The difference between an average mobile gaming experience and a legendary mobile gaming experience often comes down to the hardware you’re using. Thankfully, we’ve seen a whole slew of dedicated mobile gaming controllers hit the market in the past few years.
Elo is a new gaming hardware manufacturer founded by a former e-sports player, and he set out to create a pro-level mobile controller accessible to everyone. The Vagabond is the result of nearly two years of work and has easily swept in to put Backbone on notice.
What’s good about the Elo Vagabond?
There’s no getting around it: This is one of the best mobile controllers I’ve ever laid my hands on. Elo nailed just about everything about the design of the Vagabond. One of my biggest issues with most mobile controllers is the mushy buttons that feel like they take forever to press and/or register in game. With the Vagabond, there’s no such problem. The buttons are clicky and tactile and have never once let me down or frustrated me. The only part of the controller I was a bit unimpressed by was the D-pad; it worked fine but didn’t feel as solid as the rest of the controller.
The joysticks and triggers are both Hall Effect, which should make them last longer compared to other controllers’ buttons that don’t use Hall Effect. There are also two programmable buttons on the back, situated perfectly in the curve of the grip. The USB-C connection is flexible (thank you), so you won’t harm your phone or your controller when it plugging in. And as we’ve come to expect on top-tier controllers, there’s also passthrough charging and a headphone jack.
It’s also the most comfortable mobile controller I’ve ever used. The hand grips are resemblant of a full-sized console controller, which is impressive. Most others I’ve used are smaller or not as ergonomic. The larger size also means it can accommodate almost any sized phone, including a foldable phone like the Samsung Z Fold 6 or an iPad Mini, if you really want to go all out.
Elo also wanted to eliminate the hassle of having to remove your case every time you want to game (or the fear of lugging your phone around naked), so it included a range of adapters to accommodate almost any size case — including thicker, more rugged cases — with the Vagabond. There are limitations, of course, but every case I have — and as a reviewer, I have a lot — worked with the Vagabond just fine.
I think Elo also nailed the pricing. The Vagabond is $99 on Amazon. For everything you get with the Vagabond, that’s a win.
What could be better about the Elo Vagabond?
As great as the hardware is, there are a couple of things that could be improved. Aside from the D-pad, the material on the joysticks is a bit rougher than I’m used to. That never became a problem for me, but I did read several customer reviews that complained about it, particularly after longer play sessions. And while not a huge deal, there are no additional covers in the box.
It’s also the biggest mobile controller I’ve used by a decent margin (Razer Kishi Ultra notwithstanding). The size is wonderful for gaming, but it’s very portable. It fits in my backpack, but since it doesn’t come with a case or a bag, it often got snagged as I was pulling it out. I get that this is a tradeoff — but it’s a mobile controller, so size and portability matter. It’s not a dealbreaker for me, but it’s worth keeping in mind.
The biggest weak point of the Vagabond is the software, namely the company’s Unleashed app. It’s available on both iOS and Android, but it’s quite limited at the moment and only shows you a few games. To Elo’s credit, it only shows you games that are fully compatible with the Vagabond – thankfully Call of Duty: Mobile is fully supported — but the selection is currently pretty limited.
You can certainly play other games that work with controllers, but that’s still hit-or-miss for most of them. The app fully supports major cloud gaming platforms like Apple Arcade, Xbox, PlayStation Remote and Steam, so you’ll have access to all those games.
The founder and owner of Elo told me that virtual touch mapping is coming soon, but with such a small team and a first-generation product, they’ve understandably experienced some roadblocks. But the fact that this thing is even shipping in such a polished state as a freshman product is quite a feat.
All that said, Backbone’s software is still miles ahead of Elo’s, but it’s not nearly as bad as others I’ve used.
Should you buy the ELO Vagabond?
It’s hard not to recommend the Vagabond. I think it’s a fair price for the hardware you get. If you’re after a console-quality controller and mainly play games like CODM, Warzone or Genshin Impact, you’ll likely be impressed.
There are certainly less expensive options out there that offer comparable hardware, so if that’s all you’re after, you might find a better option elsewhere. If you want the best of both worlds — top-tier hardware and robust software — the Backbone or Razer Kishi Ultra might be your best bet, if you’re willing to pay for it.
