Nacon MG-X Pro review: Is this the best Xbox controller for your iPhone?

Gaming on your mobile is no longer just a little for a long time Candy Crush to play. Thanks to many game services, your Apple iPhone is an excellent handheld. That’s totally true if you’re using an external Xbox controller like the Nacon MG-X Pro. Is it a competitor for the Nintendo Switch? OMT editor Dennis Mons likes to game on the go and got to work with it.

Connecting a controller to your iPhone for gaming has been a piece of cake for quite some time now. This way you can easily connect your PlayStation controller, your Nintendo Joy-Cons and of course your Xbox controller. But can you see yourself sitting on a train with such a thing?

Nacon MX-G Pro is the ideal companion for gaming on your iPhone

Gaming everywhere is in my blood. I’ve always had a soft spot for handhelds like the GameBoy, SEGA GameGear, Atari Lynx, Neo Geo Pocket, the WonderSwan and of course the PSP and the PS Vita. Diving into your game from time to time is the charm for many gamers.

In terms of handhelds from the big names, however, it has made a bit of a difference in recent years. Of course we have the (excellent) Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck and some handhelds from ‘small’ third parties that mainly run ROMs very well. But why is there no Xbox handheld? (Plenty of reasons, by the way, but that aside.)

That dream is getting closer. As you may know, you probably already own one of the best handheld consoles: your Apple iPhone (or Android). There are so many cool mobile games to play, especially thanks to Apple Arcade (which you can use for 4.99 euros with a trial period).

In addition to Arcade, you can now also stream your Xbox games to your iPhone. Admittedly: it is advisable to be on the same WiFi network, otherwise it will not work very well. Oh and a Game Pass account comes in handy too. You now pay one euro for that and you can play for a month.

If you have these services, a fine controller is a must-have. The Nacon MG-X Pro is an absolute must. It is a nice controller in which you simply clamp your iPhone and actually turn your device into a kind of Nintendo Switch. There is a downside to this, and that’s not your phone. It’s the price of the controller, because it’s ‘amai’ pricey.

Nacon snaps the Xbox controller for Apple

This Nacon MG-X Pro is a sturdy device that turns your phone into a large screen for gaming. It feels robust and even an iPhone 14 Pro Max fits between the clamps with ease. So you never have the feeling that your device is going to clatter out. Nice for a smartphone that may cost five times more than a Nintendo Switch.

Connecting the Nacon to your Apple device is a piece of cake. You just hold down the Bluetooth button on the bottom and it pops up in the settings on your phone. You can then start playing your Apple Arcade or Xbox games almost immediately.

In general, the buttons are immediately set correctly, but you may have to ‘map’ for some games, or arrange the buttons. That was hardly the case with both Arcade and Xbox games. These can be found in the in-game settings of many games. Some games do not support a controller anyway, so you have to come from a good background. It’s relatively easy to do, but that’s a separate tutorial.

However, if you are even more creative and you run RetroArch (a game emulator) on your iPhone, for example, then that mapping is a big nerdy challenge. It is easy to solve with some knowledge of RetroArch. Maybe I’ll come back to this too, because if you use the controller afterwards, games are like Advance Wars, Street Fighter II and Metal Slug 3 again very addictive.

A little bit of fiddling and then a lot of fun. But that may not be the first step you want to make with the Nacon MG-X Pro. Out of the box it does what it’s supposed to do.

Make a hefty Xbox handheld console like the Nintendo Switch with this

In terms of hardware, this is a top gadget that is more convenient than a separate Xbox controller from your iPhone. It’s not heavy, grips your phone well (even the big guys), has a nice grip and the buttons feel exactly like those on Microsoft’s controller. They could have been a bit more ‘mushy’, but then I’m really putting salt on snails.

And if you are someone who indeed streams Xbox games on the toilet or in bed on an Apple device, then this Nacon is a must-have. And you can make it late: it lasts fully charged (with USB-C) about twenty hours.

However, there’s another huge advantage: it’s also great to use if you have an Android (although I still recommend the Android version of the MG-X Pro). I also tested it with games on my Samsung Galaxy S23+ and it works like crazy. Perhaps squeeze in a Galaxy Fold 4 or small tablet and you have a huge handheld that is also extremely portable.

It is not cheap for 120 euros (say expensive) but you can assume that it will last a long time and can certainly take a beating. Perhaps most importantly, he plays fantastically. Highly recommended if you play Apple Arcade and Xbox streaming games. But do you really need it?