Razer has launched a $100 Joy-Con-like gamepad called the JungleCat. Designed to help users enjoy Android games in a more immersive way, this gamepad can be attached to the side of your smartphone. It even allows users to set custom button layouts for individual games and adjust analog stick sensitivity.
Just like the Joy-Con, it can be used in two ways. Users can either stick it to a specific case and plug it in their smartphones or they can attach it to the grip it comes with and use it as a typical gaming controller.
The latter will be more widely used since the case only supports a few smartphones: Razer Phone 2, Samsung Galaxy Note 9, and Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus in the US, or the Huawei P30 Pro, Razer Phone 2 and Samsung Galaxy S10+ worldwide.
Unlike Joy-Con, the two halves of JungleCat cannot be used for two-player games. It works over Bluetooth and the company has promised low latency as well as 100+ hours of gaming on one charge. The controller has no physical connection to your handset, so if the battery is down, you have to charge both of them separately.
The JungleCat does not come with support for iOS devices, which is a shame. This seems odd since iPhones come with built-in controller support and the App store is first to get almost all the new games.
As far as the company’s plans to roll out JungleCat for iOS are concerned, a Razer rep told The Verge, “We will continue to evaluate the needs of interested customers and address them accordingly.”
