Initially announced earlier this year at CES 2026, 8BitDo has finally opened up sales of its clever little FlipPad game controller that works with Android and iOS, and it’s just $30.
What sets the 8BitDo FlipPad apart in an absolutely massive market of mobile game controllers is that it’s designed to be super compact. The simple controller has a D-Pad, ABXY buttons, Select & Start keys, as well as L1/L2 and R1/R2 buttons. That’s it. But that’s perfect for mobile emulators, as we pointed out earlier this year.
8BitDo FlipPad looks like the perfect portable controller for Android emulators [Gallery]
The tiny controller plugs into your phone over USB-C and sits on a hinge, letting the controller sit on top of your phone’s screen with a rubber-like pad between the back of the controller and the glass. The idea with the hinge is to let you quickly pause the game to reply to a message or complete a task without needing to unplug the controller fully.
No batteries, no pairing, and no bulky items to store. Just a simple controller ready for playing. There are similar products out there, but largely still using Bluetooth or with bulkier designs.
