Turtle Beach: The new iPhone-friendly Atom Controller has me unstoppable in mobile gaming

Just to be clear - the newly released Turtle Beach iPhone-friendly Atom Mobile Game Controller is a life-changer. Not just a game-changer, but an absolute life-changer - as the above Photo of the Day image illustrates, it’s literally with me when I wake up in the morning and crash at night - the much-needed and long-awaited mobile companion to my current iPhone and many more to come lives up to the hype it’s generated since being announced way back on August 10.

I’m obsessed with it and just to circle back to my opening statement - it’s not because I am gaming on Call of Duty Mobile before hopping out of bed and after hopping into bed at night - it’s because I was done-done with mobile gaming up until receiving my beautifully, stunning review gadget.

My first thoughts? ‘I love Turtle Beach but will I love this? It ‘should’ be pretty cool but the Backbone.’ Oh, Backbone, you say, Cyrus?

Rewind a few months back and I was convinced Remote Play for my PlayStation 5 and even with my Xbox Game Pass Ultimate from an iOS-dedicated gadget like the officially licensed Backbone would have me never aching for my PS5 especially when hitting the road or traveling to other time zones. A $99 - plus shipping/handling - order later and within days (if not hours) I was as disappointed as a first-round playoffs exit as a No. 1 seed.

The comfort was ehh. My hands felt too big for the super small buttons. I found myself having to do hand stretches in-between Call of Duty Mobile matches. I quickly boxed it up, shipped it to a pal and said I was ‘done-done’ with mobile gaming.

And just to be clear, I love mobile gaming - from Alto’s Odyssey and what Apple Arcade has serving up on a regular basis to of course those quirky titles like Angry Birds, there’s no better form of entertainment in a long line or waiting for an appointment than cracking into and continuing your latest mobile game session - but all in all, the Backbone backed me into a corner and I felt I needed an escape.

Until the Turtle Beach Atom Mobile Game Controller arrived in my hands and dedicated for my iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Holy. Smokes. At first, I thought I would be concerned because you know, if there was one aspect of the Backbone I did enjoy, it was the fact it didn’t require charging and worked seamlessly. But wipe that away and feel the comfort and power of what Turtle Beach’s handheld has to offer? Oh my goodness.

I love to geek out and as you can see, my sentences can go a bit long - so for those on the fence and want to know those ‘oh man, NOW I really want it’ highlights, let’s cut to the chase for why this is insanely cool:

• Compact & Comfortable: Magnetically connects into a compact, convenient shape to fit in its included carrying bag, or into a pocket. Plus, an ergonomic handle shape and console-style controls provide a familiar console experience for mobile gamers.

• Low-Latency Connectivity: Connects lag-free to iPhone devices via low-latency Bluetooth, while the two independent modules connect to each other using Turtle Beach’s proprietary 2.4 GHz wireless link.

• Built for Cloud Gaming: Take the console experience on-the-go and play familiar mobile games on the cloud using Xbox Game Pass, GeForce Now, Steam Link, and more.

• Console Level Controls: Equipped with full-size thumb sticks, a D-Pad, bumpers, triggers, and ABXY buttons, plus view and menu buttons for precise responsive controls on any cloud streaming title.

• Adjustable to your iPhone: Fits all iPhone 11 models and newer with integrated clamps and included rubber pads. Will fit most iPhones in form-fitting slim cases as well.

• More Gaming, Less Charging: Each controller module is powered by its own battery, providing 20-hours total battery life on a single charge. Recharge in just 2.5 hours using the supplied USB-C cable.

• Ergonomic Design: A comfortable shape with familiar console controls keeps hands comfortable over long gaming sessions.

• Atom Companion App: Download the upcoming Atom Controller companion app from the App Store to configure additional features, discover new games to play, and update firmware.

With that out of the way, I have to pay extra attention to the ergonomic design and how easy it is to travel with. The way it snaps together like a Transformers character and the comfortable shape? I easily can play multiple sessions at a time and my hands don’t need a break or rest until I’m ready to end the mobile gaming goals for the day - er - hour.

Much to the point of leisure and comfort is the console level controls - if you’ve experienced a Backbone controller before or are thinking about considering one, the super tiny - and that’s me being nice - controls make me feel very uncomfortable. It’s hard to go from a PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series console controller to being reminded you’re on a mobile game before even hitting the start match button.

This isn’t the case with the Atom Controller. While Android heads have had time to enjoy their sessions well before me, the iOS-friendly experience has arrived and is pure enjoyment.

As I mentioned, I was really done with mobile gaming up until this device reached me. Even going with a linked controller from my PlayStation 5 Dualsense, it was just too detached. Having the luxury of eyes to screen and handheld controller instead of a separate controller keeps everything intact.

Turtle Beach hits the spot again and with the back to school and vacation goals wrapped up, there’s no better way to treat yourself to some much-needed study and work breaks than diving head first into your iPhone’s best mobile gaming line-up than with the newly launched Atom Controller for iOS.

Lock in Monday, September 11 as the official launch date to secure your own from Turtle Beach with pre-orders now available. Safe gaming, iPhone gamers.