CES 2026: Gaming Controllers Are Going Modular This Year

Gamepads are just one of those things I love to collect, but living in a small apartment in New York, eventually enough is enough. At CES this year, I saw three new controllers that are all trying to be the last ones I’ll ever need to buy (at least for specific systems). It seems that modularity is there, and these three devices want to meet all your needs. However, they are not yet decided on the best approach.

GameSir x Hyperkin X5 Alteron

The GameSir x Hyperkin

Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

You can create a standard Xbox style layout. You can instead opt for a layout with symmetrical PlayStation-style controllers. You can use GameCube or Nintendo 64 style face button setups, which is a unique touch. There are even options for a six-button arcade-style layout or a Steam Deck-style trackpad.

Essentially, play your cards right, and this thing might suit all your needs, as long as you’re gaming on mobile. You could even get weird and insert a GameCube setup for your left hand and a Nintendo 64 setup for your right hand.

The different configurations slide in and out easily, but don’t feel loose when using the controller. And there are also bells and whistles like rear paddles and trigger stops, for extra buttons and faster reaction times. The sticks are also capacitive, which essentially means they shouldn’t drift, but also won’t cause magnetic interference like Hall effect or TMR sticks (another popular anti-drift technology) can.

The trap? While it’s not a concept, pricing and availability aren’t set in stone yet. GameSir also told me that it’s still determining distribution, so it’s unclear how many control modules will come with the controller, whether you’ll be able to purchase them separately, and how much they’ll cost if you do. The company said it was aiming for a $100 version, but that could change, and it’s still figuring out how to make it a reality.

The other problem, of course, is that it’s mobile only, although GameSir has said it may make a more traditional version in the future. This isn’t the first controller with hot-swappable modules, but others are generally pro-level and don’t have as many options as the X5 Alteron.

8BitDo Ultimate 3e

8BitDo is one of my favorite controller companies, especially for retro style controllers. Last year, it already dabbled in modularity with the 8BitDo Pro 3. It was a PlayStation-style controller that allowed you to individually swap one of the four main buttons to place them in the order you wanted, making it easy to swap between Xbox (ABXY) and Nintendo (BAYX) style layouts. Now, 8BitDo Ultimate 3e takes this concept and really runs with it.

Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

Officially licensed by Xbox but also compatible with PC and mobile devices, the 8BitDo Ultimate 3e looks like a standard Xbox controller at first glance, but has a removable faceplate that gives you access to many options. Remove it and you can remove the sticks, D-Pad or face buttons to swap them for buttons that offer a different feel.

Credit: 8BitDo

The overall layout of your controls will always be the same: it’s not possible to mimic the GameCube, swap the order of the ABXY buttons, or change the position of your stick here. But you can opt for a four-way or circular D-Pad or sticks of different lengths or handles, for example. ABXY button modules are also available in silent silicone versions or click microswitch versions.

That’s a lot of control, and it’s on top of the standard features of 8BitDo’s Ultimate Controller, like the included charging dock, additional macro buttons, trigger stops, gyroscope, and 1000Hz polling.

8BitDo says the Ultimate 3e controller will cost $150 and come with all your control options. It is expected to ship later this year.

New models for the MCON

When I reviewed the MCON Magnetic Game Controller late last year, I wanted to love it. It was my favorite product from last CES, but when it hit the market I had a few issues with it that made me feel like it wasn’t quite complete. Well, they’re still in the prototype phase, but OhSnap, the maker of MCON, is currently working on two new MCON models that look to solve just about all of my problems with the original device.

MCON Slim (left) and MCON Lite (right) connected to Galaxy phones
Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

Called MCON Slim and MCON Lite, these versions of the device are much smaller and should be much cheaper than the version currently on the market, but retain almost all of its features. There are some compromises to get there, but ultimately they seem to be going in the right direction.

First, both the MCON Slim and MCON Lite have manual sliding mechanisms for their controls. This means the controls normally slide behind your phone, but can be removed like an old-school Android keyboard. I actually prefer it. The original MCON uses a spring-loaded sliding mechanism instead, which is quite violent and can send your phone flying if you’re not careful.

Second, when I say they are smaller, I mean it. If the original MCON felt like attaching a MagSafe battery bank to your phone, this is much more like using a MagSafe wallet. I didn’t mind the size of the original too much, but it’s really impressive how much slimmed down the new models have become.

Finally, while pricing isn’t finalized yet, MCON told me to expect the new models to cost between 1/3 and half the price of the current one. That’s a huge discount from the pricey $150 original, although it solves some of my problems.

To be honest, you lose a little here, but not much. The MCON Slim and MCON Lite still have a kickstand mode and still feature a full set of buttons, but they handle their shoulder buttons and controllers differently. Both the Slim and Lite have “in-line” shoulder buttons, meaning the L1/R1 and L2/R2 buttons are next to each other horizontally rather than stacked. This isn’t a big deal for me, but some people might prefer a console-like layout. The biggest differences are in the controllers.

MCON Thin
Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

The MCON Slim uses 3DS-style circular pads instead of Switch-style controllers, allowing it to save just as much space. They’re not my favorite, but I’ve never had a problem getting them to work. The MCON Lite therefore uses two trackpads instead of controllers. This makes it even smaller than the Slim, but I’ve never had much luck using trackpads for analog-style inputs. It could, however, be useful for games that require a mouse.

MCON Lite
Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

So what makes them modular? Well, aside from giving you more model options and retaining the detachable kickstand mode of the original MCON, part of what allows these models to be so slim is that they use custom backplates designed for certain phones, whereas the original model used a bulkier solution that fits all phones.

The MCON Slim and MCON Lite are the most conceptual devices on this list, but OhSnap assured me that at least one will be released, hopefully this year. Apparently there are still internal debates about whether the model with trackpads is worth releasing or not.