You can find this review in full at GBAtemp.net:
https://gbatemp.net/review/waterfield-pouch-for-rog-ally.2316/

Windows handhelds aren’t new, but ASUS have been kicking up a storm by offering a great device at an incredibly compelling price. Where I think they fell short, however, is in their official case. It’s been designed fairly thoughtfully for the system and can act as a stand while gaming, and keep it protected on the go. On paper I like it. But to me, and maybe others, it just looks ugly; it has a 2010s Adidas bag feel I can’t get past. I wanted something better. Something I wouldn’t grimace at when I pulled it out of my bag, and something that could still do a good job at keeping the Ally safe. Enter WaterField and the latest iteration of their Pouch.

The Pouch itself isn’t all too difficult to explain. You have a ballistic nylon exterior that houses a zipped pocket on the front, and a main zipped compartment to store the Ally itself. The inside of the main compartment is incredibly soft and has an additional padded pouch behind where the console sits. You can use this to store your essentials, but outside of that I appreciate how it enables the Ally to sit largely flush with the case thanks to the pouch sitting between the two hand grips. It’s a small detail but it does go to show the effort and detail that goes into adjusting these cases to best fit the specific device. Following on from this, it should be no surprise the Ally fits perfectly and feels incredibly secure when being transported or just thrown onto a sofa while I’m tidying around. The zip comes around the corner of the case, making it easy and natural to put in and take out the system by just holding it by its grip. 

Looking to the front compartment, you have a somewhat small place to store wires and other pieces you might want to carry with you. The inner material here is aesthetically pleasing with a gold-patterned lining. It feels sturdy more than it does soft, but that’s probably the better choice for a part of the bag that doesn’t have direct contact with the device. The compartment itself has an additional pocket within it, allowing for further organisation. 

I like the front pocket, but I must confess I don’t use it for much. Nor the extra pocket that sits behind the Ally. While you can get wires in here and other essentials you might want to carry, I can’t get behind how uneven it makes the case feel. With just the Ally being carried, the case is incredibly sleek and feels great to hold, but with wires in the front or back I just can’t say the same. This is the kind of issue you’ll find with any smaller case that wants to give you more options, and I do commend the options even if I don’t use them. It’s not much, but I do at least carry a small cleaning cloth and USB C to USB A adapter with these not having much of a footprint. 

While this case is quite lovingly crafted for the Ally, I did find myself using it for other systems when out and about. I tend to only take one device with me, so having a single case shared in this way is really quite a clean solution. The AYANEO 2 fit really nicely with its shape being largely similar, and I was really happy carrying my Switch too. Back when I just used Joy Cons, I’d use my Sefu Bag for the Switch, but since moving to RetroFlag’s GameCube-themed grip, it’s just too big for the fitted design. Again with thanks to the similar form factor, it’s found a home here. 

It is worth mentioning that if you do want a case specifically for the Switch or Steam Deck, WaterField have versions of the Pouch designed for them in the same way this one is for the Ally. You might suffer from similar issues as me if transporting the Switch with third party accessories or controllers though, so make sure to look at the dimensions and make sure what you’re wanting will fit. With HORI’s Split Pad Pro, you might be better off with a case designed for the Steam Deck, for example. 

There’s really not that much more to say when it comes to the Pouch. WaterField are known for premium cases at usually quite premium prices to match, and this case is exactly what I’d expect from them. At $79 on the official WaterField website, you’re ultimately paying double the price of ASUS’ official offering. Do I think it’s worth it? Absolutely. This is a well-padded case from a company that does cases and does them well. You have a tried and tested design tweaked to meet the needs of the new kid on the block, and if you’re wanting the best to throw into your bag, this might just be it.

You can find this review in full at GBAtemp.net:
https://gbatemp.net/review/backbone-one-mobile-game-controller.2315/

I make no secret about my love for mobile gaming. With how much power we now carry around in our pockets, we’re capable of playing everything from Excitebike to Mario Galaxy 2 by emulation, and a whole world more with native apps and game streaming. With so much to play and more on the horizons, you want the best way to be playing this ever-growing library, and Backbone think they might just have the One you’re looking for.

