Moga game controller for Android devices to debut Oct. 21 for $49.99

Touchscreens have brought a new dimension to games on smartphones and tablets. But a lot of games, like first-person shooters and fighters, aren’t so easy to play on the new devices. So PowerA has created the Moga controller attachment for Android devices that will make you feel like you’re playing on a console.

PowerA, based in Woodinville, Wash., said today that the Moga Mobile Gaming System will debut at retail on Oct. 21 in the U.S. for $49.99. The controller will come with the free downloadable Moga Pivot App and a soft case. Retailers will also bundle two free games, Sonic CD and Pac-Man, for free with the controller for a limited time.

“Gamers are already walking around with phones with exceptional screens and fast chips,” said Eric Bensussen, the president of PowerA. “For under $50, they can clip that phone into the Moga controller and finally get console-quality gaming experiences anywhere.”

The Moga controller has gotten support from Android game publishers including Gameloft, Atari, Namco Bandai, Sega, Remedy Entertainment, and others. They are all developing games that will work with Moga, and the company says new developers and games will come on board each month. Gameloft will make The Dark Knight Rises HD, Asphalt 7: Heat HD, and Dungeon Hunter 3 into Moga-compatible games while Remedy has enhanced Death Rally to work with Moga. Developers can do so by adapting their games using the Moga software development kit.

“The Moga SDK made it quick and easy to make our steering controls feel more precise and natural in Death Rally,” said Aki Järvilehto, the senior vice president at Remedy Entertainment, creators of the Max Payne and Alan Wake console franchises. “Finally, we have something that’s easy to use, simple to implement, and provides console-like controls that gamers have been yearning for.”

The Moga controller is pocket-sized, portable, and connected via Bluetooth wireless. It has dual-analog sticks, two shoulder buttons, four action buttons, and standard start and select buttons. Moga will support Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) devices and up. It can get 18 hours of gameplay with two AAA batteries.