Games

PAX '12: Hands-On - MOGA System

By Sean Booker
September 5, 2012 - 21:37

This last weekend was the PAX Prime 2012 gaming convention in Seattle, WA. A show where countless game developers/publishers, hardware manufacturers and anything else centered around video games can be found. The show ran from Friday, August 31st to Sunday, September 2nd and is quickly becoming one of the largest video game conventions all year.



I was able to meet with some of the people at PowerA, a gaming hardware manufacturer that focuses on high-end accessories. The company puts out game controllers, cases, starter kits and a wide collection of other products. One of those products specifically was the MOGA Mobile Gaming System and I was fortunate enough to be able to spend some time trying it out on the show floor.



The MOGA is a small scale game controller built to be used with Android 2.3+ phones/tablets in order to play various games. With the inclusion of a clip on the top of the device, a phone or tablet can easily slide into place in order for both your hands to be used on the controller itself. The clip is being advertised to hold up to 3.2 in./82mm - in order to "accomodate the market's largest smartphones." My demo involved using a smart phone and the clip did a very good job of holding the device in place; it never felt like the phone could slide or possibly fall out. I didn't have the chance to try it out with a tablet, so I'm not sure how sturdy that would have felt.



The controller connects to the device using Bluetooth and only needs to pair with the display units once as an inital set up. I was told after connecting for the first time that the two products would always find eachother automatically. The inclusion on a sync button on the controller allowed for this.



From there I was shown how finding games that use the MOGA can be done through the phone/tablet's built in store. I was told that as the device gets closer to launching, more and more games would have support for it. PowerA has also designed an app to be downloaded on the phones/tablets that will display MOGA enhanced games specifically. The controller features dual analog sticks, shoulder triggers and four face buttons.



I have to say that the short time spent with the device was quite enjoyable and I was surprised with how tight the controller felt. The face buttons have a real tactile feel to them and a good sense of stability. And the analog sticks were quite flat (similar to a Nintendo 3DS's slide pad) which is great for portability. The spring back on the sticks felt very tight as well.

The MOGA Mobile Gaming System feels like a well designed add on for mobile gaming. I would feel quite confident throwing it into a backpack/bag without worry of a piece becoming loose. Personally, as someone who doesn't play many 'hardcore' games on his smart phone, I wouldn't really need a device such as this but for those looking for a closer parallel to console gaming with their phones or tablets, I feel the MOGA would do a pretty good job and you should keep your eyes out for it as it launches later this year.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12