In a sea of ​​smartphone gaming controllers with chunky grips, obtrusive analog sticks and rigid backplates, Ohsnap’s MCON stands out. It’s a gamepad that essentially turns any phone into a supercharged Xperia Play, complete with Hall effect joysticks, silent buttons and handles that can pop out of its base. It also has a bumper-style trigger and actual bumpers. When it’s attached to the back of a phone, the MCON creates a slightly chunky but similar profile that slides into a pocket without fuss. When you’re ready to start playing, the phone pops out of the gamepad with a satisfying flick.

MCON communicates with your smartphone via Bluetooth, no cables or plugging required. It uses MagSafe to connect to iPhones, and for Androids, there’s a MagSafe adapter included in the box – it’s just a disc 2 millimeters thick that sticks to the back of your phone or case. That covers essentially every smartphone out there, and it’s possible to stack multiple pucks that connect to make room for awkward camera bumps. Ohsnap’s goal is to support iOS, Android, Xbox, PC and Mac, with PlayStation as a pipe dream platform.

Ohsnap and MCON creator Josh King showed off the gamepad at CES 2025 with a nearly finished prototype. The final version has silicone ends on the analog sticks, a cover for the spring mechanism and more refinement all around. King said he’s still not satisfied with the D-pad. But even in its current form, the MCON is a sweet little peripheral. It feels great – light but strong enough to support and fling a full-sized smartphone – and it folds into a compact rectangle that’s satisfying to hold.

Opening it involves pressing two buttons on top of the controller, behind the mounted phone, and it requires just the right amount of finger strength and angling. It took a few tries for me to successfully deploy the pop, mostly because I have long manicured nails, but I was able to use my actual nail tips to make the magic happen.

When King saw my Samsung Z Flip 6, he immediately started troubleshooting ways to make the MCON foldable work. You only need to move the attached puck slightly, so that it connects to the lower back quadrant of the phone rather than the central hinge, he explained. He is confident that he can do it, and says that he has already confirmed that the Galaxy Z Fold is MCON compliant. King’s goal is MCON support in every smartphone.

the MCON Kickstarter went live on January 2 and, four days later, it had collected more than $740,000 of a $25,000 goal. King’s concept got a little funky viral fame for years, and he eventually brought the idea to Ohsnap, an established MagSafe-focused accessory manufacturer. With their powers combined, the MCON is on track to ship in August for a price of $150.