Game controllers are a dime a dozen in this day and age. You can grab game controllers for just about any platform and for use with just about any game. They have gamepads for use with windows, Xbox, Android and mobile devices and of course the PS3 and PS4. Lets not forget Nintendo. There are literally hundreds of game pads for virtually anything, but what if you don’t want to buy a gamepad and would rather just use the power of your Android device to control games? This is now a possibility(for windows games at least) thanks to an app called Mobile Gamepad that’s in the beta stage right now. The good news is that even though it’s in beta, the app is already available for download and install on compatible Android devices which seems to be anything running Android 2.3 and up.
The app is one piece to the puzzle in this equation, with the other factor being a desktop program that has to be installed alongside it to talk to the app on your Android device and keep things connected. You can download that program from the link here, which is a zip file format so make sure you have the necessary tool to unzip and install the files. You can also download the program that you need directly from the link that is included in the Play Store link for the app. Right now the app supports a small list of features consisting of traditional controls like the D-Pad and your standard four button setup to the right(this app uses the playstation button setup with the triangle, circle, X, Square)and gesture controls for what the developer says is easy usage and not just clicking.
Mobile Gamepad also lets you access the games list fairly easily, with each game coming with its own controls and even allowing the user to run the game from the app, making things a whole lot more convenient. You can even use the accelerometer in your device to control games which actually could come in handy for racing titles or flight simulator games like pictured in the video on the app page. The app also lets you control the volume on your windows machine by using the volume rocker on your device, which almost entirely eliminates any need to do anything from the PC when you want to play a game, short of making sure the PC is on, unlocked and that the server side program for Mobile Gamepad is running. There are more planned features coming to the app in future updates which may be once the app is out of beta. So expect to see Bluetooth connection, fluid and flexible directional controls, and voice commands make their way into the app later on. The app is free, along with the server side app, so if you find it more useful to use your Android device as your gamepad hit the links and grab the setup.