Now handheld controller grips aren’t anything new, and we’ve covered them before with the likes of PowerA’s MOGA XP7-X Plus, Razer’s Kishi, and Turtle Beach’s Atom. Backbone aren’t exactly new to this space, with the Backbone One originally releasing for iOS devices back in 2020, and becoming an incredibly popular choice in the space. It later came to Android in 2022, with a PS5-themed design debuting in November for iOS and earlier this year for Android. Backbone sent over this latest Android model for us to check out, but to round out the review a little better, I decided to pick up the original model for the iPhone as well, so you’ll see pictures of both throughout.

The Backbone One is a fairly standard affair on the hardware side of things. It’s a grip-style controller that wraps around the phone, with it being connected by one of USB C or Lightning port depending on the model you opted for. With it costing £100 you have some expectations out of the box in terms of quality, and I am glad to see them met. The buttons feel slightly small by modern standards, and to my eye are a few millimetres larger than what you’d find on a New 3DS. They each offer a satisfying but muffled click when pressed, and have enough travel distance to accept even a heavy presser. The analogue sticks will feel familiar to Switch owners, though do feel a little smoother than the Joy Cons I have on hand (this could just be a question of age). You get a start and select button, a screenshot button, and a dedicated button to open the Backbone app. We’ll talk more about the app later. The two bumpers offer a satisfying bump, and the triggers are a little odd in how they end up flush with the body when fully pressed. For some the travel distance will be a bit short, but the way they feel is really quite unique. They’re responsive and lack the mushy feel you might associate with mobile controllers; despite the travel distance, they’re probably the best I’ve used.

Ever the point of contention, the D-Pad is notably fine by my standards. As a fan of a tactile D-Pad it definitely isn’t my preference, but with a SNES controller next to me to compare against, it feels like a smaller and smoother version of that. It’s not done badly and rolls well from one input to the next, but it wouldn’t be my first choice. You also get both a port for pass-through charging and a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is always appreciated. Even modern phones did still provide headphone jacks, the grip would have likely covered it anyway.

With the telescopic nature of the controller you’re limited in which devices you can use. For iOS users this is unlikely to be an issue; the Backbone had no issues holding everything from the iPhone 6 to the 13 Pro Max I had on hand. The only devices you’d struggle with are those older than the iPhone 6, with the Backbone just too wide when fully closed to securely hold them. Android phones are a different beast though, with there being a huge number of devices to try to account for. Assuming your phone isn’t some rugged beast or some FiiO player (my M11 Plus didn’t fit!), you’re likely to be fine though. The longest phone I have on hand is the LG Wing at 169.5mm, and that seemed to be pushing the controller to its limit. I don’t think there are too many phones larger than this though.

For the novelty of it I gave it a shot with my Surface Duo, with the results being surprisingly good. It takes a bit of getting used to since you have your controls level with the top screen instead of the bottom, but with Drastic able to swap the screens around anyway, you can just make sure your primary screen is at eye level. It holds the phone in securely despite its thin nature, and it definitely the best experience I’ve had with the Duo.

Comparing the original Backbone One to the newer PlayStation release offers only a few changes. Aesthetically you’re looking at a change from black to white for the controller body. While the black plastic isn’t the worst I’ve seen, it definitely does smudge and collect its share of marks. The PlayStation model naturally feels better in this respect. The other difference is in the buttons and the D-Pad. While both feel the same mechanically, they differ greatly in the materials used. Where the original Backbone One opted for a matte finish on its buttons, the PlayStation release has the glossy feel you might find on a DualSense controller. Of the two the PlayStation model wins the day for me, but neither feel bad in hand.

On both iOS and Android, the Backbone One comes with its own software that acts as a custom launcher for your controller-compatible games. Beyond native games, you’re able to link your Microsoft or Steam accounts to access game streaming via Game Pass and GeForce Now respectively (note you’ll need an active subscription to access either). What’s particularly nice about this implementation is that you can add specific games from these services to your launcher, cutting out the need to go through their apps entirely. While this is a neat shortcut on Android, it’s far more convenient for iOS users who lack a dedicated app either way. The app in general is something I view as a big draw factor for iOS users, with limited options available for controller-enabled app launchers. It isn’t perfect mind. To add an app to this launcher, Backbone needs to register it as a game that supports controller inputs. This causes problems when Backbone’s database isn’t complete. Notably for me, Disgaea 4 Complete+ apparently isn’t supported, and as a large game from a large publisher like NISA, it just isn’t good enough. This isn’t an issue on Android where you can just pick which apps you want to appear from what you have installed, just as long as it’s listed as a game.

