While playing video games on your smartphone or tablet, have you ever wished you weren’t limited to touchscreen? While touchscreens work great for games like Angry Birds, they have their limits, especially for action, shooter, sports and racing games. True gamers recognize the limits in the physical feedback and the frustration that comes when a touchscreen fails to recognize a button press. Plus, the precision and reaction speed are just not comparable with game controllers.

Most gamers have wanted a game controller to use with their Android or iPhone at least once or twice, to say the least. At long last, a controller for mobile devices may soon be available. The PhoneJoy Play is currently on crowdfunding site Kickstarter, and the startup is seeking funding of $50,000 to place the device into the hands of mobile gamers worldwide.

To use the controller with a smartphone, the user simply pulls both sides of the controller apart and places the smartphone in the middle, turning the smartphone into a portable console. The device uses Bluetooth 3.0 technology to connect to any device supporting Bluetooth game controllers, including Android, iOS, Wiindows, Mac, OS X and Linux. Therefore, when closed, it can also be used as a wireless controller for PC games, up to 30 feet away. Plus, when closed the controller is small enough to fit in your pocket!

Currently, the PhoneJoy Play project has received $17,589 of its needed $50,000 on Kickstarter, but it has 28 days to go. Pledges can be made for as little as $1. Those who pledge $50 will receive their very own PhoneJoy Play around April of next year. Don’t want to wait that long? Pledge $199 and receive a fully-working PhoneJoy Play prototype in February.

Samantha Lile

Samantha Lile is a 2002 Missouri State University graduate of journalism and mass media. She has served as a reporter and editor for various newspapers throughout her journalism career. She made the leap into writing full-time after working for a major financial institution since 2000.

Because of her banking background, Samantha is knowledgeable in finance reporting, but is also strong in commentaries, personal profiles, youth studies, horticulture, history and entertainment-related works.

Samantha lives in Ozark, Mo. with her husband of nine years, four dogs and two cats.

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