Let’s be honest, most of us casual mobile gamers prefer portrait games that can be enjoyed quickly for a short dopamine boost. Playing platformer or arcade titles that require precise input on-screen are better played with a stylus, giving you the strategic advantage if you’ve got the reflexes to back your skills. 8BitDo is introducing a portrait mode clip-on controller accessory for gamers like me who prefer to keep things minimal.
This flip-style gamepad, designed for Android and iOS (officially supported by Apple) mobile devices, is palm-sized for ultra-portability. Coming to CES 2026, the microcontroller will be officially available in the summer of 2026. There is no word on the release date, nor are there many details, but we’ll share what’s available of this retro-forward accessory that looks inspired by the Game Boy DMG color theme.
Designer: 8BitDo
Called the FlipPad, this portrait orientation controller is a good option to have along with your standard mobile controllers that operate in landscape orientation. I can very well imagine playing White Out Survival, Vampire Survivors, Road to Valore: Empires, Subway Surfers, and other mobile games using the compact controller. The USB-C accessory has 12 face buttons and a D-Pad, which should be good enough for portrait games, as they generally don’t demand the shoulder trigger buttons as input.
I know most of your mobile gamers will be looking to use the controller for emulators, especially titles that have an on-screen gamepad similar to this. The flip-style controller is designed in a way that it can overlay over the on-screen keyboard for maximum ergonomic comfort. That’s the reason the controller is compatible with most third-party applications and emulators like the Delta Emulator. I presume the controller will come with an in-built rechargeable battery and lack Bluetooth connectivity since it plugs directly into your smartphone via the USB-C port.
For games that are natively portrait-oriented and take up the complete screen, the FlipPad will contract the screen size to accommodate the overlaying gamepad section. It’s more like a physical controller to have the tactile input of the buttons rather than fiddling around with the on-screen buttons.
The post 8BitDo FlipPad controller for enjoying portrait games on Android and iOS first appeared on Yanko Design.