Update: I decided to report Disgaea 4 being missing on the iOS launcher, and the support team were really swift with a reply, and have informed me that it was passed to the Games Team. While it still isn’t ideal to be at the mercy of their own list, it is at least a really good sign that apps can be added by just contacting them.

This app is also full of adverts marked as “suggested” apps that you can’t hide on iOS. What’s worse, these suggestions will remain on the menu even if you do have the apps installed. There’s also “Popular on Backbone” and “Play For Free” app drawers full of games I neither own nor care about. I do understand to a degree that adverts keep this kind of thing alive, but having some kind of freedom to customise the app would go a long way. Especially so when Backbone are trying to sell this as a part of a yearly Backbone Plus subscription service. It’s a good start, especially for iOS users, but there are certainly better options available for Android.

Is the Backbone One worth your time? From my experience with both flavours of it, I’d definitely say so if you’re wanting to have a better mobile gaming experience. I’m not going to pretend mobile gaming is for everybody, but if you’re eager to put the power in your pocket to work, this is probably the best option you have.

You can find this review in full at GBAtemp.net:
https://gbatemp.net/review/huion-kamvas-22-plus-pen-display.2314/

A few months back we looked at Huion’s Kamvas Pro 13 (2.5k) pen display. Released last year, this was a slim and portable pen display packed with features at a great price, and something I still recommend for people looking for a portable monitor that can do more. The Kamvas 22 Plus we’re looking at today is a different beast however. Released all the way back in 2020, we have something far less portable that sits closer to a more traditional monitor. Is bigger better, and what does this 2020 display do to justify its £519 price point?

You really have everything you’d need to get going out of the box. Outside of the 22 inch pen display itself, you get a battery-free pen, a doughnut-shaped pen holder complete with spare nibs, a half-glove, stand, and assortment of cables. If you’ve read our Kamvas Pro 13 review, much of this is going to sound familiar. Huion are fairly consistent in the accessories that come with their tablets and displays, but there are some notable differences, with the biggest being the included stand.

While the Pro 13’s stand was adequate for drawing, I criticised it for its limited angles for a more general use case. The adjustable stand here has no such problems; in short, this stand is marvellous. Mounting to the back of the display instead of having the display rest on it, it’s incredibly secure and provides a huge and surprisingly granular range of positions. With the display being larger, this is a really significant thing for me. You’ll want to keep it on your desk, and you’ll have no issues going from drawing to just watching a video or two on YouTube.

What really completes this package is that the stand attaches using a standard VESA mount, so if it doesn’t meet all of your needs you’re entirely free to swap it out for something else. I actually put the display onto a monitor arm, resulting in a great and out of the way auxiliary display that I can just pull towards me when I want to draw.

The display itself doesn’t feel extraordinarily premium, but it’s not to say it isn’t well-built. You have a plastic body that’s around 20mm thick, weighing around 4kg in combination with the stand. Coming from more tablet-like devices I was at first a little taken aback, but really this is more like thin-ish monitor. The screen of the Kamvas 22 Plus features anti-glare etched glass on top of a 140% sRGB QLED panel with a 1200:1 contrast ratio. In short it looks really good, though it isn’t quite as bright as I’d like with a listed maximum brightness of 220 nits (note I’m unable to measure this myself). I wouldn’t say it’s prohibitively dim, and looking at other brands this level of brightness is somewhat typical, but it is noticeable when next to what my Zephyrus Duo is outputting.

Thanks to the size of the display you have a fairly standard array of menu buttons to tweak things as you’d like. This time we’re working with a fairly typical 16:9 1080p display, but you are again able to tweak the aspect ratio to your liking, stretching the image appropriately. Strangely, outside of the usual 16:9 and 4:3 options, you can also opt for a 5:4 ratio. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a 5:4 aspect ratio monitor, but Google seems to suggest they were once popular.

Despite this being an older panel and an older pen than the Pro 13, the drawing experience is largely the same. You lose some pixel density with it being both lower resolution and larger, resulting in a less crisp image. As somebody who frequently switches between 4K, 1440p, and 1080p monitors, I do believe 1080p is fine for this size, and it hasn’t had any real impact while drawing. It’s nice to have a higher resolution, but I don’t think it’s a necessity.

