Telescopic controllers didn’t used to be a thing I’d be too interested in. I didn’t want my phone to give notifications that would distract me from the game. But I also didn’t want to turn on Do Not Disturb and miss an important call. However, when I got an Alldocube iPlay Mini Pro 50, I realized I could use a completely separate device for this large-screen gaming. Skip forward a few months, and today I’m taking a look at the Memo S3 Tablet Edition. A telescopic controller meant for tall phones and sizable tablets. Does it hold up? Or should I grab something else? Why don’t you find out with me?
Memo S3 Tablet Edition: Specs
For the record, I’m not the best in-depth controller guy, but for the $40 this cost me and could cost you, I think the specs of the S3 hold up really well.
- Dimensions: 268.5 x 104 x 51mm
- Weight: 195 grams
- Device Compatibility: Between 153 and 276mm
- Connectivity: Direct USB-C/USB-C Power for Bluetooth
- Ports: USB-C Charging (listed support for up to 36 watts)
While it’s overall solid on the specs list, we’ll touch a little bit more about the entire experience over the next two sections. But from the get-go, it’s not bad.
Controls
Overall, what you’re looking at with controls on this one is what I’d describe as “Light and clicky”. The D-Pad has micro switches in it, which depending on the game I found would either help or hurt the experience, and the face buttons also featured this pretty light click to it. Which, in all honesty, didn’t really do much in terms of the experience for me. It felt pretty average, so if you’re not a fan of the truly clicky buttons, this could be either a take it or leave it situation for you.
Alongside the light clicky face buttons, you get sets of hall sticks and hall triggers. While nowadays that’s to be expected, I find it to still be a nice touch. My sticks didn’t seem to have any issues with picking up any movement, and the triggers worked as well as they could be expected to. The games I usually play on Android aren’t too intense, but the Memo S3 Tablet Edition held up really well.
The one thing I basically never used was the additional function buttons on the back of the controller. A lot of companies and x86 handhelds have included them on their controllers, and while it’s nice to have, this specifically isn’t my cup of tea. The best use I can see from them is mapping them to your L3 and R3 so that at least you don’t have to click in the sticks when you need it, but outside of that, I’m not too big on them. But hey, they feel nice and responsive so there’s that for you.
Experience
Overall the experience was mostly good with a couple of moments of frustration. But as I’ve come to learn, that frustration is a common thing amongst Bluetooth controllers. When it comes to fitment, the Memo S3 covered its bases well. Nothing Phone 2? Fits well. Lenovo Legion Y700 was a pretty nice fit as well, and while more expensive it would make for a solid PlayStation Portal substitute. Even natively, playing games like GRID: Autosport worked like a dream, and I would happily keep using it.
Where it gets weird are the last two. The iPad Air 4th Gen does fit within the S3 Tablet. Which in turn means you’ve got your hands on an 11-inch gaming handheld. It was also picked up in games for me, which meant Apple Arcade titles are going to work well in this all-in-one situation as well. However for me, even being centered for weight, I found it to be too heavy to be a long gaming experience.
The CHUWI MiniBook X was also too heavy, but it fit well. The frustration came in connectivity. It wouldn’t get picked up by a direct USB-C connection, so in turn, I started to use its Bluetooth functionality. I recommend keeping the manual for this as it got quite a bit more confusing than planned. However, once it was up and running, I was able to play a little bit of Vampire Survivors on the MiniBook X, Before it got too awkward to hold.
Final Thoughts
At the $40 I paid, I think this offers a lot of solid options that can make it a great tablet controller. It stretches wider than most and offers USB-C and Bluetooth connectivity. While the controls aren’t my favorite, they work really well across most of the games I played. And most of all some of the other options either aren’t as feature-rich (or good) or cost a good bit more.
The BSP D9 stretches wide but is Bluetooth only and kind of a cheap feeling. The GameSir G8+ is Bluetooth only, stretches wider, has better controls and features, but is regularly $70. The closest competitor in my eyes feature-wise is the Abxylute S9. That has the same Bluetooth/USB-C connectivity, however it only stretches wide enough for a small tablet like the Y700 and starts at $49 early bird on Kickstarter. And the expected retail price is $99, though I doubt we’ll see it there long.
Overall, if you’re looking for a tablet controller, the S3 Tablet Edition is a solid option and can cover a lot of bases. I think it’s one I’ll be keeping in rotation over something like the Razer Kishi or GameSir X2S. Maybe you should too.
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