8BitDo’s FlipPad brings a funky GameBoy-style gamepad to your iPhone
8BitDo has announced the FlipPad, a USB-C gaming controller that plugs into the USB-C port on an iPhone (and Android phones). The controller provides a directional pad and face buttons (ABXY), as well as buttons that would typically serve as shoulder buttons on a typical handheld controller.
The FlipPad has a unique design reminiscent of Nintendo’s Game Boy. It’s very small and compact, and seemingly intended to be tethered for long periods of time, as the flip feature allows you to use the phone’s entire screen when not in use. However, the design also forces you to play games in portrait mode, unlike most other iPhone gamepads.
When you’re gaming, the FlipPad covers the bottom of an iPhone’s screen, pushing content to the top of the screen in a much smaller area than if you were holding the phone in landscape mode. It’s unclear whether games change automatically or whether developers need to specifically support the accessory. We’re also not sure if the USB-C connector has enough room to work with an iPhone in a case, although 8BitDo says it’s “officially supported by Apple.”
8BitDo is showing off the FlipPad at the Consumer Electronics Show, currently taking place in Las Vegas. The company is present at booth 15641 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Central Hall. The FlipPad will be available this summer.
