Sunday, November 15, 2026
Technology

This tiny gamepad with dual analog thumbsticks pushes the limits of portable controllers

As much as I appreciate the ingenious design of the Nintendo Switch's Joy-Con, my family and I can't stand using them as standalone gamepads. So when we travel with the Switch 2, we always bring at least one full-size gamepad, plus a couple of 8BitDo's Zero 2 controllers for games that don't use ana...

This tiny gamepad with dual analog thumbsticks pushes the limits of portable controllers
Image: The Verge

As much as I appreciate the ingenious design of the Nintendo Switch's Joy-Con, my family and I can't stand using them as standalone gamepads. So when we travel with the Switch 2, we always bring at least one full-size gamepad, plus a couple of 8BitDo's Zero 2 controllers for games that don't use analog thumbsticks. I've spent years hunting for an alternative that pairs the size of the Zero 2 with as much of the functionality of a larger controller as I can get, and CRKD's new Atom Plus is nearly exactly that. But if you have larger hands like I do, you may find the gamepad's focus on portability a struggle.

CRKD Atom Plus

Where to Buy:

Read the full story at The Verge.

Originally published at The Verge

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