A few months ago, GameSir released the Pocket Taco, a mobile gamepad based on the Nintendo Game Boy. This time around, it’s getting competition in the form of the 8BitDo FlipPad, which does the exact same thing.
Do we really need another one? Probably not. However, 8BitDo’s version of a Game Boy-style mobile controller approaches it a little differently compared to the one Pocket Taco released, leading to a few significant differences that might make you choose one over the other for your retro gaming fix.
The 8BitDo FlipPad is smaller and lighter than the Pocket Taco, largely because it doesn’t have a battery. That’s because it doesn’t pair with the smartphone over Bluetooth. Instead, it plugs in via the USB-C port at the bottom of your phone. As such, it doesn’t clamp to the phone the same way the Pocket Taco does. Instead, it attaches via the USB-C connection, with the front panel simply folding on top of the screen to give your smartphone physical Game Boy-like controls. If you need to use the phone while the gamepad is attached, you can also just flip the front panel open and use it like normal (well, kind of normal with a plastic panel hanging out there at one end). The hinge that enables that flipping motion, by the way, is rated for 6,000 open and close cycles.
It takes on the familiar Game Boy control layout, so you get a D-pad on the left and a quartet of action buttons on the right, along with a row of system buttons at the bottom. Because of the gamepad’s slim profile, you can’t put any buttons on the shoulders like the Pocket Taco did. Instead, they simply added the four shoulder buttons as the top row on the gamepad. Basically, you get a lighter, more compact, and cheaper gamepad that doesn’t require charging, although you don’t get proper bumpers and triggers like the original Game Boy, which will absolutely suck for some users. According to the outfit, it uses silicone switches that are clicky, light, and precise, so they should feel pretty good to play.
The 8BitDo FlipPad will cover over a third of your smartphone’s screen, so you obviously can’t use it with any games that require the entire display. It’s also designed strictly for vertical gaming, whether for emulating classic games or playing newer compatible titles. Also, you might want to steer clear of emulators that put the game in the middle of the screen, since there’s a chance the gamepad could block the bottom part of the visuals. If you do, make sure to use a skin that puts the actual game along the top.
To make sure the gamepad doesn’t scratch your smartphone’s screen, it comes with a thin rubbery layer on the underside to provide grip and stability without nicking the glass. A more apparent problem here might the USB-C connector, which isn’t extendable, so there’s a chance you’ll need to remove your phone from its case, in the event it won’t plug in properly. It works with iOS (26.2 or higher) and Android (13.0 or higher).
The 8BitDo FlipPad is available for preorder now.
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