The difference between an average mobile gaming experience and a legendary mobile gaming experience often comes down to the hardware you're using. Thankfully, we've seen a whole slew of dedicated mobile gaming controllers hit the market in the past few years.
Elo is a new gaming hardware manufacturer founded by a former e-sports player, and he set out to create a pro-level mobile controller accessible to everyone. The Vagabond is the result of nearly two years of work and has easily swept in to put Backbone on notice.
What's good about the Elo Vagabond?
CNET / Jason Cockerham
There's no getting around it: This is one of the best mobile controllers I've ever laid my hands on. Elo nailed just about everything about the design of the Vagabond. One of my biggest issues with most mobile controllers is the mushy buttons that feel like they take forever to press and/or register in game. With the Vagabond, there's no such problem. The buttons are clicky and tactile and have never once let me down or frustrated me. The only part of the controller I was a bit unimpressed by was the D-pad; it worked fine but didn't feel as solid as the rest of the controller.
The joysticks and triggers are both Hall Effect, which should make them last longer compared to other controllers' buttons that don't use Hall Effect. There are also two programmable buttons on the back, situated perfectly in the curve of the grip. The USB-C connection is flexible (thank you), so you won't harm your phone or your controller when it plugging in. And as we've come to expect on top-tier controllers, there's also passthrough charging and a headphone jack.
CNET / Jason Cockerham
It's also the most comfortable mobile controller I've ever used. The hand grips are resemblant of a full-sized console controller, which is impressive. Most others I've used are smaller or not as ergonomic. The larger size also means it can accommodate almost any sized phone, including a foldable phone like the Samsung Z Fold 6 or an iPad Mini, if you really want to go all out.
Elo also wanted to eliminate the hassle of having to remove your case every time you want to game (or the fear of lugging your phone around naked), so it included a range of adapters to accommodate almost any size case -- including thicker, more rugged cases -- with the Vagabond. There are limitations, of course, but every case I have -- and as a reviewer, I have a lot -- worked with the Vagabond just fine.
I think Elo also nailed the pricing. The Vagabond is $99 on Amazon. For everything you get with the Vagabond, that's a win.
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