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This week on gdgt: MOGA Pro, Xbox One, Xperia Tablet Z
Each week, our friends at gdgt go through the latest gadgets and score them to help you decide which ones to buy. Here are some of their most recent picks. Want more? Visit gdgt anytime to catch up on the latest, and subscribe to gdgt's newsletter to get a weekly roundup in your inbox.
MOGA to support Kindle Fire and Windows Phone 8, $50 Pro controller slated for April 15th
After nearly six months on the market, the MOGA Bluetooth-powered gaming controller is finally ready to open up its Android-restricted doors. We were told at the Game Developers Conference that starting today, developers can add MOGA support to Kindle Fire and Windows Phone 8 games, thus marking the device's first foray outside of the Google Play ecosystem. Consumers shouldn't get too excited by this announcement just yet, however, as this is just a call for developers -- it'll still be awhile until we see MOGA-compatible Kindle Fire and Windows Phone 8 games pop up on that MOGA Pivot app. In the meantime, we also learned that the MOGA Pro controller we saw at CES will be available in stores starting April 15th for $50 a pop, so hopefully those newly-ported apps will be ready by then.
Hands-on with the PowerA's Moga Pro
Perhaps the form factor of PowerA's previous Moga -- a Bluetooth-enabled Android game controller -- was too mobile for you? PowerA's got you covered, showing off its full controller-sized Moga Pro this week at CES 2013. The differences from Moga's previous iteration are clear and many: a rechargeable battery built in, a d-pad, larger face buttons, full analog sticks with click, and shoulder buttons just above triggers (and a backlight, if you're into that kinda thing). There's also a stand included, should you choose to use the Moga Pro with your Bluetooth-enabled Android tablet -- the controller's built in phone holder extends all the way up to the (enormous) Note 2. To call it a big difference seems to be a disservice to a device that is essentially completely different from its forebear. The Moga Pro is a solidly built, comfortable controller. Where the Moga felt a bit constricting and prone to causing hand cramps over long use, the Moga Pro feels as natural as a regular game console controller. The triggers out back resemble those of the Xbox 360's gamepad, and the same quality applies to the clickable dual analogs on the face. The d-pad is perfectly serviceable as well. However, as Android games aren't built with a controller in mind, the experience actually using the controller in-game (we played Dead Trigger) was a bit wonky. A bit of lag -- easily perceptible -- stood between our button presses and action in the game. This may not make a huge difference to some folks, but to anyone used to console or PC gaming, it's an unacceptable situation. The folks at PowerA say this issue can be overcome by developers should they choose to invest in a solution, but we're not so confident that devs will make that investment. Time will tell. The final addition is a switch for two separate modes: A for the standard Moga Pro mode, and B for an "H.I.D." mode. What's H.I.D., you ask? Yeah, we did too -- apparently it's an emerging standard for Bluetooth controller. It's yet to be solidly accepted across the board by various peripheral manufacturers, but just in case it does, the Moga Pro will be ready. As for when you can get your hands on the Moga Pro, that's another question altogether. We were given a spring 2013 window and no price point for the device, but we're anticipating a similar pricing to the $50 that the original Moga cost.
PowerA's Moga Android game controller grows in Pro model, arrives this spring
Remember the Moga? It's the Bluetooth-powered Android game controller unveiled in mid-2012 by gaming accessory manufacturer PowerA, in case you'd forgotten. With PowerA's just announced Moga Pro, however, the company's taking its original concept and blowing it out into a full-on gaming controller (reminiscent of what you use on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, as seen above). Like with the first Moga, the Moga Pro features four face buttons, two analog sticks, and two shoulder buttons -- additionally, the Pro has two triggers below each shoulder, making shooters all the more shoot-y. "But where does my Android phone go?" you're asking, right? Well it gets strapped into the stand attached to the top of the controller, of course. If it looks a bit awkward, that's because it is a bit awkward -- setting your expensive phone into a rubber rocker while making that rocker unstable by pressing buttons below it is a precarious situation. That said, our experience with the first Moga was relatively positive, despite the nagging fear that our phone was moments from falling to its death at any moment. The Pro model gets around this fear a bit with a separate stand for your phone, but it also keeps the design of the original (supporting Android phones up to 3.2-inches wide) should you wish to test your luck. We'll see just how different the Moga Pro is from its previous iteration when we go hands-on during CES 2013, later this week. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
