If you’re big into mobile gaming, you might have a reason to celebrate: Razer Junglecat is the latest mobile peripheral aimed at providing you with a palpable edge over the competition! These gaming-oriented mobile peripherals are nothing new, but whenever Razer takes a stab at something, they tend to find a winning formula. Well, at least more often than not.

A Controller for the Mobile Gaming Era

Now, this isn’t the first iteration of the product as Razer already had something similar on display all the way back in 2014 at E3. Back then, they showcased a slide-out type of controller with an opening up top for your iPhone. This time around, they’re basically releasing their own Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons.

You can use the Razer Junglecat in one of two ways. The controller itself comes with two separate sides that you can attach to your phone and then map physical controls to on-screen ones. As an alternative, you can connect both sides to a central plastic bridge that will widen the whole setup and make it feel like you’re actually holding a classic gamepad.

If you choose to attach the controller to your phone, however, you’re basically getting a dual analog setup along with two shoulder buttons on each side. Razer is also releasing a dedicated Gamepad App that will provide you with a plethora of options when it comes to various controller settings, adding game-specific modifications, presets/profiles, custom button layouts, and so on. You’ll even be able to fine-tune the sensitivity for each thumbstick. Not too shabby. The Razer Junglecat provides players with a “low-latency connection” through Bluetooth Low Energy along with over 100 hours of battery life.

A respectable number, without a doubt. The controller is charged via USB-C.

The Elephant in the Room

Now, it’s downright impossible not to compare this kind of set-up to a Nintendo Switch. After all, the resemblance between the two is immediately obvious — but in the best possible way. Everyone loves the versatility and (surprising) amount of power that Nintedo’s console brings to the table, and even though it lacks the sheer horsepower when compared to its much beefier competitors (PlayStation 4 and Xbox One), its flexibility and fascinating game library make it an extremely alluring purchase.

In other words, its inherent virtues far outweigh its shortcomings. That said, if you’re in a nitpicking mood , it’s hard not to complain because of a couple of details. The screen isn’t particularly bright nor is it a high resolution panel, the battery life is pretty darn abysmal, there are many documented hardware issues that have yet to be fixed in any console revision (the dreaded Joy-Con drift), it uses a console-specific operating system that is light on features (that’s an understatement), and it’s also a console in the most classic sense, meaning you’re only going to play games on it — no exceptions.

But a strong, “state-of-the-art” mobile phone with the latest and greatest hardware can not only compete with such a setup but even surpass it due to the fact that it offers so much more when it comes to connectivity, versatility, and a staggering number of Android-specific benefits. Mobile phones still don’t have the same vast library as a Nintendo Switch, but with cloud gaming rising in popularity (Google Stadia, GeForce Now, Xbox Console Streaming, etc.) a future in which you can stream, say, The Witcher 3 to your phone is truly within reach.

The only downside to Razer Junglecat is that it only works with four specific mobile phones at the time of this writing — if you want to turn your phone into a Switch-like console, that is. Razer Phone 2, Samsung Galaxy S10+, Samsung Galaxy Note 9, and the Huawei P30 Pro are the only devices that are currently supported. According to a Razer representative, the company is focusing on phones that meet their hardware-specific criteria (CPU, GPU, display size, etc.) and while they might add new phones in the future, you shouldn’t hold your breath. Razer is known for developing attractive new concepts and then not supporting them for long.

The Razer Junglecat can connect to Android smartphones, tablets and desktop computers.

If your mouth is still watering after reading all of the above, you can click here to place your order on Razer’s official website! Finally, if you want to know whether your favorite titles are supported before making the plunge, you can look up Razer’s official compatibility list!