Ohsnap arrived at CES 2026 with some swagger after shipping 16,000 preorder units of their MCON controller. The company announced two new design iterations: the MCON Slim and MCON Lite. Both are thinner, more affordable alternatives to the original magnetic sliding gamepad, though the Slim won’t arrive until the iPhone 18 launches this fall.

The MCON Slim is the more ambitious of the two, designed to fit a full controller’s functionality into something roughly the thickness of a MagSafe battery pack (like a double-wide GameSir Pocket Taco). It magnetically attaches to your iPhone’s back and slides out or off when needed, with a cutout that accommodates camera bumps, keeping lenses accessible. The triggers feature 3mm of travel, the D-pad and face buttons are physical, and the joysticks use touch-sensitive surfaces instead of physical analog sticks, a compromise that will likely be a dealbreaker for many readers here. It can detach entirely and connect over Bluetooth, allowing you to prop your phone at a distance for tabletop gaming.

The MCON Lite takes a different approach with 3DS-style Circle Pads instead of touchpads, positioning it as a middle ground between the original MCON’s full analog sticks and the Slim’s touch surfaces. Both devices eliminate the spring-loaded pop-out grips from the original model in favor of a more compact form factor.

Pricing is expected around $60 for the Lite, which launches this summer, with the Slim arriving this fall at a presumably higher price point. Both remain prototypes without finalized specifications, but Ohsnap’s seemingly successful track record with their first MCON suggests they’re more likely to deliver than some hardware crowdfunding campaigns.

What did you think of this article? Let us know in the comments below, and chat with us in our Discord!

This page may contain affiliate links, by purchasing something through a link, Retro Handhelds may earn a small commission on the sale at no additional cost to you.