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We asked, you told us: Most of you are fine using on-screen gaming controls
August 08, 2025
There are so many different types ofAndroid controllersout there. You can use ones that snap around your phone, ones that you clip-on, or even use Bluetooth to connect a console controller. However, it appears most of you don’t do any of that.
Ina recent pollwe ran atAndroid Authority, we asked whether you’re using a console controller or a smartphone controller. We also gave the option for using a gaming phone that doesn’t need a separate controller or simply using on-screen controls. As you can see from the poll results below, the majority of you are just fine with on-screen controls.
Android controller poll: The default is just fine
Nearly 60% of our readers say that the software-based controls of an Android game oremulatorare all they need. Nearly 27% say they simply use a console controller (such as an Xbox One or PlayStation 4 controller) for their Android controller. Only around 11% of you use a controller specifically designed for a smartphone, and a teeny tiny percentage own gaming phones.
Related:The best phones for gaming you may get
These results are interesting because Android gaming is a pretty big industry, and software controls are usually nowhere near as good as physical ones. Maybe most people are playing games that are simple enough that all you need are swipes and taps? Or maybe some just haven’t tried playing some of their favorite games with a controller yet, so software controls are just fine?
Whatever the case, it’s clear that physical Android controllers aren’t likely to be on many of our readers’ holiday wishlists this year.
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