It’s getting harder these days to choose a cheap third-party controller, because it feels like there are far more options than ever before. In an attempt to stand out more, some peripheral makers have been adding gimmicks to their controllers in the hope that it’ll be enough to sway consumers trying to choose between umpteen options.
Whether it’s little figures built into the controller shell, a clear shell with LED lights or PowerA’s seemingly endless line of controllers with licensed game designs on them, everyone’s got their own niche they’re hoping to fill.
The niche being targeted by the CRKD Atom is a fairly obvious one: at just 6.8cm / 2.7in wide, the Atom is designed for players who like bringing a controller with them on the move, but don’t necessarily want it to take up a lot of space.
Also obvious is the type of player who would struggle with the Atom. Given that the thing is far less than half the size of a standard Xbox controller, if you have big meaty hands and sausage fingers you can pretty much count yourself out of the running with this one unless you’re a masochist who loves getting cramp.
The Atom connects via Bluetooth and has three different modes for connecting to various devices. There’s a Switch mode which apes the Pro Controller, an Xinput mode for connecting to PC or iOS and an Android mode (for Android devices, obviously).
Choosing between them is a case of holding down the Home button and a specific direction on the D-Pad for a few seconds. It can be a little fiddly but were able to connect to our Switch, our iPhone, our LG Smart TV and our PC (via wired connection) without too much aggro.
A glance at the Atom should make it clear that it works better with some games than others. The fact it only has a D-Pad and no analogue sticks means it’s difficult – though not impossible – to play games that focus mainly on stick controls.
“Given that the thing is far less than half the size of a standard Xbox controller, if you have big meaty hands and
PC
Android
iOS
Chris Scullion