What's in the box
Included were the iPega PG-9025 gamepad, a USB charging cable and two manuals in English and Chinese. Why two manuals? One explains how to put the gamepad into operation, the other advertises its own application to make it easier to use the gamepad. An additional battery is not included. Also, this is firmly installed in the device.
Optics and workmanship
The iPega PG-9025 Gamepad is roughly like usual gamepads, slightly crescent-shaped and thus lies neatly in the hand. The matte rubberized surface gives enough grip and looks great with the red buttons. All keys are tight and have a good pressure point. The analog sticks have a good resistance and feel valuable. The holder for the smartphone works by means of a tensioner, which provides sufficient support. The gamepad has in addition to the already mentioned buttons still a few more, which are shown in the attached pictures.
Startup procedure
Now for the most important part, the commissioning.
The gamepad has 5 modes to connect to an Android, iOS device or PC. ATTENTION: The controller does not seem compatible with the Fire TV! At least I could not connect to the Fire TV in all modes.
1. GamePad Mode: Mode that recognizes the controller as a true gamepad.
2. Keyboard Mode: Controller is recognized as a keyboard.
3. iCade Mode: Special Mouds for iOS devices
4. SPP Mode: Serial Port Profile, which uses the serial port of the device
5. Ipega Gaming Desktop: Specially designed for the Ipega Game Center app
All modes can be activated by means of the different action keys + Home key. To find the right mode for your device, it's best to try it all out.
The iPega PG-9025 Gamepad also comes with its own apps therefore. Unfortunately, you can not download them from the Play Store, but you only have them via a link in the manual. Also, these apps are not available for iOS devices. With the Android Gamepad Assistant you can manage the controller and adjust the key assignments accordingly. The Game Center offers several profiles for key mapping as well as downloadable games.
If everything is set up properly, you can actually start right away. Only the smartphone has to be clamped. It should be noted that devices can be clamped up to a width of 9cm. The clamping can initially be somewhat difficult because the spring mechanism of the tensioner is quite stiff. Especially children could get in trouble. The advantage, however, is that even the smartphone sits rock solid.
The iPega PG-9025 controller offers numerous buttons and is therefore ideal for all common mobile games. In addition to the usual buttons that are also known from console controllers, there are also special buttons for media playback. All keys have a good pressure point. The transmission of the keystrokes is accurate and I could not detect any delay. I really liked the matt rubberized housing and the reddish keys. The gamepad is also very easy to hold and feels valuable.
With the 5 Bluetooth modes every device should be able to be connected. I didn't notice any problems in games. All of the games I tested (including Asphalt, Real Racing and Dead Trigger) recognized the controller without any problems. The gamepad could also be set in Mupen64 without any problems. The recommended apps are very extensive and make setting up the gamepad easier. Unfortunately there are no comparable applications for iOS. The apps are also not available in the official Play Store.
The tensioner for clamping is unfortunately a bit stiff. However, I don't see how this problem could have been better solved. In any case, the smartphone has to be firmly in place to prevent it from falling out. Some could also have problems with the buttons on the smartphone and the holder because they are resting on them. On my Nexus 5, the keys were on but not pressed. The battery is unfortunately not replaceable, but an operating time of 20 hours is promised. I have been using the gamepad for 6 hours now. So far I haven't had to recharge. Before the battery of the gamepad runs out, that of the smartphone runs out anyway.
