8BitDo has teased an upcoming controller at CES 2026 called the FlipPad that turns your phone into a Game Boy. Technically, all of 8BitDo’s mobile-compatible controllers turn your phone into a Game Boy. If they connect your device, you can use those controllers to play Game Boy games using retro emulators. That being said, the FlipPad does things differently, and it’s the design specifically that makes it a more Game Boy-like controller.
8BitDo says it’s compatible with both Android and iOS devices, but it’s also officially supported by Apple, so it might have a better experience there. The controller isn’t available yet, but those who are attending CES will be able to try it before it hits the market later this year. According to 8BitDo, it’ll be launching sometime in the Summer. That means you’ll have several months to wait before you can pick one up for yourself.
The 8BitDo FlipPad is a portrait-mode controller for your phone
If you’ve ever played Game Boy games in a landscape mode setup, then you know it just doesn’t feel the same. 8BitDo’s FlipPad will fix this for gamers who prefer that vertical controller feel, as it’s a vertical controller for your phone. It plugs into your phone’s USB-C port on the bottom, and then you flip the pad around so the controller covers the bottom half of the phone screen.
By the looks of it, the backside of the controller that touches the surface of the display is covered with a silicone pad so as not to damage the display glass. On the front side, you have the d-pad, four action buttons, a start and select button, and then several other buttons across the top, with two more on the sides of the start and select. 8BitDo hasn’t announced a price yet, but none of its more basic controllers cost very much, so you can probably expect the FlipPad to be fairly affordable when it launches later this year.
