Four-finger control: the best overhead gamepads for smartphones

On the way to victory in mobile shooters, it is important to make the most of the potential of touch controls. The Borofone BG3 Warrior over-ear gamepad helps to reveal it.

Mastering the operation of a game controller is as easy as shelling pears - just place your smartphone in the tenacious sliding “paws” of the gamepad and move the touch control buttons exactly under the tips of the model’s two triggers. There is no need to pair your phone with the gamepad. In essence, the device is a convenient means for holding a smartphone while playing games.

To avoid overheating of the mobile phone during long gaming sessions, the gamepad has a built-in cooler for the cooling system. The fan is activated by a slider on the back panel of the gaming controller case, and it is powered by a built-in rechargeable battery. You will need to charge the battery every few days, using the on-board microUSB connector.

The gamepad is made of durable ABS plastic. However, the build quality of the model is mediocre - there are often creaks in the design. In general , Borofone BG3 Warrior fits comfortably in the user’s hands, and the gamepad weighs less than 100 g. The main competitive advantages of the model are its affordable price and the ability to use four fingers in games, allowing you to gain superiority over your rivals.

While the lion's share of overhead gamepads provide 4-finger gaming control (two with the Shift keys and two with your thumbs), the Hoco GM7 model goes much further - it is equipped with four additional triggers and helps you use up to 6 gaming commands overnight.

The location of the metal levers for controlling the triggers clearly matches the natural position of the user's fingers. As a result, comfortable gameplay is ensured for a long time without the slightest hint of discomfort or fatigue of the hands. At the same time, silicone pads on the tips of the triggers help avoid damage to the smartphone screen.

The model is compatible with phones with a width of 7 to 9.5 cm. The gaming accessory does not need to be connected to a mobile phone and charged - it is responsible for ensuring ease of control in games with a customizable interface. A quartet of triggers will come in handy for duplicating the shooting, aiming, tilting, crouching and/or jumping buttons in dynamic mobile shooters like PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty, Fortnite, etc.

Drawing parallels with colleagues in the production of overhead gamepads, the model does not have a fan to cool the smartphone. And this is the only complaint about the game controller. In terms of build quality, reliable fixation of the phone and ease of use, the Hoco GM7 scores “excellent” - without any compromises or pitfalls.

For a comfortable pastime in mobile games that require more than 2-finger control, the inexpensive GamePro MG720 gamepad is perfect.

The model is capable of taking on board smartphones with a screen diagonal from 4.7 to 6.8 inches - the vast majority of modern mobile gadgets optimally fit into this bracket. Moreover, there is no need to perform any manipulations with connecting the gamepad - it only securely fixes the phone and provides the user with additional controls.

The upper end of the gamepad body contains game triggers, which are controlled by the index fingers. In the conditional battle royale PUBG Mobile, you can assign on-screen shooting and aiming buttons to them, and in the football simulator FIFA Mobile - actions for various shots, passing and defense. Additionally, the model is equipped with a joystick for the left thumb, but whether or not to use it is a personal matter.

The GamePro MG720 features a low-noise, powerful fan to keep your smartphone cool. The cooler is powered by a built-in 2000 mAh battery, the charge of which lasts up to 48 hours of gameplay. The same battery can be used to recharge a smartphone, for which the gamepad has a USB A output port. The fan on/off button is located on the back panel of the game controller case. In terms of complaints, some copies of the model occasionally have backlash in the shifts, but this flaw does not promise anything critical.

The XO H10 over-ear gamepad can provide complete immersion in mobile gameplay. Why is the model so good? Let's sort it out in order.

First of all, the manipulator provides the player with two triggers with silicone tips, which perfectly duplicate touches on the smartphone screen and do not leave the slightest trace on the display. The triggers are controlled by the index fingers, leaving the thumbs free - with proper dexterity, comfortable gameplay with at least 4 fingers is ensured. The sliding design of the gamepad is designed for smartphones with a case width from 6.5 cm to 9 cm.

The gaming ins and outs of the model are given by two fans for cooling the installed smartphone. The “insides” of the coolers are framed by decorative blue lighting. The fans are turned on by a button on the bottom edge of the gamepad case, and they are powered by a built-in 2500 mAh battery.

The battery “under the hood” of the XO H10 is intended not only to power coolers and the backlight system. It can be used to recharge a smartphone - the power bank function works in practice via the USB A connector. Another nice feature of the design of the game controller is the built-in support leg, thanks to which the gamepad will serve as a convenient stand for your smartphone when watching movies or videos on YouTube.

The iWalk Crazy Stick game controller for mobile gamers is compatible with most smartphones with a diagonal of 4.5 to 6.5 inches. It will come in handy in those games where you can fine-tune the placement of controls on the screen.

The iWalk gamepad has a sliding design and is equipped with two sticks - for the index fingers of both hands. Silicone trigger tips gently touch the gadget's screen, where important control elements such as shooting, aiming, jumping or squatting buttons are supposed to be placed.

The model is equipped with two coolers to prevent the smartphone from overheating during long gaming sessions. The fans are powered by a 4000 mAh battery. A fully charged battery provides up to 7 hours of continuous operation of the cooling system. The built-in battery also serves to recharge the phone while playing. True, the charging power here is very modest - 5 V / 1 A.

Compared to its classmates in the segment of overhead gamepads, the model stands out with hieroglyphs on the handles and the presence of an integrated foot. An additional support point allows you to use the controller as a convenient smartphone stand. This will come in handy when viewing multimedia content, be it streams or videos in popular video hosting clients.