How to connect the joystick to the Android phone
Connect between a smartphone Android it's a controller, if the latter is Bluetooth, it's really child's play: just follow the classic procedure provided by the operating system and you're done.
Slightly more complex issue concerns, however, the pads with cable: in some cases, they can be managed by Android with little difficulty, however the connection procedure can be slightly more complex. Now I'll explain everything to you in detail.
PS4 pad and Xbox One Bluetooth controller
There was one Android smartphone and you want to link the PlayStation 4 controller or that of Xbox One (in Bluetooth version), then I think I have excellent news for you: since these are devices with Bluetooth connectivity and perfectly supported by Android, they can normally be paired with the phone using the classic procedure provided by the operating system.
Are you asking me how to do it? Well, I'll explain it to you right away. The first step you need to take is to put the controller into pairing mode, following the specific instructions for your model.
- PS4 controller - after making sure that the DualShock 4 is completely turned off, press the keys at the same time PS e Shareuntil the central light bar starts flashing rapidly.
- Xbox One Controller - turn on the controller by pressing the power button (the central one, identified by Xbox logo) until it starts flashing. Then repeat the operation with the connect button, the one identified by the icon ))) and placed next to the key LB: If everything went well, the Xbox logo should start flashing more quickly, a sign that the device has entered pairing mode.
At this point, take the Android smartphone and access the Settings, by touching the d 'icongear located in the drawer of the device. Then, touch the items Connected devices e Pair device, to activate the search for devices in pairing mode that are nearby.
Stai using Android 8, you can get the same result by going to the menu Connected devices> Bluetooth> Pair new device; if, on the other hand, you have Android 7 or earlier, you have to enter the section Bluetooth located in the menu of settings, move on ON the lever located at the top of the proposed screen and wait for the controller to be shown in the list of Available devices.
As soon as the name of the controller of your interest (eg. wireless controller) appears in the list of detectable devices, tap on it to start the pairing procedure and that's it: the connection should be completed automatically. Note that on some Android versions, you may need to press the button Continue to confirm the willingness to proceed further.
If you need more specific information on the connection procedure between the DualShock 4 and your Android device, you can take a look at the guide that I have entirely dedicated to this topic.
Once the pairing procedure is finalized, you can immediately use the PS4 pad or the Xbox One controller to "control" Android: for example, you can switch from one icon to another using the directional arrows or stick left analog (when the pad is connected, the selected icons are highlighted by a colored border); you can emulate the tap and prolonged tap by pressing, or holding down, the key square (PS4) /A (Xbox One); finally, you can get the key press Back / Back of Android using the key X (PS4) /B (Xbox One).
When it comes to using the controller within apps and games, things are slightly different: each title compatible with the same generally comes with a dedicated in-game section in which the functions associated with the keys and sticks of the controller are specified. Some games also allow you to completely customize the latter, thanks to simple configuration menus, or by choosing a package of pre-configured settings.
Remember that in order to pair the PS4 pad or Xbox One Bluetooth controller to its console again, you must return the device to pairing mode, as I showed you a little while ago, and then repeat the pairing procedure provided by the console in your possession: I explained how to complete these steps in my guides on how to connect the PS4 joystick and how to connect the Xbox One controller.
Remote Play
Il servizio Remote Play is a particular game mode dedicated to owners of PS4 and attached pad, usable on devices Sony Xperia relatively recent (here the list of compatible models), which allows you to play the titles installed on the console on the screen of the smartphone or tablet.
It works more or less like this: after setting up the console as the main PlayStation and have activated both the Remote Play and the wake up remotely in its settings, leave the PS4 connected to the internet and in rest mode and install the Remote Play app on the Xperia device.
When you are done, start the application and enter your credentials PSN account (the same configured on the PlayStation): if everything went smoothly, you should have the possibility to choose any of the games in your library and play it from the screen of the device, using the DualShock 4 that you had previously paired.
For more information on how PS4 Remote Play works on Sony Xperia devices, I invite you to carefully read the published by Sony.
Other types of controllers
Didn't you find the information I gave you very helpful, since you don't have a DualShock 4 pad or an Xbox One controller, but some other type of controller? Then things may not be very simple, and I'll explain why in a moment.
Android, by its nature, is not compatible with older controllers, whether they are equipped with a USB cable, equipped with a wireless receiver or partially Bluetooth (like the PS3 pad, for example). In that case, you could try to connect your pad to Android via USB cable using an adapter if necessary USB OTG (useful for "transforming" the microUSB / USB C input of the phone into a standard USB input), like the ones I propose below.
Once you have the adapter, you should connect the pad to the phone / tablet via the latter and use a specific app to make the connection and subsequent pairing between these devices: one of the best known apps for the purpose is Sixaxis, available on Google Play price of 2,29€. Sixaxis allows, thanks to a simple wizard (in English), to establish the connection between the two devices in a couple of taps.
However, I have to make you aware of a very important aspect about this app: it does not work with all Android devices and does not support all types of controllers available in circulation.
Before proceeding with the purchase, I recommend that you check the compatibility between Sixaxis and your device using the Sixaxis Compatibility Checker, available for free on the Play Store. To carry out this verification, however, it is essential that the Android device in question has been previously subjected to the root procedure.
How to connect the joystick to the iOS phone
For iOS, the operating system of iPhone, things are different from Android: in fact, by Apple's precise choice, the version 13 of the operating system supports pairing of the controller via Bluetooth, while the previous ones have no support for console controllers or generic ones: they only support specific controllers with official certification.
In any case, the functioning of the pads is linked to the individual video games (only some titles are optimized for use with pads).
That said, if you have an iPhone equipped with iOS 13 or later and want to connect the PS4 or Xbox One controller to your phone, you need to run the classic Bluetooth pairing. To proceed, therefore, you must put the controller in pairing mode (by holding down the key, or keys, for a few seconds) and then select the device from the menu Settings> Bluetooth of iOS.
On iOS 12 and earlier it is possible to overcome the limitations relating to the pairing of controllers to iPhone and iPad using the jailbreak, in association with particular tweaks (a practice that I do not recommend you do anyway).
How to connect the joystick to the phone
