I don’t like that, and I’m always looking for ways to fix it. So when the Abxylute M4<\/a> popped up, I knew I had to try it.<\/p>\n Here’s what I thought, and whether you should buy one too.<\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n \t\t You should absolutely turn an old phone into an emulation station<\/p>\n Handheld gaming has become huge in the last few years<\/p>\n I’m pretty old school when it comes to games. I grew up with game consoles and eventually shifted to PC, and I’ve never quite shaken off that influence.<\/p>\n As such, I’ve always struggled to enjoy gaming that isn’t connected to a mains plug somewhere.<\/p>\n That ended with the Nintendo Switch<\/a>, and there’s been no going back since. <\/p>\n From there, I got a Steam Deck<\/a>, and eventually picked up a Retroid Pocket 4 Pro, which I’ve been using to burn through my old stack of PS1 and PS2 games. <\/p>\n I’ve become addicted to being able to pick-up-and-play at a moment’s notice, and when I saw the Abxylute M4, I knew I had a real chance to give it a go.<\/p>\n By using magnetic attachment, the M4 sidesteps the awkward cradles I’ve always hated, and the adorable retro looks immediately caught my eye.<\/p>\n So, is it any good?<\/p>\n A sturdy design, with drawbacks<\/p>\n It’s hard to say it doesn’t look good.<\/p>\n It’s small and boxy, and clearly inspired by retro game controllers of the past. The purple colorway is a callback to the Gamecube controller, and it looks great.<\/p>\n It’s small, even narrower than my Pixel 10 Pro<\/a>, and that does mean the buttons are a little crammed in there. <\/p>\n Still, you get a pair of analog sticks, four face buttons, four shoulder buttons, a D-pad, a plus and minus button, and two utility buttons that help with pairing.<\/p>\n The power button is on the side, and there’s a USB-C port at the bottom for charging.<\/p>\n It comes in two parts, the controller and the magnetic ring.<\/p>\n The ring attaches to the controller with a pair of smaller magnets. The higher magnet is for when you’re gaming, while the lower one tucks everything in to make it easier to transport.<\/p>\n The magnetic ring also has a second ring around it, which can be pushed out to work as a stand, so you don’t need to keep it attached to play games.<\/p>\n This is one of the better ways to use it, as it becomes very top-heavy when your phone is attached to the top of the controller.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, the magnets holding the controller and ring together aren’t anywhere near strong enough to defy gravity, so if you turn it upside-down, the magnet ring will come off and take your phone with it.<\/p>\n You’ll need to be aware of that in everyday use, but it’s not a dealbreaker for me \u2014 though it does mean you won’t be holding it above your head in bed like you can with a Switch or Steam Deck.<\/p>\n Gaming on the go<\/p>\n The M4 is clearly meant for portable gaming, and the design reflects that. It’s small and portable, and it’s ready to go in a few seconds.<\/p>\n But that focus on convenience does come with some downsides.<\/p>\n I can’t see myself having long gaming sessions with the M4.<\/p>\n It’s too small for good ergonomics, and my regular-sized hands were often curled into claws to use it properly.<\/p>\n I booted up the Netflix versions of Red Dead Redemption<\/a> and Dead Cells<\/a>, and while the M4 works well with automatically assigned controls, the button setup is not great for modern games.<\/p>\n The two analog sticks at the top of the controller are a little awkward to reach, and using the shoulder buttons is difficult when you don’t have good ergonomics to brace against.<\/p>\n You might get used to it with time, but I never quite got the hang of it.<\/p>\n However, it works very well for retro-style games that use the D-pad and face buttons.<\/p>\n Playing a Pok\u00e9mon game on an emulator? The M4 is perfect. The Android port of Chrono Trigger<\/a>? Great. Stardew Valley<\/a>? It’s like it was made for it.<\/p>\n There’s still the fact that it’s too small for long use, but the M4 absolutely shines when you play something a bit slower paced that doesn’t use more modern controls.<\/p>\n A specialized gamepad that’s not for everyone<\/p>\n The Abxylute M4 is a good little gamepad. It’s small enough to fit in a pocket or bag, sets up in a few moments, and works well with a wide range of games.<\/p>\n But those points in its favor mean it won’t be a perfect fit for everyone.<\/p>\n It is too small for long periods of gaming, and the cramped button setup means more modern games that rely on analog sticks and shoulder buttons will struggle.<\/p>\n For certain games and gamers though? The M4 is great.<\/p>\n It’s excellent for playing slower games like Stardew Valley, and the rapid setup means I could conceivably whip it out on the bus and be gaming in a few moments.<\/p>\n Will it be part of my everyday carry? No, it won’t be. Will I chuck it in a bag when I go out for the day? Yeah, that’s an easy decision to make.<\/p>\n I’d forgotten how much I love Stardew Valley, and with the M4, I can potter around my farm any time I get the chance.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/a-smartphone-emulating-a-retro-handheld-console-against-a-neon-retro-style-background.png\"\/)
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\n\t\t\tI turned my flagship phone into a powerful retro gaming console, and you can too
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