September 2021, at a recommended retail price of £89.90.
