There was a time in tech when it felt as if the goal was to make everything as small as possible. I remember hearing it was possible to pack everything needed to power an early-2000s phone into something the size of a postage stamp. The smartphone ended that trend with the touchscreen, as a stamp-sizediPhonewouldn’t be all that appealing. I mean, how would I playBalatroon something like that? You might not think a tiny controller would be all that appealing either, but CRKD has given it a go.
CRKD is a video game accessory creator best known for making the Nitro Deck, aNintendo Switchaccessory that enhances the experience while in handheld mode via its mappable back buttons and adjustable vibration - and the newer Nitro Deck Plus even doubles as a spare dock. Its ATOM controller is a far cry from this aim of making you more comfortable while gaming, or at least that’s what I thought when it arrived.
The ATOM is just under three inches long. If you can’t picture that, look down. Or, try seven centimeters. If you still can’t picture that, I’ve taken some photos of it next to various household items so you can really get a feel for just how small this controller is. I’ve done that because despite writing about it in detail when it was released, I was not prepared for how tiny the ATOM was going to be.
No tortoises, space hoppers, or Astro Bot controllers were harmed during the above photoshoot.
Sinceit’s compatible with the Switch (as well asPCand mobile), my plan when it arrived was to finally finish off a few games I’d left behind at the final hurdle due to the avalanche of new stuff to play snowballing last month. My first thought when I removed the ATOM from its tiny box, however, was how on earth is anyone supposed to play anything with this?
That first impression wasn’t helped when I loaded upPrincess Peach: Showtimeto take it for a spin. It wasn’t until Peach was standing there motionless in the Sparkle Theater lobby that it dawned on me that the ATOM doesn’t have thumbsticks. No thumbsticks meant no compatibility with Showtime, and pretty much all of the other games I had planned on playing with my minute new controller.
An Unofficial Miniature Replica Of The Controllers Of My Youth
The Answer To The Retro Gaming Question I Didn’t Even Realize I Needed
I returned to the Switch’s home screen and as I did, something else dawned on me. The job the ATOM was born to do - play retro games. I pay forNSOand its Expansion Pack but rarely do I take advantage of the growing library of games those monthly payments grant me access to. I headed straight for the Mega Drive library and finally got around to playing games I’d not touched for 30 years. Sonic Spinball, Dynamite Heddy, Ghouls ‘n Ghosts. The ATOM was perfect for playing these games because it’s effectively a miniature version of the controllers those games were made for.
Since the lack of thumbsticks didn’t occur to me until I was faced with needing them, the most pressing worry I had when I first set eyes on the ATOM was how uncomfortable it would be to use. After rediscovering games from my youth, the next best ATOM discovery was finding out that wasn’t a problem at all. Sure, I didn’t hunker down for an eight-hour Ecco the Dolphin session, but I’ve been using it for an hour at a time here and there and I’ve not had any issues when it comes to comfortability.
There might not be room for thumbsticks, but it’s still amazing how much CRKD has packed into a controller this small. Despite the lack of real estate, there’s a D-pad, four face buttons, as well as plus, minus, and home buttons between them. There are even four functioning shoulder buttons, and somehow there’s still room inside fora battery that will keep this controller going for up to ten hours.
The ATOMcomes with a USB-C cablefor charging, and alsoa Joy-Con style wrist strap. While not as uncomfortable to use as it looks, it’s still pretty small and easy to drop, so the strap is useful.
Gotta Collect ‘Em All
Well, You Don’t Gotta, Maybe Just Pick Your Favorite
The ATOM has eight different designs, and that’s where the entire point of making a controller this small becomes clear. As fun as it has been using this novelty controller to rediscover old games, the ATOM is exactly that - a novelty. The controller’s store page even urges customers to “collect them all”, andat $19.99 each, I’m sure some of you will.
CRKD Atom Controller
CRKD’s ATOM is a first-of-its-kind controller that’s so small, it has literally been designed to be clipped onto your keychain. Despite its tiny size, the ATOM has four shoulder buttons and ten hours of battery life.
The description labels them a keychain controller since the ATOM really is small enough to fit on a keychain. Choose a colour, attach it to your backpack or keys, and not only will it look good, but the next time you’re with someone and they suggest firing up the Switch, you’re able to impress them by refusing the controller they attempt to hand you as you reach into your pocket and letting them know it’s fine, you’ve brought your own. If only the ATOM had been a thing when I was a kid, I might not have been saddled with the spare Mad Catz controller my mate’s nan got him for Christmas one year.
