The PlayStation Vita has not exactly been the runaway success that Sony had hoped it would be. It’s partly due to a lack of compelling games, and partly due to competition from smartphones. Now, the GameKlip could very well be the last nail in the Vita’s coffin.
The most common critique of smartphone gaming is a lack of hardware controls. Touchscreens can be finicky for certain action-based titles, so the GameKlip provides an easy way to attach an Android-based smartphone to the iconic PlayStation DualShock controller. It’s really nothing more than a $US15 laser-cut ABS plastic adaptor that combines a phone and PS3 controller into a single unit — but it vastly improves the playability of many smartphone games. You will need to be able to root your Android handset and install Dancing Pixel Studios’ Sixaxis Controller app for wireless Bluetooth support. But if that’s not an option, a USB-tethered version of the GameKlip is also available for $US23.
The creators are also working on a somewhat awkward-looking tablet version of the adaptor. And, for the sworn Xbox supporters, a model that works with the 360’s controller instead of the PlayStation’s is also in the works.