PowerA MOGA XP5-A Plus Bluetooth Controller Review

December 24, 2019 at 4:41am
By Jason Stettner

This is a really interesting wireless and wired controller that’s designed primarily for Android use. It can however be used with PC, and cloud gaming with this specifically being a great option for Project xCloud as that’s on the horizon.

The design of this controller mirrors what the Xbox One controller provides, and that’s great. This one also tweaks the design a bit with some excellent grips, and tweaks to help this controller support a holder for your phone. A sturdy holder, one that will certainly keep you expensive screen held with no worries. I used this with my Google Pixel 4, it worked very well and there’s more than enough space if you were to have a case around any phone model.

You get a space of up to 79mm (3.12”) wide when it comes to holder space for your device. It snuggles in there well and the material used shouldn’t give your phone any troubles. This also doesn’t need to be used, as that holder can be removed at any point if you’d like to do so.

Going back to the controller, there’s also two mappable buttons on the back similar to the paddles we’ve seen on advanced gamepads recently. This is generally a really well put together option for gameplay. It’s easy to turn on, and gives you an option to see how much battery you have. It connects easily to your phone via Bluetooth or a straight up cord. When it comes to the cords you get three options with generous lengths and input choices.

There’s USB, micro USB, USB Type-C and generally combinations of the mix. The cords are very well done and a bonus as they offer unlimited choice essentially for those going the wired route. I personally prefer wireless, but you might need a charge from the 3000mAh power bank that’s present. A generous supply, and something that should last ages to power this setup. That is, unless your phone really needs the juice.

Going back to the cords the micro USB to standard USB cable is 2 meters (6.6ft). The Micro USB to USB Type-C/Micro USB cable is 20 centimeters (7.8”). The third and final option is the standard USB to USB Type-C/Micro USB cable at 30 centimeters (11.8”). It’s easy to switch between Bluetooth and cord as well, with just a small switch. They really use the full space of the controller beautifully here. I’d also like to mention the phone sits at a very comfy viewing angle.

If you’re having any sort of setup issues this does provide both XInput and DirectInput. That basically means there are multiple connection options depending on devices. To change between connections to see if that makes things work use “Start + Select” for three seconds and you’ll see an indication switch. This is honestly a helpful hint, it’s what got the controller working with the Xbox Game Streaming for me.

When it comes to system requirements you will need Android 5.0 Lollipop or later and Windows 10. I got this working well by directly plugging it into my PC, or just using Bluetooth. I was able to use Steam Link perfectly well, along with Xbox Game Streaming as mentioned. This did not seem to work with PS4 Remote Play, or Call of Duty Mobile. The controller is also not compatible with IOS in case you were wondering, as I certainly was.

The Conclusion

The PowerA MOGA XP5-A Plus Bluetooth Controller is an excellent option for mobile gaming usage, and it’ll be amazing for any sort of console based cloud streaming. I really enjoyed using this, they take the initial Xbox One controller and add their own twists to the formula which works well.

It’s comfortable to hold, while providing a nice viewing angle for your phone. It securely holds your mobile device, as that’s always a worry considering the price of those things these days. The grips on the back are nice, as are the bonus mappable button paddles on the back. This worked well with the games I used it on and I look forward to playing the growing list of Project xCloud titles once that rolls out further with greater game support.

They were more than generous with the cord input options and this carries a hefty extra power bank. That being hefty in terms of storage, not weight. This is a fairly light controller, it’s nice to hold onto over extended periods of time. I didn’t really have any issues with this, it’s aesthetically pleasing and has some nice features to help it stand out.

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PowerA MOGA XP5-A Plus Bluetooth Controller Review product provided by PowerA tested with Xbox Game Streaming, Steam Link, Left 4 Dead 2, Minecraft, Windows 10 PC

Rating Overall: 9.0