Moga’s new controllers aim to give you console-style gameplay on Android

PowerA’s Moga division is launching two new Android smartphone-and-tablet game controllers for the holidays.

Above: Moga Pro Power controller.

Image Credit: PowerA

The new controllers feature Moga Boost technology, which charges players phones while they play, allowing for longer sessions without running down battery life. Both new controllers feature new designs that aim to make gaming on an Android device more fun.

Why do you need a controller to play games on a tablet or a smartphone? So that you can play console-like shooters, which really suck on touch screens (see Moga’s video below to see why).

The Moga Hero Power controller will sell for $60 while the Moga Pro Power will sell for $80. Both work with Android 2.3 and higher and are available now at MOGAanywhere.com. Early this month, they will debut at Best Buy, GameStop, Sprint, Target, and Verizon.

“We listened to consumers, and the number-one issue that mobile gamers faced was battery drain while gaming on their phones,” said Eric Bensussen, president of Woodinville, Wash.-based PowerA. “For the first time ever, Moga is offering a two-in-one device that promises to be the hottest mobile accessory this holiday season — the combination of a precision mobile-game controller and mobile-phone charger all in one.”

Both controllers support multiplayer gaming on the same screen, better ergonomics, improved Bluetooth radios, and seamless support for a library of hundreds of Moga-enhanced and human-interface-device compatible games. Both models also have a locking technology that secures a person’s phone to a controller.

The new features include a slimmer, more portable design. The controllers have dual analog sticks that click down. They have a D-pad and A, B, X, and Y buttons. They have both L1/R1 and L2/R2 shoulder buttons. And they have rechargeable 1800-milliamp internal batteries.

The Moga Pro Power also has a tablet stand and a console-style design.

Additionally, Moga is running a contest starting Nov. 12, where it will issue a unique weekly video-production challenge for players. It will continue every Tuesday until Nov. 26. The participants can create their own Moga videos and submit them to their own YouTube channels. A fan vote will determine a winner each week. An expert panel of judges, including funny-game-film maker Freddie Wong (who stars in the video below), will also choose a winner. The chosen players will receive a Red Scarlet-X camera and move on to the final round, where the final victor could win $25,000.

A leaked video showed that a Moga Ace Power game controller is in the works for iOS. Moga says it is working on such a controller, but more details are not available yet. I’ve seen one of these, and it looks pretty cool.