Mario Bautista
Mobile gaming has sure come a long way. Thanks to more powerful smartphones, accessories like great mobile game controllers, and an increasing variety of cloud-based gaming services (Steam Connect and Xbox Game Pass), gaming on the go is easier than ever.
Whether on a commute, in a dorm room, on a flight, or simply from the comfort of your couch, mobile game controllers like the ELO Vagabond provide players with a more console-like control over their in-game actions and movement. When picking the right mobile gaming controller for your play style, it’s important to look at build quality, compatibility, and performance — and the crowdfunded ELO Vagabond, checks many of those boxes, even in its early stages.
ELO Vagabond
The ELO Vagabond is a USB-C mobile gaming controller suitable for iOS and Android mobile devices. With an ergonomic layout and slick Hall Effect joysticks, this controller can take mobile gamers to new heights, no matter the genre. Some early-stage software hang-ups may make buyers hesitate, but hopefully, we will see solutions to these problems as time goes on.
- Durable, quality build
- Intuitive and ergonomic layout
- Pass-through phone charging
- 3.5 mm headphone jack included
- RGBs aren’t customizable (yet?)
- App and software tweaks are needed
- May not fit larger tablets with cases on
Price, availability, and specs
Retailing for $149, the ELO Vagabond is definitely one of the most expensive mobile gaming controllers out there, most closely rivaled by the $150 Razer Kishi Ultra. And unfortunately, because the Vagabond is so new, it’s currently only available through ELO’s storefront. (I calculated shipping from ELO’s Canadian location to my Minnesota address, and that fee would be an additional $5.)
What’s good about the Elo Vagabond mobile gaming controller?
The hardware is the hero
One of this controller’s biggest standouts is its comfortable grip that mimics holding a full-sized controller, but there are a few other minute details that inch the Vagabond in front of the competition for dedicated mobile players.
The Vagabond is a very well-built controller, made with a solid plastic frame and textured rubberized grips for better handling. The ABXY keys and D-pad are delightfully clicky, almost mouse-like, with a noticeably short travel path.
If you need a mobile controller that’ll fit practically any phone or tablet, it’s best to go with something like the GameSir X4 Aileron. The controller’s two halves are completely detached from one another, so it can theoretically be used with any USB-C mobile device — even if it looks goofy using it on an 11-inch tablet.
That controller has its own flaws and limitations, though. The Vagabond takes an alternative approach that I was skeptical about but appreciated in the end. It ships with six pairs of extra grips, all designed to adapt the Vagabond to phones (cases and all) of varying thickness.
Simply slide your phone into the notches on the accompanying card to determine which thickness works best, then select those grips and affix them to the Vagabond’s inner edge where the phone gets clamped. It sounds like a hassle at first, an extra step that could’ve been overlooked with more forethought in the design process, but it really isn’t. It’s an attentive addition that means you don’t have to rip off your phone case every single time the controller is used.
What’s bad about the ELO Vagabond mobile gaming controller?
The app isn’t ready
My experience with the ELO Vagabond was almost seamless. Almost. If only there weren’t a couple of issues in the app.
Firstly, at the time of this review, the companion app isn’t available to iOS users. When I first received the Vagabond in mid-August, Unleashed was visible in the app store, but not available to my region (the entire US, presumably). And as of this review, the app has completely disappeared from Apple’s App Store. I know ELO is actively working to complete Unleashed’s verification and review process to bring the app to iOS users, but since iPhone 15 and iPad Mini compatibility is prominently proclaimed in the Vagabond’s marketing materials, I think it’s perfectly reasonable to hope that this is resolved very soon.
Don’t worry, Androiders — the Unleashed app is alive and well on the Play Store. I downloaded it to my Pixel 9 without issue.
The other hang-up I experienced on Unleashed is a more widespread UI issue, iOS or not. Unless I missed a step somewhere, calibrating the triggers in the Unleashed app is currently not possible. Even when on the specific page for trigger calibration, the app registers a press on the trigger as a “back” command, and thus backs out of the page instead of calibrating the trigger. I alerted ELO to this problem, so hopefully it’ll be addressed as the device’s launch progresses.
As much as I like the Vagabond — which is a lot — $150 for a mobile controller stings. Granted, the price really seems to reflect a well-made product by a small Canadian company that genuinely poured its heart and soul into its development.
Should you buy it?
Serious mobile gamers are the target market
ELO has a lot of competition to break through in order to establish itself with the mobile gaming crowd, its biggest hurdles being household gaming names like Razer putting out mobile controllers of their own, or budget-friendly brands like GameSir offering us several options in the sub-$100 territory.
Does the Vagabond have what it takes to stand out? With its size and price, I probably wouldn’t choose this controller if I were a very casual phone or tablet gamer who wants a cheap controller that can be tossed in a backpack and only pulled out sometimes.
The Vagabond is an ode to gamers who love mobile gaming and play on their phone or tablet daily. If you fit that bill, then ELO’s Kickstarted success is ideal.
ELO Vagabond
The ELO Vagabond is a USB-C mobile gaming controller suitable for iOS and Android mobile devices. With an ergonomic layout and slick Hall Effect joysticks, this controller can take mobile gamers to new heights, no matter the genre. Some early-stage software hang-ups may make buyers hesitate, but hopefully, we will see solutions to these problems as time goes on.