In terms of features, we once again have 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity alongside a very similar pen that supports up to 60 degrees of tilting. It feels really responsive, and at a 14ms response time, it actually is more responsive than the Pro 13. It’s still not going to be the best of the best for the highest echelons of gaming, but for most people it’ll do just fine. The pen on screen feel is still great, and having it floating above me on a monitor arm has been fantastic for doing quick sketches or visually explaining something during a meeting. Pen displays like this excel for artistic professionals, but I do think they have merit for more general users at the right price.

Much in the same fashion as the Pro 13, we again see Switch docking capabilities from the 22 Plus. I don’t know why this is a feature they’ve been including but it’s definitely one that makes more sense here than it did on the Pro 13. The 16:9 display fits the Switch’s image perfectly, and the display does look great. It is held back slightly by the lack of speakers in this department, but it doesn’t really feel right to hold that against the device when it clearly isn’t its primary use. One thing I did notice is that while the Switch is docked, it isn’t actually getting enough power from the display to charge itself, and will discharge slowly during use. This is a bit of a shame, especially when, unlike the Pro 13, this display requires external power to use regardless of the device it’s plugged into. It seems a bit of a missed opportunity not to just have some decent charging pass-through here to limit cable clutter. It’s by no means the end of the world, but it’s something that would be nice to see improved down the line as Huion revisit and renew their pen displays.

The question remains. Is the Kamvas 22 Plus worth buying? At £519 (currently £467 at the time of writing), Huion have put together a fairly competitive package that can not only cater to the creative professionals among us, but those that are just in the market for a monitor that does a bit more. Huion do also offer the Kamvas 22 at the lower price of £419 (again £335 at the time of writing) with an anti-glare matte film in place of the etched glass, a lower 1000:1 contrast ratio, and 120% sRGB colour gamut. I could see this being a better option for those wanting to try out a larger pen display without wanting to put down quite as much money, but having not tried the anti-glare matte film before, I can’t comment on how it feels to use. All in all though, I think the 22 Plus is a great display, and one to consider if you’ve got the budget and want more out of your screen.

You can find this review in full at GBAtemp.net:
https://gbatemp.net/review/shargeek-storm-2-power-bank.2305/

Out of the box the Storm 2 is impressive. You have a 25600mAh (93.5Wh) battery that’s capable of up to 100W charging on the go. You get an impressive array of ports, including two USB Cs and a USB A each rated for different power outputs, and an interesting DC barrel port that can be configured to your needs. Add to this an IPS display and striking design and you have a stellar all rounder to keep with you as you go about your day.

The screen is probably the most interesting feature on offer here, and I really appreciate the information it shows. You get a constant view of the current input and output rates, the remaining charge of the battery, and the internal temperatures. As well as this, you have a timer that shows how long the device has been active for. Everything on the battery is controlled by a single button, with pressing it generally moving through menus, and holding it confirming a selection. There’s not all that much to do on the settings screen, but one area of note is the DC output configuration that allows fairly granular control of the output voltage between 3.3V and 25.2V in 1V or 0.1V increments. This is unfortunately one thing I wasn’t able to test but I can see how this would be useful for older devices. It should be noted that if you are using the DC output, you won’t be able to use any of the other ports though.

Now in terms of usability, you would expect the Storm 2 to be compatible with all your major devices. It’s advertised to work fine with MacBooks, phones, tablets, and the like. From what I’ve tried, it does work with the vast majority of devices I have. It has no issues charging my ROG Flow Z13 tablet at 65W alongside my phone. There is however one notable device the power bank doesn’t appear to work with: the ROG Ally. Having looked into this online, there’s speculation that the 65W protocol supported by the Storm 2 isn’t supported by the Ally. You can get it working by having some kind of dock or dongle with pass-through charging, with a cheap one I have on hand happy to charge at 50W. This kind of incompatibility is a real shame to me, with these handheld gaming PCs being a prime candidate for a decent power bank. It’s worth noting that it functions fine with both the AYANEO 2 and the Steam Deck though.

Outside of the screen and unique design, one of the major aspects you’re paying for is the ability to be charging up to three devices at once. While I have found one issue noted above, I’ve found no further incompatibilities using the two USB C ports and single USB A port in tandem. I do feel one area they could have improved on is in labelling these ports with their input and output limits though. There’s plenty of space on the side, and they already label the ports as C1, C2, and A. That little bit of extra information would go a long way in making this device easier to pick up and use, instead of needing you to keep documentation handy or be plugging and unplugging devices and watching how fast they charge using the screen.

