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.
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.
