Between giant TVs and concept cars, the most interesting thing on the CES floor isn’t a screen or a robot. It is a MagSafe device that isn’t a charger. OhSnap’s Mcon is a pocket-sized, snap-on game controller that turns any phone into a handheld gaming system in three seconds, and it’s the rare show-floor gadget I can’t stop thinking about.
The pitch is blissfully simple. You plant your iPhone or Qi2-toting Android on the magnetic pad, give a quick flick and a hidden array of joysticks and controls slides into place. Your phone is still the brain and the display; the Mcon offers up tactile inputs. It’s like the Sidekick-meets-PSP-Go designed for MagSafe times.
What Makes This MagSafe Gamepad Stand Out
Bluetooth controllers often clip onto phones, but the Mcon is a bit smarter than just a clamp. Instead, it relies on the same magnetic alignment that made MagSafe wallets and battery packs easy to attach, resulting in a cleaner attachment that adds less bulk. The cushioned, ergonomic grips telescope from both sides for comfort and collapse flat enough to slip into a jacket pocket. The built-in kickstand props it up for tabletop play or streaming, and the faceplate comes off when you want the controller body to serve as a stand.
There is also a $70 dock that mirrors your phone onto your television or monitor so you can lean back on the couch. It’s a small accoutrement with big implications: Combine it with cloud services or remote play, and you’ve essentially built yourself a modular living-room console that runs off your phone.
While rail-style options such as Backbone or Kishi clamp the sides of a device and typically rely on a single connector port, Mcon’s magnetic approach is case-friendly and cross-platform.
If your Android handset is not compatible with Qi2’s magnetic ring, adhesive rings are a feasible bridge, but the best experience will be delivered by native MagSafe or Qi2 alignment.
The Broader Landscape For Mobile Gaming
Timing is everything, and the Mcon timing is acute. Mobile is still the biggest chunk of gaming by revenue; Newzoo’s most recent market view places the category at around half of global games income, where it has hovered for several cycles. Meanwhile, the emergence of Xbox Cloud Gaming, GeForce Now and, more recently, expanded remote play capabilities have lowered the barrier to “real” games on phones and a wave of retro emulators has sparked people’s interest in physical controls.
On the hardware side, the Wireless Power Consortium’s Qi2 standard would bring MagSafe-like magnetic alignment to Android, harmonizing the ecosystem around a single ring geometry. As a growing crop of Android flagships and mid-range handsets ship with Qi2, magnet-happy accessories are destined to become more than just an iPhone thing. That takes the addressable market from millions to hundreds of millions of devices.
Connectivity is catching up, too. According to network testers at Ookla, median 5G download speeds now exceed triple digits in much of the country’s largest markets, sufficient for cloud gaming bitrates. But when networks and services come through, the one thing missing is usually some way to actually feel like you’re controlling what’s happening — which is where a pocketable instant attach pad comes in.
Early Impressions From The Show Floor
In the hand, the Mcon is a bull’s-eye where it counts: It really asks to bring on play. The snap-on is assured, the slide-out action satisfying, and transitions between texting and playing a round of “Leggins” don’t feel like a chore. It’s the kind of experience where saying to yourself, “I’ll give a level a shot” becomes losing track of time.
The ergonomics are better than you’d expect for something so thin. The extendable grips are easy on the pinky when you’re lugging around big telephones, and the stick-and-button layout isn’t so far off that muscle memory quickly kicks in. Nothing about it screams concept; it’s a product made by people who commute, fly and play at their desks.
Price And Who It’s For: Finding the Right Audience
The Mcon will start at $150, with the optional TV/monitor dock for $70. That’s in line with premium mobile controllers, but the core value proposition is staked differently: you’re paying for magnetic attachment, pocketability and the versatility to switch between handheld, tabletop and living-room play within the same ecosystem.
If you’ve never taken to mobile gaming because virtual buttons are vague or straps and clamps are clunky, this is the first MagSafe accessory in a while that will change your feelings about things. It’s not a charger or a wallet. It’s a straightforward, well-executed idea that makes your phone better at something millions of people already do — play — and for that reason, it’s the one CES accessory I can’t stop thinking about.
