For the past year, I've spent ample time on the GameSir G8 Galileo as I prefer the "Switch-style" mobile controllers that sandwich a phone between a retractable pair of controller grips, but plugging a phone into a USB-C controller like this makes it impossible to use a pair of smart glasses. That is, until the Viture x 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Controller arrived at my doorstep a few weeks ago.
While it certainly resembles my favorite GameSir controller, it has a special superpower that no other controller to date has: the ability to plug a pair of smart glasses in while getting the neck-saving comfort of smart glasses. More specifically, a pair of Viture smart glasses plugs into the new 8BitDo Ultimate controller, putting the screen on your face so your arms can relax.
We've named Viture the best smart glasses ecosystem because the company has so many different gadgets that work with its glasses, while most other smart glasses are just designed to plug into a smartphone or laptop. This new controller solves a very real problem in the mobile gaming sector, and it does it without eliminating the ability to charge the phone and still play on your glasses.
Gaming on the go
The Viture x 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Controller gets all the basics right. It's got dual Hall Effect joysticks, a proper d-pad (read: not one of those circular garbage ones), four face buttons, a screenshot and home button on the front, start and select buttons, two bumpers, two back buttons, and two analog-style triggers.
The contours are incredibly comfortable, and the controller itself is a smidge smaller than the GameSir G8 Galileo, which makes it feel less cumbersome than that controller. Don't get me wrong, I love the Galileo, but it can feel a little on the chunky side if you have smaller hands.
The controller connects to your phone via a USB-C port on the right, which is great for most of the best smartphones, but large book-style foldables like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 should remain closed unless you like a big phone hanging down below your controller.
All of the buttons are customizable via the 8BitDo Ultimate Software V2 app; just make sure you're using the V2 app and not the original release. Why these can't be combined is beyond weird to me, as it's terribly confusing, but only V2 seems to allow you to customize the button mapping properly.
Viture's newly launched GamePal app provides a list of recommended games, but is more focused on future feature launches than anything. Viture tells me it's working on a "Full-FoV" feature that lets you launch full-screen games through the app, similar to how the experience feels when connecting Viture smart glasses to a Samsung phone that supports Samsung DeX.
Of course, the real draw here isn't just the controller comfort or the customizable buttons — all the best mobile controllers do those already — instead, it's the ability to connect to your Viture smart glasses while enjoying the ultra-low-latency that only a USB-C gaming controller can deliver.
Since neither the glasses nor the controller has an internal battery, they're both powered by your phone's battery. I've been mostly using the OnePlus 13 to test this pair, but I haven't seen any obvious battery drain issues on it or on some other phones I've tested, like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra or Honor Magic V3. If the phone does happen to need a top-up, you can plug a USB-C cable or any of the best power banks into that top USB-C port, and the cord won't even get in the way since it's up top. Brilliant!
The bulk of my play sessions were spent in Monster Hunter Wilds via GeForce Now on my phone, and my gosh, did it ever look good in 1440p at 120FPS on those Viture Pro smart glasses. It doesn't even require setup or anything like that, either. Just plug the glasses into that dedicated port on the controller, and you're good to go.
If you'd rather skip the smart glasses and just use it handheld from time to time, there's no need to change any settings or do anything extra. Just plug your phone into the controller and play away. If you do end up deciding the glasses are the right idea, though, make sure you get a Viture-branded pair and not one from another company, as Viture's glasses have a special chip that interfaces with the controller. If you've already got a pair of Viture glasses, ensure your firmware is up to date before using the controller. Happy gaming!
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