This mobile controller has fixed a 24 year gripe in one simple solution

The EasySMX M20 has just dropped for pre-order, but it's not the trigger locks, hall effect thumbsticks, or mechanical buttons that have me breathing a sigh of relief. It's the rotating face buttons.

Xbox and Nintendo have co-existed peacefully for 24 years now, but our thumbs have had to pay the price for one of their disagreements. Swapping the A, B and X,Y buttons has caused two decades of accidental inputs, especially when emulating different systems from the same device. The M20 won't fix your muscle memory, but its swappable face buttons certainly cut down on the mental gymnastics in between each press.

This is a full-stretch wraparound controller connecting to Android (or newer iPhone) devices via USB-C. It comes from the brand behind my ride-or-die (and one of the best PC controllers we've tested so far), the EasySMX X10. It's sporting all the premium features you'd expect from one of the best mobile controllers on the market, but also sports dual grip motors for additional haptic feedback across ten intensity levels.

Code: M20 Controller

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EasySMX M20: was $69.99 now $62.99 at EasySMX Co., Ltd

Use promo code M20 Controller for a 10% discount on new pre-orders of the EasySMX M20 at the brand's own site. That drops the $69.99 launch price to $62.99 in the US (and £47.70 in the UK), with shipping kicking off from mid-April.

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The EasySMX M20 isn't the only controller looking to uproot its face buttons. CES gave us a look at a modular gamepad from GameSir and Hyperkin that can swap and change your controls with a number of different configurations. That's slightly more focused on emulation, with N64 and GameCube modules to slot into its face. It's not a case of Xbox or Nintendo-ifying your controls.

While RAM shortages are causing many of the best gaming handhelds to surge in price, those turning to gaming phones and gaming tablets for their retro fix are best served here. I see the M20 at home in the hands of a nostalgic mobile gamer, regularly swapping between classic Ninty emulation and Xbox Game Pass streaming.

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We're also rounding up all the best Xbox Series X controllers and the best PS5 controllers for more console-specific options.