These 5 awesome Android games are begging for controller support (2024)

The distinction between gaming on PC, consoles, and mobile is blurrier than ever. On your phone, you can play ports of some of the best PC and console games, like Total War: Medieval 2 and Alien: Isolation, while streaming apps like Xbox Game Pass let you play AAA titles without expensive hardware. However, some of the best games on Android are missing controller support, a crucial feature that turns these games from good to great.

Controller support is vital for turning mobile gaming from a casual pastime to an experience rivaling PCs and consoles. While many Android games offer great controller support, here are some of the best games that should have it in 2024.

1 Genshin Impact

It's hard to imagine a game more suited for controllers

Source: Google Play

Mihoyo's gacha games are controversial thanks to their aggressive monetization policies, but there's no denying that Genshin Impact offers one of the most beautiful open-world experiences on Android. However, the lack of controller support is jarring; it's hard to fully engage with its vast world with just a touchscreen.

Genshin Impact's lack of controller support feels especially relevant now that Mihoyo's latest title, Zenless Zone Zero, comes with controller support built-in. It's even more puzzling when you consider the iOS version does offer controller support. Genshin Impact's gameplay is fast, fun, and spectacular, marred only by the incomprehensible omission of controller support on Android.

2 Slay the Spire

A controller would be the perfect way to kick back with this deck-building roguelike

Source: Humble Games

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Mega Crit ported its brilliant roguelike deck builder to Android in 2021 with a brand-new UI to support touchscreen devices. However, controller support was quietly omitted, and three years later, there's still no sign of it.

While controller support isn't as necessary for Slay the Spire as a game like Genshin Impact, it should still be there to make this mobile release equal to its PC and console equivalents. While it continues to receive updates, there's no sign of controller support yet.

3 League of Legends: Wild Rift

Controllers would make this MOBA more accommodating

League of Legends: Wild Rift is a brilliant adaption of the immensely popular PC MOBA for mobile. It's not a port, but rather a reimagining of the original game for touchscreens. However, despite the simplified gameplay, the lack of controller support means you'll wear your fingers out during lengthy gaming sessions.

The reasoning behind the lack of controller support is likely due to balancing the game. Controller users would almost certainly have an advantage over touchscreen users, but nevertheless, its inclusion would go a long way toward improving this excellent mobile MOBA. Perhaps a system where touchscreen users can opt out of matchmaking with controller users? After all, it's a system present in many popular cross-platform games.

4 Baldur's Gate 1 & 2

These classic RPGs are in dire need of an update

In 2013, remastered versions of Baldur's Gate 1 & 2 — containing the base games and their expansions — launched on PC and Mac, then on the App Store and Play Store a year later. However, none of these releases contained controller support. Controller support was added to the console releases in 2019, but it has yet to make its way to PC and mobile devices five years later.

The controller-friendly features introduced for Baldurs Gate 1 and 2 for consoles are fantastic, and in many ways, they feel more natural than a mouse and keyboard. Now that we know it's possible, we hope to see the mobile version updated with this fantastic feature soon.

5 Monster Hunter Stories

There's no good reason to not have controller support

Source: Capcom

Despite being a port of a 3DS game, the Android version of Monster Hunter Stories lacks controller support. While some buttons are recognized, it's impossible to move your character with the joysticks, rendering your controller absolutely useless.

Monster Hunter Stories isn't your typical Monster Hunter game, but it's still a brilliantly fun RPG with turn-based battles and monster collecting. The Android port is excellent, but controller support would make it perfect.

Thankfully, these games are the exceptions, not the rule

Considering many of these games have sat in the Play Store for years without any sign of controller support in the development pipeline, we're not expecting this list to become outdated soon.

That said, if you're keen to play these games with a controller now, there's a nifty workaround. Some companion apps for Android controllers, like the Razer Kishi V2, come with touchscreen controller mapping to map your controller's buttons to areas on the screen. It rarely works perfectly, but it's a great stop-gap solution.

Fortunately, most Android games already have controller support, though there will always be exceptions like the above games. Regardless of your gaming preferences, there's a huge variety of touchscreen and controller-supported games on Android to enjoy, so go out there and play them. You might find a new favorite.