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Acer’s mobile gaming controller is a folding Backbone alternative

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The Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller.
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
CES 2025
Read and watch our complete CES coverage here
Updated less than 28 minutes ago

Acer unveiled the Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller at CES 2025, providing an alternative to Backbone or Razer’s mobile gaming by providing something that works on both iOS and Android phones right out of the box.

It’s a foldable controller people can use to play games on their phones. The Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller seems to be clearly inspired by the likes of the Backbone One and Razer Kishi V2, which provide a sturdy controller that people can plug their phones into if they want to play with a more traditional controller. It’s particularly useful when playing console games on mobile through cloud gaming.

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Digital Trends got its hands on the controller at CES 2025 eo get a full sense of how it looks, feels, and works. Notably, the Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller connects to phones up to 8.3 inches in size via a USB-C port and allows passthrough charging.

Acer has given the Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller some other unique flourishes to stand out from the competitors. It comes with five rubber pads that make it easier to grip. The Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller can also be folded up, making it more compact than similar controllers. It weighs only 121.6 grams and has dimensions of 175.15 by 85.73 by 34.12 millimeters.

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The Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller is compatible with both iOS and Android devices right out of the box. More specifically, it supports Apple devices from the iPhone 15 onward and Android devices that support Android 9.0 or above. Acer’s Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller will be released in North America sometime in the future for $70.

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Tomas Franzese
Tomas Franzese
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