What mfi controller should I get?
Hi Everybody,
I am hoping I can ask this here (sorry if not) but here goes nothing...
I was wandering if anyone can help me, what it is, is that I am going to buy a mfi controller and wanted to know from anyone what controller would be the best one to get to use on an ipad air 2.
Where I am for ios controllers I have a choice of getting either Mad Catz C.T.R.L.i, Steelseries Stratus XL, Moga Rebel or steelseries Stratus. I've looked at some reviews and watched some videos and I can't make my mind up so I am hoping you guys can help me decided since the cost of the controller isn't a problem for me.
So please be gentle with me 😊
Hey Digi, having tested and used all of them.
Out of your choices here are my order of choice.
1st choice: MadCatz C.T.R.L.i (fullsize version), great all rounder, had no issues with mine.
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2nd: Steelseries Stratus XL is a beautifully sized & weighted controller but the sensitivity of the triggers let's it down, they are just way to "hair trigger" for me.
3rd: MOGA Rebel is "okay" maybe a bit too lightweight & sometimes suffers from Bluetooth disconnects on certain games.
4th: SteelSeries Stratus
Too small to play seriously for long hours, i have 2, both the analogue sticks rubber caps fell off after a few weeks so i replaced them with googly eyes,heres a pic (:P) 
There are some issues with lag on various games, ok if you really need to a pocket sized controller.
Hope this helps.
Last edited by MFiGamer (Sep 07 3:26 AM)
I completely agree with MFiGamer on all of this.
Only thing I'd suggest is inserting the Horipad right at the top of the list with the Mad Catz. If you're interested in games that require a d-pad, it's the best you can get aside from the Gamevice.
I'd also recommend the Micro CTRLi before the Stratus XL. It's small, and it's clip sucks for iPhone gaming, but it's still a solid controller for iPad gamers.
I 100% recommend Mad Catz Mircro CTRL i. It is an excellent controller and serves me quite well!
I want to say that it is inserting the Horipad right at the top of the list with the Mad Catz. If you're interested in games that require a d-pad, it's the best you can get aside from the Gamevice.
I'd also recommend the Micro CTRLi before the Stratus XL. It's small, and it's clip sucks for iPhone gaming, but it's still a solid controller for iPad gamers.
Last edited by AncellCavat (Dec 04 10:44 AM)
I have owned and or extensively used the Moga Rebel, the Mad Catz Ctrl i, the Steel Series Nimbus, and the Horipad Ultimate. Contrary to Kevin's review on the site, I have to respectfully disagree with him and say the Horipad Ultimate is by FAR the best Mfi controller out there. So much so that I now use it for all my OpenEmu gaming on my mac (instead of my beloved DualShock 4) and am trying to set it up in windows as well.
As primarily a retro gamer, I've found the dpad is the most important part of the experience for me and the Horipad comes through in spades. Yes, the triggers are floaty but I've found them to be totally usable, and the primary L and R buttons are absolutely perfect. But the build quality is as high as any controller I've used and the "feel" of the buttons and d-pas blows all the others out of the water.
The Nimbus is a close second, but I found the dpad to be inferior because of its odd size and shape. Also, there is plastic "ridge" of some kind immediately below the dpad and buttons on the controller that I found dug into my thumbs and made the unit very uncomfortable to game with. Of course YMMV, but as both are available in the Apple store you can try before you buy.
As for the other controllers, forget they exist. The Ctrl-i would be totally fine if it didn't have a dpad that is quite literally unusable.
And one additional advantage of the Horipad is that you can easily mod it to have an iPhone "grip" of sorts. Because it is flat above the menu button, you can stick a small iPhone dashboard mount on there. I use one by Scosche. By cutting the top and bottom of the sticky part of the mount, It's small enough to fit on the unit with minimal overhang and still be able to see the paring lights. Also, the automotive-grade adhesive they use (no idea what that means but they say it on the box) is strong enough that with 2 months of daily use and travel in my bag, it still holds my 6 plus securely.
TL:DR: the Horipad ultimate is the best mfi controller and can be modified to have an iPhone grip.
Stilletto wrote:
I have owned and or extensively used the Moga Rebel, the Mad Catz Ctrl i, the Steel Series Nimbus, and the Horipad Ultimate. Contrary to Kevin's review on the site, I have to respectfully disagree with him and say the Horipad Ultimate is by FAR the best Mfi controller out there.
Yeah, I struggled a lot with writing that review. The fact is, I really like the Horipad Ultimate. I use it frequently. And as a primarily retro gamer, I absolutely love the d-pad. But I'm also writing to an audience of everyone who wants an MFi controller, and I have to objectively cover the strengths and weaknesses. And those triggers are a serious weakness, and the analog stick texture isn't great either.
I do think that for most gamers - the type who'd rather play shooters that require great triggers and analog sticks than play emulators and retro games - the Nimbus would still be the best bet.
I don't know, I'm not particularly happy with how that review turned out, either. Maybe I'll tweak it someday.
Stilletto wrote:
And one additional advantage of the Horipad is that you can easily mod it to have an iPhone "grip" of sorts. Because it is flat above the menu button, you can stick a small iPhone dashboard mount on there. I use one by Scosche. By cutting the top and bottom of the sticky part of the mount, It's small enough to fit on the unit with minimal overhang and still be able to see the paring lights. Also, the automotive-grade adhesive they use (no idea what that means but they say it on the box) is strong enough that with 2 months of daily use and travel in my bag, it still holds my 6 plus securely.
TL:DR: the Horipad ultimate is the best mfi controller and can be modified to have an iPhone grip.
Hmm, now THAT is something I'll have to look into. I've tried a few grips with the Horipad Ultimate, none of them worked.
The benefit of the Nyko grip with the Nimbus is that it requires no modification. It works great right out of the box, and it doesn't need adhesive, so you can easily remove it.
Hi..i am a new user here. As per my knowledge If you're interested in games that require a d-pad, it's the best you can get aside from the Gamevice.I'd also recommend the Micro CTRLi before the Stratus XL. It's small, and it's clip sucks for iPhone gaming, but it's still a solid controller for iPad gamers.
Last edited by NoellEagan (Mar 13 1:44 PM)