Logitech’s gaming controller for iOS devices works well for certain games, not so much with others.
One of the hidden features that Apple built into iOS 7 is driver support for console-style game controllers, both wired and wireless.
Only one or two manufacturers have stepped up to the plate to produce game controllers for iOS devices and Logitech is one of them.
Its PowerShell controller allows you to slot in an iPhone 5/5s or iPod Touch (latest gen) and hold it like a gamepad. It has a direction-pad on the left, four-button array on the right, and two shoulder buttons.
What’s more interesting is that the PowerShell, as the name suggests, also comes built-in with its own 1,500mAh battery — a great boon if you intend to game for extended periods on your iPhone.
Perfect fit
The PowerShell is a longish device about the length of a PS Vita (or perhaps a little longer). It’s a little long to completely fit in a pocket but if you don’t mind it sticking out a little bit, it can still be considered “pocketable”.
The design of the controller is such that you must use a naked iPhone 5/5s — no casing of any kind will be able to fit into the PowerShell’s slot.
Slotting in an iPhone is pretty easy. You put it in bottom first, so that the Lightning port aligns with the PowerShell’s and then you just push it in.
The iPhone stays in there only by friction — there are little rubber bumpers on the inner edges of the slot that keep the iPhone from falling out and also prevents it from being scratched as you insert or remove the phone.
The PowerShell has cutouts in all the right places so you have access to all the iPhone’s functions. There’s a cutout for the volume and mute switches, as well as the back so that you can still snap photos with the controller attached.
There’s even a little round cutout for the headphone port — it’s pretty deep inside, so Logitech has provided a little adaptor so that you can still plug any type of earphones into it.
To attach an iPod Touch (which is slimmer than an iPhone) you have to use the included silicon spacer so that all the ports align correctly.
The PowerShell worked as expected — the buttons were responsive and great for platforming games such as Sonic The Hedgehog.
In a 2D side-scrolling games such as this where you essentially have to hit the directional keys on the gamepad, the PowerShell’s setup worked very well.
Response was actually very good and we didn’t notice any lag, something which would have been fatal in a fast-paced, twitchy game like Sonic.
However, the directional pad was a little mushy with games like Oceanhorn, which is a 3D isometric-style puzzler.
The flatness of the directional pad is not great for precise movements such as when you need to change movement quickly from up/down/left/right to one of the diagonal directions.
In this regard, the PowerShell has the same problem as the first PSP — instead of a single direction pad, the PowerShell should instead have two joysticks.
Playing first-person shooters like Dead Trigger 2 is quite difficult without two joysticks as you will need one for controlling movement and another for aiming shots.
End game
The Logitech PowerShell is a nice controller if you pair it up with a game that works well with it.
Without a doubt it’s great for 2D side scrolling games — the PowerShell performed very well and was responsive enough that we never felt that it was at fault when we failed in such games.
However, the lack of a second joystick does mean that certain types of games like first-person shooters and racing games are still not an ideal fit for the PowerShell.
Our biggest concern, however, is that because it’s designed only for the iPhone 5/5s and iPod Touch, you can’t use it when you upgrade to a better iPhone. In fact, you can’t even use it with larger devices like the iPad Air or iPad mini.
A better solution would have been for Logitech to have made a Bluetooth controller instead.
Sure, you’d lose the nice backup battery that the PowerShell comes with but at least a Bluetooth controller would be reasonably future-proof.
Pros: Responsive; relatively lightweight; built-in battery means longer gaming hours.
Cons: Only works with iPhone 5/5s and iPod Touch; lack of second joystick limits the kind of games that you can play with the PowerShell.
PowerShell Controller + Battery
iOS 7 game controller (Logitech)
Specifications: Direction pad, 4 buttons, 2 shoulder buttons
Other features: 1,500mAh lithium-ion battery
Dimensions (W x D x H): 63 x 21 x 200mm
Weight: 120g
Website: gaming.logitech.com
Price: RM399
Rating: 3 stars
Review unit courtesy of Logitech, www.logitech.com/my
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