Play on your smartphone like on a set-top box - the budget EXEQ Renegade gamepad

Playing on smartphones is not always grateful. Especially if it’s a sports simulator, and the characters of the game are so small that it’s difficult to hit them with your finger the first time. But a very sensible decision appeared to avoid these difficulties and keep your nerves in perfect order. This article will focus on the new gamepad for Android and iOS smartphones.



▌The torment of choice, the search for optimal solutions.
▌ Characteristics.
▌Sync.
▌Soft and instructions.
▌ Games.
▌ Problems and solutions.
▌ Disadvantages and advantages of the device.
▌ Results.

Playlist with tests of games on the EXEQ Renegade gamepad
Link to the official website

укиMuki of choice, search for optimal solutions.

Playing the console is good and convenient, but there are some disadvantages, for example, not always top-end iron. Playing on the phone is comfortable only in sensory games like “birds” and “fruit ninja”, and in shooters, platforming and racing you don’t always want to crawl your finger on the glass.

I am a fan of various gadgets and stray, I decided to test this blue-tooth gamepad EXEQ Renegade. A little strange name, but it completely reveals the whole essence of the gamepad. Renegade - a person who has moved from one religion to another ... If you divide the compatibility of this gamepad into the religion the number of supported OS, then it is, this "defector" easily connects to iOS and Android. It is possible to connect to a PC.

The criteria for choosing a gamepad are simple: Price, number of keys, tilt sticks, the ability to buy it "in the stall opposite."

So, I started ...


I decided on the price right away: a gamepad up to 2000 rubles . I can afford it, and the amount that is not a pity for the toy. The number of keys immediately threw small 8-10 button gamepads, including models from the giant Samsung, to the end of the list and there were only xbox-like gamepads, the same criterion spilled over to the next point - the sticks should be tiltable.
Why not the G910? It is nevertheless closer to the original “X” gamepad and is thick in places of grip, for the sake of greater portability this is excluded.
The choice fell on what has become available recently, the bluetooth gamepad EXEQ Renegade.

▌ Features



Number of buttons: 13 - (A, B, X, Y, L1, R1, L2, R2, L3, R3, START, SELECT, D-PAD);
Number of analog joysticks: 2, have the ability to press (L3, R3);
Additional keys are 5 buttons for controlling the player on a mobile device
(sound volume -, back, play or pause, forward, sound volume +);
Connection Technology: Bluetooth 3.0;
Battery: built-in 380 mAh battery, charging from a USB port;
Supported operating systems: iOS 4.3, Android 3.2 and higher;
Features: retractable holder for installing mobile devices (up to 9 centimeters wide);
Options: gamepad, mini USB-USB cable, manual, warranty card;
Black color.

The joystick is (IMHO) a slightly reduced and modified xbox360 gamepad with a retractable holder.


Inside the joystick there is a battery with a capacity of 380 mAh (I could not make out and see it due to the lack of a triangular screwdriver), however, for the whole time that I play (and these are 3 full charges of the smartphone), the gamepad battery could not be discharged.
The gamepad can work with devices running Android and iOS, and announced work with a PC.

The most interesting element of the device is the mount for a smartphone.
According to the manufacturer, a device with a screen of not more than 5.5 inches can climb into this mount. In fact, it turned out that you can shove even more, a device 9cm wide is inserted without problems!

Coffee break in the form of a small video demonstrating the game Mortal Kombat Unchained on the PPSSPP emulator :



▌Synchronization
Synchronizing a smartphone with a joystick also does not cause any problems, the main thing is not to get confused with the modes!

The instructions are detailed, but I will give mine, which works for me.

1. Turn on Bluetooth on your smartphone.
2. To connect the device in the gamepad mode, you must hold down the “X” + “Home” buttons and wait for the LED to blink quickly.
3. Then find the device using your smartphone, click pairing.
4. Switch the input language to English, this can be done in the phone settings: settings -> language and input -> default keyboard -> Latin or English.
5. Turn off the gamepad after synchronization by pressing the "Home" key, hold it until the operation indicator on the controller disappears.
6. Turn on the gamepad, press the arrows and reject the right analog, if the gamepad is defined, then you can navigate through the smartphone menu using the gamepad.

The next time you want to turn on the gamepad, it is better not to synchronize “X” + “Home” again, the gamepad will be determined by itself, as expected by simply turning on the “Home” key.

After switching on, the gamepad was determined, and I downloaded DEAD TRIGGER to check the progress of the analogs and assign keys in the settings. Time goes by, and DT is still good:



And then I realized that it’s time to change the smartphone, 4.5 inches is not enough for games, the stylus just does not get into the settings.

▌Software and instructions

Instructions for working with Exeq Renegade (~ 1 Mb)
Instructions for Android Gamepad Assistant



A sort of alternative market with compatible software.
Applications for Android OS (~ 45 Mb)

▌ Games

Many modern games automatically detect the presence of a joystick connected to a smartphone, for example:


Games for the iOS platform:

All you need to do is just run the game.

I tried to run a number of games with controller support, iCade is a loyal assistant in this.
The gamepad is quite comfortable, Soft-touch coverage.
The action keys, crosspiece, analogs, triggers are where they should have been.
Thumbs with analogs easily reach the action keys and the cross, the index fingers lie on L1 and R1, the middle fingers on L2 and R2.
Unlike many prefixes, the keys do not make much noise when shaking.



Games for the Android platform:

On usability and trifles.
He lies confidently in his hands, the keys are all under his fingers - I like it, but I didn’t really like the tilt of the smartphone, I would like the retractable holder to have a few more positions for fixing the tilt angle.
You don’t have to intercept the keys at all, in principle, you lifted your finger, moved it to the right or left, and you are already on the analogs or buttons.

In Asphalt 8, GT Racing 2, Riptide GP and Riptide GP2 it’s convenient to drive, many say that allegedly driving on a gamepad is worse than controlling inclines, but I don’t think so. It happens that the hands are tired and unbearable to sit, turn on your side and play, but no, the sensor will not work correctly.

Platforms and arcades with support for gamepads work flawlessly.

A few toys from the entertainment center






▌ Disadvantages and advantages of the device.

There is still no standardization in Android OS and in vain, all buttons in games should correspond to the same codes, and not in the way a particular developer wants. Yes, now there are several areas in which developers from Nvidia and MOGA, OUYA, WAMO and others are working, but that's not all.
You can’t catch a fish from a pond without a ROOT! If the device is not rutted, then setting up control in games is problematic, that is, if this cannot be done in the game itself, then you won’t be able to set up control for yourself.

The battery is gorgeous, it lasts a very long time, it charged the smartphone three times, and the battery did not run out.
Works great in parallel with the headset so as not to disturb others.
It is convenient to hold, soft touch coverage and good ergonomics.
A full set of buttons, like on an xbox 360 controller.
An additional row of multimedia buttons - 5 pieces, can be used as a remote control from a media player in a docking station.
Lightweight, slightly adds weight to the smartphone.
Connector for charging a regular microUSB. This is another plus, since you do not have to carry another charger with you.

▌ Problems and solutions.

ROOT. If you do not have a root or you are afraid of it, then you can use the gamepad without it. There are many toys with gamepad support. All the emulators that I tried have the ability to customize the controls as you want, and the abundance of keys will allow you to play the emulator of the same N64, almost like on your own gamepad.

▌Total

EXEQ RENEGADE is a really good gamepad.
It has decent functionality, you can connect to an Android / iOS device or computer.
In general, the joystick seemed quite interesting and unusual to me.