Finally! A gamepad for Android that is not Bluetooth! Does playing games on your smartphone just wear out your battery life? The XOPAD is the first open source USB game controller allows charging while gaming, audio support, and full analog joystick commands for Android smartphones. The gamepad can resize to fit phones up to the Samsung Galaxy Note II, which is the largest smartphone available in market. It essentially turns your phone into a portable gaming console with extended hours of game play.
“This will change the experience for many users since it’s the first to offer USB charging on the go while you game”, project engineer, Sunny Chandiramani, says. “This means your phone’s battery will always be charging when playing with the XOPAD. It has a rechargeable lithium battery which we are aiming to give players 5-7 if not more of game play while still keeping your phone’s battery charged.”
Why XOPAD?
Smartphones are the next generation gaming platform, but they do have their limitations. The main restriction is the battery drains so quickly while playing and the touch screen controls are very problematic and not ergonomic whatsoever. That is why Space Coast Gadgets LLC decided to create a product that could transfer data through USB, and in turn, that would tackle the issue of charging through USB. This is what sets the XOPAD apart from so many other smartphone gaming devices.
XOPAD takes advantage of the newest Android Accessory Protocol to interface with devices. It’s an open source and can be upgraded at any time. This allows the developers to modify and improve its capabilities, including on-the-go support through purpose-designed electronics. The greatest thing about the XOPAD is that is supports both host mode and device mode.
This means it is an open source and, therefore, the user has the choice to decide on the mode. Sunny tells us, “The controller offers hacking, tinkering and modifying the firmware to expand the support to the fullest. Also, you don’t need special apps to make it work. Android already offers support over OTG and AOA 2.0 to be able to use this controller within their software and for the non-tinker, it will work out of the box.”
We asked Space Coast Gadgets, LLC where the idea originally came from for the XOPAD. They shared their story with us and explained, “The idea started when one of our engineers found it difficult to play with games using the touch screen. Other solutions on the market required you to connect the controller over Bluetooth and also possibly root your phone which can cause battery drain and a little know how to root. We wanted to come up with a simple plug and play solution which required no rooting, little to no tinkering, and also extended game play.”
Sounds like they found their solution and many other gamers will be able to benefit from the XOPAD. Space Coast Gadgets, LLC is currently running a campaign on Kickstarter.com so they can finish developing the XOPAD. If they are successfully funded, they plan to release the XOPAD this coming summer through online markets. Retail cost for the XOPAD will be $69.95 and if you want the developer kit version, which include a special USB cable for programming, they will sell for $75. However, if you go support their campaign on Kickstarter.com, the early birds can get the XOPAD for only $50. Once the early bird special is over, it will cost $60 on Kickstarter so check them out now.
Author Bio: Ben Tanner is an internet marketing expert for ZAGG Inc, helping to providing the best internet marketing experience around the world. You can follow him on Goolge+.
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