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First impressions – The Glap.play P/1 is hot stuff

Yesterday afternoon Samsung South Africa delivered a controller to Hypertext along with a Galaxy Note 10+ and we have been struggling to do work today.

The controller is called the Glap.play P/1 and it features a space for your smartphone, Bluetooth, its own battery and buttons akin to the Xbox but in a layout that screams PlayStation. From here on out we’ll be referring to it simply as Glap.

While Samsung has sent us the controller for review, it’s not a Samsung product though it is designed for Samsung and can fit a full size Galaxy Note 10+ with room to spare.

The Glap is actually made by a firm called QuantumX and it can be used for a variety of Android smartphones. You can even plug it straight into your PC to use as a controller there.

We’re no ready to pen a full review of the Glap just yet but we do want to chat about a few things before we do.

The Glap comes in its own carrying case which includes stickers, instructions, and a charging cable. The case feels rather sturdy but its fabric interior will stop the controller from getting scuffed as you carry it around.

Charging is accomplished via a USB Type C port located on the controller and connectivity is provided via Bluetooth. The manufacturer claims a 10 hour battery life and we are keeping a close eye on that claim.

But how well does it work?

We’re using Steam Link for the time being as we wait for the mobile versions of PUBG and Fortnite to download but so far, the controller has been great. Steam Link however, has been very problematic.

Steam Link is very fragile even on a 5GHz network. For example, “tabbing out” to start screen recording on the Note 10+ caused the image to break for a moment before returning to normal. Some games also don’t appear to recognise the controller and others just refuse to accept it exists at all.

However, in the games where it is recognised, the controller itself is great. When using Bluetooth peripherals in the past we’ve noted a small input delay. That delay is not present here with the Glap reacting superbly to our button presses.

The Glap supports a number of games for Android as well.

The controller feels good in the hand and the buttons are of as high a quality as those in the Xbox One and Dualshock 4 controllers. The analog sticks feel really smooth as well.

The major concerns we have at the moment include the lack of space for a headphone jack and the heat the entire system kicks out combined with a premium smartphone running a game.

The headphone jack can likely be solved with Bluetooth headphones but this does bring into question how quickly the battery of the phone will drain.

The Glap’s RRP is R1 299 which isn’t bad, especially if you plan on doing any sort of serious mobile gaming.

Eskom permitting, we will be spending the weekend with the Glap and we’ll report back when we’ve spent some quality time with the controller.

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