Alongside the Storm 2, Shargeek sent over a cute 67W GaN charger that I do just want to mention briefly since I don’t really think there’s enough there to warrant its own separate review. Styled after an old Mac, you get three USB C ports that can output up to 67W between them. The screen will show you the current output, which is really neat. They really did a great job with the aesthetics, and for a multi-port GaN charger, $70 isn’t all that bad of a deal. You could get similar performance from places like UGREEN for around $50, so I could see justification for the extra $20 for the desk style points and display. I used this to charge the Storm 2 with no issue, and coming from an admittedly old Micro USB power bank, it was refreshing to see just how quickly it charged. At 67W, it’s not even the limit of what the Storm 2 is capable of. Sadly I couldn’t find the 100W plug I bought for my older Xiaomi review though, so this was as good as it got.

At $230 I don’t think the Storm 2 is priced into obscurity, but it’s high enough that you really need to question whether you’ll be using everything it offers. If you can see yourself needing to charge multiple devices at once, monitor various stats, power older devices with the DC barrel port, or even just want a power bank that stands out a bit. The Storm 2 might just be worth it. It’s not the best value if all you care about is good capacity and fast charging, but it does a good job of carving a niche for itself in this ever-growing market.

You can find this review in full at GBAtemp.net:
https://gbatemp.net/review/retroflag-superpack.2306/

Retroflag isn’t a new name on this forum, and this likely isn’t the last time you’ll see me writing about them. Primarily known for their retro-themed items ranging from the GameCube-themed Switch controller I covered a little while back, to some more intricate Raspberry Pi cases, Retroflag have just released something relatively out of character: a custom Xbox Series battery pack. It’s weird, but what might be weirder is just how useful it actually is.

What we have here is a product that does what it says on the tin. Coming in two parts, a rechargable battery and a battery cover, the SuperPack clips seamlessly onto any Xbox Series controller you have handy. That is the most recent non-Elite Xbox controller revision. With the battery in place the cover clips over it as normal, with the cover reaching over to the controller’s USB C port and fitting securely into place. The controller is now charged using the USB C port on the SuperPack itself, sitting just a little behind the usual port, and can be activated using a switch on the battery cover.

The switch has three positions, allowing you to move from Switch mode on the left, XInput mode on the right, and turning the controller off entirely in the middle. Looking at the base Xbox functionality, one good aspect is that you still have the base functionality of the controller to fall back onto, on top of the XInput mode. I unfortunately don’t have my Xbox handy at the moment to test, but I would assume the XInput mode present on the controller wouldn’t work with an Xbox console. It does however pop up on Windows no problem, and provide you with a separate pairing for up to three platforms on one controller.

What you’re probably buying something like this for is the Switch compatibility though, and I really can’t fault it. Once in Switch mode, you use the dedicated pairing button and connect the controller to the Switch like you would any other controller. Once connected, you have the full array of official Pro Controller features with the notable exception of NFC support. There are two really great things to point out here though. First is motion controls. It’s baffling to me how small technology has become, and while I do understand things like this rely on incredibly small sensors, I find myself impressed all the same. It works, and it works well. Everything feels smooth, and as a bonus these motion controls work out of the box on both Citra and Yuzu. The second of my great notes is the fact this controller is detected as an official controller on the Switch. This is something that really shouldn’t be overlooked, with it providing native support for button remapping using the Switch’s own software. By default, the controller is configured to function as a Switch controller (the B button is A to match the layout), so for those who prefer the button markings to match the functionality, this is a real boon.

Another cool touch is that the SuperPack adds an additional two buttons that can be remapped to any button on the controller. I would usually be quite excited about these, ultimately mimicking one of the best parts of an Elite controller. These aren’t that great though, and it is a bit of a shame. While they are two extra buttons, they’re not in a place that’s even remotely convenient, sitting right at the top of the controller next to the bumpers and triggers. If they were coming out of the back of the pack and sitting closer to the grip of the controller this would in my opinion be the perfect Xbox add-on, but these just fall that bit short.

Is Retroflag’s SuperPack worth picking up? At £37 ($40) it puts forward a genuinely compelling package, and choosing Xbox controllers for this type of add-on was a great choice in terms of market. Unlike a Switch Pro or DualSense controller, Xbox users are still expected to pay an additional £20 to Microsoft for the privilege of a rechargeable battery. This is a purchase most Xbox users will be making anyway, so why not go for the option with more features?