In a world of game controllers big and small, very few are perhaps as small as the new Atom controller being launched by CRKD. It’s a miniature game controller that fits on your keyring. Which makes it infinitely pocketable and therefore portable. Much more portable than your standard controller. Despite looking like nothing more than a stylish keyring accessory to show off your love for gaming, it actually works. It’s a fully functioning game controller that you can use to play games with.
That’s likely the biggest part of the appeal for those interested. Of course, there’s also something to be said for its size. Many people have an obsession with small things. Anything that is genuinely more regular-sized is ten times cuter when it’s incredibly small. Animals, tiny homes, Micromachines cars, you name it. People have a fondness for miniatures. And now the Atom is here to fill that role for gamers.
The CRKD Atom comes in a wide variety of colors
The miniature size of the Atom is no doubt the largest portion of the appeal. That doesn’t mean that people don’t want or appreciate customization/personalization options. CRKD knows this, as is evident with its numerous releases of the Nitro Deck and Nitro Deck Plus. Both of which come in a bunch of different colors and designs.
The Atom is no different here. Save for the fact that it probably comes in even more colors than those two products. Albeit only one more. The Atom comes in 8 different color options, whereas the Nitro Deck has 7 options you can choose from. There are four neon colors, two transparent colors, and two that evoke a more traditional design akin to retro colors. The best part, though, is that each controller is $20. That’s pretty inexpensive for a controller that works for pretty much anything that’s compatible with a Bluetooth controller.
For specifics, CRKD says the Atom is compatible with PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile. It’s also compatible with smart TVs, which means you should be able to use it for GeForce NOW or Xbox Game Pass too.
A standard controller with 10 hours of battery life
When it comes to features, you’re looking at a pretty basic controller. You have the d-pad, four action buttons, the plus and minus buttons like on the Nintendo Switch, and then four shoulder buttons. There are no turbo buttons or mappable back buttons. But that’s ok. You don’t really want those kinds of pro features on a controller this small as it would likely be incredibly uncomfortable for that kind of gameplay. These are likely perfect for game emulation of retro games though.
In terms of battery life, the Atom lasts for up to 10 hours. Which is really not too bad at all. Considering you might not be playing games with the Atom for extended periods of time. The Atom seems like the perfect companion for quick sessions when on the go. And at $20 with eight color options, it seems exciting for the retro game fan.
