CRKD Atom Review: A Tiny Controller With A Surprisingly Big Feature Set

It’s getting harder these days to choose a cheap third-party controller, because it feels like there are far more options than ever before.

It's getting harder these days to choose a cheap third-party controller, because it feels like there are far more options than ever before. In an attempt to stand out more, some peripheral makers have been adding gimmicks to their controllers in the hope that it'll be enough to sway consumers trying to choose between umpteen options.

Whether it's little figures built into the controller shell, a clear shell with LED lights or PowerA's seemingly endless line of controllers with licensed game designs on them, everyone's got their own niche they're hoping to fill.

The niche being targeted by the CRKD Atom is a fairly obvious one: at just 6.8cm / 2.7in wide, the Atom is designed for players who like bringing a controller with them on the move, but don't necessarily want it to take up a lot of space.

Also obvious is the type of player who would struggle with the Atom. Given that the thing is far less than half the size of a standard Xbox controller, if you have big meaty hands and sausage fingers you can pretty much count yourself out of the running with this one unless you're a masochist who loves getting cramp.

The Atom connects via Bluetooth and has three different modes for connecting to various devices. There's a Switch mode which apes the Pro Controller, an Xinput mode for connecting to PC or iOS and an Android mode (for Android devices, obviously).

Choosing between them is a case of holding down the Home button and a specific direction on the D-Pad for a few seconds. It can be a little fiddly but we're able to connect to our Switch, our iPhone, our LG Smart TV and our PC (via wired connection) without too much aggro.

A glance at the Atom should make it clear that it works better with some games than others. The fact it only has a D-Pad and no analogue sticks means it's difficult – though not impossible – to play games that focus mainly on stick controls.

“Given that the thing is far less than half the size of a standard Xbox controller, if you have big meaty hands and sausage fingers you can pretty much count yourself out of the running”

If you have a game that outright insists on playing with a stick, you can hold the Minus button and Left or Right on the D-Pad for 5 seconds, to make it act like a left or right stick respectively. Naturally, there's no analogue control here so it essentially acts like an eight-way joystick, and the fact you can only have one stick at a time means you can rule out first-person shooters, adventure games with a lot of camera adjustments and the like.

It should also go without saying that a controller this size is lacking in a lot of the other fancy gizmos you may find in larger alternatives, so there's no rumble, no gyro motion controls and the like.

That said, what's there feels perfectly fine: the D-Pad is comfortable enough (and is actually roughly the same size as the D-Pad on an Xbox controller) and the face buttons, while small, are spread out enough to ensure they don't feel all cramped together.

The Atom isn't the only tiny controller on the market. Acclaimed retro-themed controller maker 8BitDo has the Zero 2, which is only 5mm wider and has similar connectivity to the Atom.

The main difference is that the Zero 2 only has two shoulder buttons while the Atom has squeezed four in there, plus a Home button. It's a tight fit, but three extra buttons are three extra buttons.

Ultimately, at a price of just $19.99 / £19.99 the Atom is a cheap and practical controller to take on the move, as long as it fits the needs of the types of games you play.

Anyone expecting it to become their Fortnite controller of choice, for example, will find its lack of sticks far too impractical for that particular game, but if you're bringing a Switch on a family holiday and want an easy way for another kid to join in on co-op Super Mario Bros Wonder gameplay, it's an ideal solution.