I love the Brick Joysticks by GrayHaus. I was worried about them at first. I didn't think the little, tiny suction cups could stick to my iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. But they do. Mostly. And they have a variation called the bend-type as well that uses an elasticized band as well as a suction cup and provides an incredible range of motion for iOS gaming.
They're made out of what GrayHaus describes as German liquid silicone rubber (LSR) technology, which hey say provides superior performance without scratching your precious iPhone or iPad screen, and is transparent to keep screen shading to a minimum. They've also tried to make them as ergonomic as possible so they stay comfortable even through really long gaming sessions.
Th stick-type Brick Joystick adhered to the glass screen of your iPhone or iPad using a suction cup and provides a capacitive connection so you get more of a traditional, thumbstick feel instead of the simulated multitouch d-pad we all know and loathe on iOS. Attach the stick-type Brick Joystick and you get all the up and down, left and right, action you need for classic gaming. I'm talking fighting games, adventure games, RPGs, and the like.
The bend-type Brick Joystick is a lot of fun. Because the suction cup sticks at the back, and the elastic band wraps around your iPhone, the joystick itself is free to move around much more than the conventional joystick. It can be adjusted to fit anything from the iPhone to a 5.5 inch device, though sadly not the iPad. Still, on the iPhone is works really, really well for sports games and some combat games.
You can use two stick-type Brick Joysticks at the same time for double d-pad games, or mix a stick-type and a bend-type if that's what the game calls for.
Both types are really small, and I love that they don't block out any more screen than is absolutely necessary. Even though there's an elastic around the bend-type Brick Joystick, and it does cover the screen, it's still fabulous.
Now the suction cups do slip every once and a while. The Brick Joysticks come with extra, non-slip disks to stick on your screen, but the extra adherence isn't worth putting a sticker on my iPhone or iPad screen. At least not to me. I also worry that the elastic around the bend-type Brick Joystick might wear down and break eventually, but so far it's been remarkably reliable.
The good
- Minimal screen obstruction
- Suction cup sticks well
- Good capacitive connection
The bad
- Suction cup can slip a bit
The bottom line
if you love gaming on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, and the virtual d-pads have just never done it for you, the Brick Joysticks are a great option to consider. I'm really impressed with both the quality and utility of the Brick Joysticks, and I especially love the bend-type option. I only wish they were compatible with even more games!
The GrayHaus Brick Joystick is available now in two packages -- dual stick-type and one stick-type and one bend-type.
$24.99 - Buy now
