Amkette EvoFox Deck review

It's not trying to be sleek or minimalist like the 8BitDo or the Backbone controllers. It's got that classic gamepad shape with a phone grip in the middle. The build quality is plasticky with glossy textured plastic at all touch points around the grip. The buttons and triggers have a satisfying click, and the hall effect joysticks, although small, feel smooth and responsive.

Comfort-wise, it's good. The grips are textured and comfortable but sometimes the bottom screw hole rubs against your finger while playing aggressively. Albeit, for the price we can’t complain. It looks like someone has added the much needed palm grips to the pancake thin Nintendo Switch controllers.

The EvoFox Deck is packed with features. It's got customizable RGB lighting, backlit face buttons, and even dual vibration motors for that extra immersion. The spring-loaded phone grip is strong and secure, and it fits most phones comfortably. We tried the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the Pixel 9 XL and the OnePlus Open. These are some of the biggest phones in the market and the EvoFox Deck fits all of them nicely and the camera bump doesn’t touch the non-rubberised plastics.

One standout feature is the dedicated "Shooting Plus V3" app. It lets you remap touch controls on Android for non-compatible games and even create presets as per your liking. It's a nice touch that adds a lot of value, especially for Android users. We made a Pokemon Unite preset and it worked very well. 

As for the connections, on Android there are two connection modes, when you press and hold the Dojo button, it connects as a Wireless Controller in the Bluetooth settings. Here games like Katana Zero that support a gamepad will run without needing the Shooting Plus V3 app for remapping touch to physical controls. If you want to play Pokemon Unite then you will have to press and hold the Key Map button and reconnect to the phone as EvoFox Deck from the Bluetooth settings. This will detect the controller on the Shooting Plus V3 app and let you rebind keys.

It’s a bit confusing to understand which setting works for different devices because there are two separate buttons that change the connection mode on the controller. And especially since the Shooting Plus V3 is not an app by Amkette, it’s a free app that works across a wide range of controllers. So you will have to read through the manual to understand which connection mode is for controller supported connection and which mode is for the key binding method for games that don’t support controllers. Thankfully, Amkette has a dedicated page on their website with YouTube video tutorials for changing and modifying the controls.

iOS and iPadOS is fairly simple, the controller detects as Dual Shock 4 controller on the Bluetooth settings page. Shooting Plus V3 app is available on the Apple App Store but the controller doesn’t work with the app on the Apple devices so you can’t rebind touch controls for Pokemon Unite, BGMI and other such games.

The controller also works with PC, TV, and PS4, making it a versatile option for multi-platform gamers. However, keep in mind that not all games will be compatible, and you might need to do some tinkering to get things working properly.

The Bluetooth 5.0 connection is stable, and I didn't experience any noticeable lag during my testing. The buttons are nice and the triggers are clicky. The triggers are actually buttons as well and may not work well for racing games like Real Racing 3 where you have to control the accelerator and brake with precision.The thumbsticks, on the other hand, feel precise and you can even adjust the sensitivity of the thumbsticks through the Shooting Plus V3 app. The vibration motor is not as nuanced as the more expensive controllers but at this price, I don’t think there’s room to complain.

The controller sits a Nintendo Switch really well but unfortunately it doesn’t work with the Switch. We tried using the controller for remote play using the PlayStation app and it worked. Even streaming Steam games from your PC is possible and fun.

The 600mAh battery is decent, lasting around 8-10 hours on a single charge. That's enough for a few gaming sessions, but you'll probably want to keep a charging cable handy if you're planning on a long trip. We do miss the option of not having a hard carry case. Amkette has bundled a cloth sleeve to keep the dust away but a hard case would really drive home the point of it being travel friendly.

So, is the Amkette EvoFox Deck worth it? It depends. If you're a serious mobile gamer who craves the feel of a traditional controller, this is a solid option. The build quality is good, the controls are responsive, and the Shooting Plus V3 adds a lot of value for Android users.

However, it's not perfect. The plastics feel like you’re holding something you got on a budget and you can’t charge your phone while playing. These things can be easily overlooked because the EvoFox Deck is an absolute bang-for-buck mobile controller.