Gaming handhelds and controllers for mobile devices have had so much innovation lately, it seems there’s not much more left to explore. We’ve seen controllers with a steering wheel, handhelds with dual screens, or one with a 3D display, and controllers with dual-orientation mode support. Now, there’s a handheld by GameMT with a knob for the second analog joystick, because why not?
The Android gaming handheld dubbed Pocket Super Knob 5000 has a knob that can be turned to select from one of the four performance profiles in games where the function is supported. One advantage that dedicated gaming handhelds have over a phone-controller setup is the freedom of a full-blown set of physical controls. This handheld is another example of a gaming console with a specific set of control inputs targeted at a niche set of gamers.
Designer: GameMT
GameMT’s super-thin handheld has been teased on X by user Retro Gaming With Deadfred, hinting at the most important specs and details that would pique the interest of gamers. Pocket Super Knob 5000 has a 5-inch display and is powered by the MediaTek Helio G85 processor. Definitely not the most powerful processing power in there, but it should be suited to play arcade titles and RPGs that are not demanding. On the left, there is the Hall Effect thumbstick for the customary control input for movement. On the right is where things get a little interesting, as the handheld has a twistable knob that can be cranked for linear game input to choose the options. By our assumption, it cannot be used for actual game input because it would be highly impractical and ergonomically challenging.
If we go by what they’ve released last year (the EX5 handheld), the Super Knob 5000 should have the same functionality. Having the freedom to toggle the power and performance balance with the twist of a knob should come in handy for gamers who love to change the settings frequently. However, this should sacrifice the input of directional panning in first person shooter or 3D games. Meaning, the handheld should only be good for playing a specific set of titles that don’t require the second thumbstick input for the major in-game controls.
Other than this novelty, the handheld has the other control inputs, like the shoulder buttons and triggers. GameMT claims the handheld has 5-8 hours of extra battery life when the battery saving mode is turned on. The metal backplate should keep things cool, and the lightweight form of 13.2mm thickness and 200 grams weight should make it an interesting buy.
For us, replacing the second thumbstick with a limited functionality knob doesn’t make much sense unless GameMT has a hidden feature that they’ll reveal when the handheld is launched in April.
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