Skip to main content

Xiaomi’s Gamepad 2.0 turns the Black Shark into a mini Switch

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Chinese phone manufacturer Xiaomi released its Black Shark gaming phone earlier this year. Coming in at under $500, the phone offered great Android gaming performance for cheaper than most of its competitors. Now you can basically turn that phone into an Android-based Nintendo Switch thanks to the Gamepad 2.0 (via Android Authority).

The first connectable gamepad for the Black Shark simply attached to the left side of the phone and featured a thumbstick and a few buttons. The Gamepad 2.0 is eerily similar to the Switch Joy-Con, both in size and design.

The Gamepad 2.0 has two parts, one that attaches to the left side of the phone and another that attaches to the right. The left-side controller is basically identical to the left Joy-Con. There’s a joystick, four directional buttons below it, two trigger buttons on top, and a button below the directional keys that can take screen captures and footage. Xiaomi calls this the “multifunction gaming button.” This button lets users program control schemes to their liking.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The right controller attachment is a bit different from the right Joy-Con, but not by much. A “precision touchpad” replaces the joystick, but the face buttons below the pad are organized and named exactly like the Joy-Con (A, B, X, Y). The right half of the controller also has two trigger buttons and the multifunction gaming button as well.

The Gamepad 2.0 comes with a protective case for your phone as well, which is recommended when using the new controller setup. Xiaomi says the Gamepad 2.0 is compatible with most Android games. The controls boast more than 40 hours of battery life and connect to the Black Shark via Bluetooth. The Gamepad 2.0 can be purchased for $89 on Xiaomi’s website with free shipping (protective case included).

Though the Gamepad 2.0 is only compatible with the Black Shark, it’s neat to see a phone manufacturer so engaged in making smartphone gaming a destination platform. It’s easy to tell where Xiaomi’s inspiration for the Gamepad 2.0 came from. The Switch’s handheld controls have been largely praised since its launch last year, so it makes sense that other companies would want to try something similar with its handheld configurations.

Editors' Recommendations

Steven Petite
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Steven is a writer from Northeast Ohio currently based in Louisiana. He writes about video games and books, and consumes…
Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ 2.0 update isn’t enough to save it
My New Horizons character dances next to her satellite farm.

Upon learning that Nintendo was planning to release a gigantic 2.0 update for the wildly popular Animal Crossing: New Horizons, most players' emotions traveled quickly from excitement to fear. After obsessing over the game for a few months after it released, many had left their towns dormant, allowing weeds to grow in the grass and and holidays to be left uncelebrated. The amount of work fans faced to get their towns looking "presentable" again was imposing enough that some said they planned to just reset their towns and start with a fresh canvas.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Ver. 2.0 Free Update - Nintendo Switch

Read more
Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ 2.0 update is gigantic
A Villager drinks coffee at The Roost in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

A huge 2.0 update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons is bringing a ton of new content, including returning characters, quality-of-life changes, new activities, and more. A video shown today during the September Nintendo Direct revealed that the update will be available for free on November 5.

In addition to the previously teased Brewster and the Roost café, fan-favorite characters like Katrina, Kapp'n, and Tortimer will be making a return in an all-new area, and players will have more options in how they decorate their houses and islands.

Read more
2K wants more on Nintendo Switch after BioShock, Borderlands. XCOM 2
BioShock: The Collection

Publisher 2K Games, which is set to soon release three collections for the Nintendo Switch, wants more of its games on the console.

BioShock: The Collection, Borderlands Legendary Collection, and XCOM 2 Collection will launch for the Nintendo Switch on May 29, bringing some of 2K's most popular franchises to the console. The announcement of the ports in a surprise Nintendo Direct Mini in March was accompanied by the message "2K ♡ Switch."

Read more