🗂️Keep in Mind This Case Turns Your iPhone Into a Retro Console

[_=*Croft*=_]

Retro game emulators are finally on the App Store, and they're thriving. Apps like Delta and RetroArch let users play old retro Nintendo and console games with ease. The software side of retro gaming is surprisingly mature; the hardware side, however, has some catching up to do.

Playing retro games using touchscreen controls leaves a lot to be desired, and you can't always carry a game controller with you everywhere you go. This is where Bitmo Lab's new Gamebaby controller case comes in.

It's an iPhone case that's split in two. The bottom part is a game controller with support for Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance and NES games. According to Gamebaby, the layout supports more than 7000 games that use the Game Boy button layout. (This only works when you're playing games in the vertical orientation.) The case features a D-pad, A/B buttons, Start, Select, and shoulder buttons for more advanced games.

Credit: Gamebaby

You first mount it as a regular iPhone case. The bottom part, which emulates the Game Boy controller, slides off with ease. It can then be flipped and mounted to the front of the iPhone, and is secured with a satisfying snap.

This is purely a mechanical case: There is no Bluetooth support, no wifi, no charging cable. On the back of the buttons you'll find those squishy silicone pads that will press the touchscreen buttons for you. All the magic happens via Delta's custom skins for Game Boy controllers. The touchscreen button placement is taken care of automatically.

Because these aren't real, electronic buttons, don't expect super-fast response times or huge tactical feedback. (When you're playing old Pokémon games, that's not really the feel you're going for, anyway.)

Currently, the case is available only in one color, and is designed only for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPhone 16 Pro Max (hopefully other smaller iPhones will be supported soon). Gamebaby is available to pre-order at an early bird price of $24.99; when it officially launches, it will retail for $39.99. You can order Gamebaby directly from their website, and they plan to release the product in the first half of 2025.

Gamebaby isn't the only exciting game controller coming out this year. At CES 2025, Lifehacker's Michelle Ehrhardt got to play around with MCON, a MagSafe-compatible slide-out controller case for iPhone and other smartphones. MCON will be the first case available in this slim form factor, and a full controller, along with D-pad and joysticks.
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