GameSir Pocket Taco turns your phone into a vertical console

GameSir Pocket Taco is a vertical mobile gaming controller with physical buttons and it clamps onto the bottom of your Android phone. It syncs via Bluetooth to give you a Gameboy-esque experience on the device you use regularly.

Retro gaming handhelds are big business right now and for good reason. They’ve gotten increasingly more powerful, more capable and more beautiful thanks to brands like Retroid, Ayn, Anbernic, Miyoo and some others. But most people also use their phones as an emulation machine instead of carrying around an extra or dedicated device, which works fine and is serviceable, unless you like physical buttons. Enter the GameSir Pocket Taco, a pocket-sized mobile gaming controller meant to be used in a vertical configuration. To keep it simple, it effectively turns your phone into a Gameboy-esque handheld console.

It securely clamps onto the bottom half of your candybar-style Android smartphone. It syncs wirelessly via Bluetooth to give you wide compatibility with apps and games. Moreover, it automatically powers on when you unfold it, and powers off when closed. Altogether, these features make it convenient and easy to use, more so than you’d expect from a wireless mobile controller. A built-in long-lasting 600mAh rechargeable battery offers hours of playback on a single charge. Meanwhile, the physical buttons are customizable via the GameSir app.

What is a vertical mobile gaming controller like the Pocket Taco?

Unlike your more traditional console-like controller, the vertical gaming controller covers the bottom half of your phone’s screen. The idea is to mimic the function, feel, and mechanics of a vertical handheld console like a Gameboy or Anbernic and retro versions. It still syncs to your phone via Bluetooth like any wireless controller would.

Specs aside, there are a lot of extra features that make the GameSir Pocket Taco desirable, too. The hollow-bottom design and built-in charging port allows you to charge while you play. Soft silicone pads on the inside keep your phone screen safe from scuffs and scratches when clamping on the controller. Best of all, tactile switch triggers and bumpers, and cushioned membrane ABXY buttons and the d-pad offer excellent feedback and feel good while using them. There is a turbo function supported for most of the buttons, as well.

As for the name, that’s probably because it looks like a thick taco when it’s not clamped to your phone. It’s not available just yet, with the first pre-orders shipping March 15. But the $35 price tag is not too shabby for a proprietary wireless controller. GameSir makes some excellent gear. I recently grabbed the Tegenaria Lite for some PC gaming and I love it.