The best gaming accessories for your smartphone [2020]

Looking for the best gaming accessories for your smartphone? Look no further.

Mobile gaming is more popular than ever, and it's improved a ton in the last few years. We're not stuck with boring puzzle and match 3 games anymore, although there's still plenty of those if that's what you're into. The Google Play Store is full of gripping RPGs, action-packed shooters, and immersive simulation games, so there's a pretty good argument to treat your smartphone like a full gaming experience just like your Xbox or Playstation.

Of course that means you'll probably need some accessories to take your gaming experience to the next level. We've rounded up our favorite accessories, from controllers to batteries to headphones, to help you take that step and really enjoy the next big game on your smartphone.

Controllers

If your favorite game supports it, playing with a controller can be a game-changer, no pun intended. Touchscreen controls do work, and modern games are taking this much more seriously and designing games around this style of input, but there's just nothing quite like having a physical gamepad in your hands. Here are the best controller options on the market.

Stoga Game Controller w/ Mobile Clip

Controllers with a built-in clip are a personal favorite of mine. Stoga offers a multi-functional controller that's shaped much like an Xbox 360 controller for maximum comfort, but there's a plastic clip holder for your right built right in. Pop it up, attach your phone, and voila, you've got something reminiscent of a Nintendo 3DS with your smartphone, except there's a full size controller at your fingertips.

For less than $30, this one's an excellent option.

Stoga Game Controller | $28 | Amazon

HyperX Chargeplay Clutch

We recently reviewed the HyperX Chargeplay Clutch and found that it's one of the easiest upgrades you can make to your smartphone gaming experience without needing to do literally anything else. It's a pretty simple grip/battery hybrid that gives you something to hold onto while gaming, making it perfect for games that don't support controllers or games where you're already familiar with those kinds of controls. With a 3000mAh wireless charging battery magnetically attached, you're getting an accessory that can actually stretch out your gaming sessions instead of putting extra drain on your phone battery.

HyperX Chargeplay Clutch | $59 | Amazon

PowerA Moga Xbox One Controller Clip

If you already own an Xbox One controller, you might just want to use that for your smartphone instead of investing in a completely new controller. You're already used to it, and Microsoft makes some really good peripherals, after all. In that case, you can pick up the PowerA Xbox One Controller Clip and simple attach it to your controller.

This gives you an extra attachment that will hold your phone in place so you can emulate a clamshell design with a fully compatible Xbox controller on the bottom end. Android natively supports these controllers, too, which makes this an excellent experience, especially for just $15.

PowerA Xbox One Controller Clip | $15 | Amazon

Xbox One Controller

And if you don't have an Xbox One controller, that might be your best option. It's all preference, but most people find Microsoft's game controller incredibly comfortable, and since it connects via Bluetooth it's pretty universally compatible. You can use it with your phone, NVIDIA Shield TV, computer, Xbox One, or just about anything you can plug it into. There are tons of extra accessories and clips for it, too, and Microsoft sells it in a ton of colors and designs. It's a little more expensive than some other controllers on Amazon, but you're paying for the quality here.

Who knew an Xbox controller would be one of the best gaming accessories for your smartphone?

Xbox One Controller | Price varies | Amazon, Best Buy, Microsoft

8Bitdo Sn30 Controller

If you're more into the retro side of things, you'll definitely be interested in what 8Bitdo has to offer. They've got a few different options for retro-styled controllers, including classic SNES and NES gamepads, plus some “reimagined” controllers that keep that same shape but add things like longer grips or joysticks. But they all come in Bluetooth variants, and you can buy clips to hold your phone to these controllers, making them excellent choices for anyone looking to turn their phone into an emulation powerhouse.

8Bitdo SN30 | $30 | Amazon

Gaming headsets

When you're playing a game, sometimes you want to go all-in on sound effects and the music in the game. That's a problem if you're in a loud area or somewhere that you might be bothering people, which is where a solid headset comes in.

Grab a nice headset, get connected, and game on without annoying your friends or the people on the bus.

Corsair HS35

Corsair makes some excellent gaming peripherals, and if you need a headset, look no further. The HS35 headphones are universally compatible with your PS4, computer, smartphone, or anything else thanks to its 3.5mm connector, and it's got a boom mic for enhanced vocal clarity when you're chatting with your friends over Discord. They feature custom-tuned 50mm drivers which are great for gaming, listening to music, or watching movies, so don't feel like they're only useful for your gaming sessions.

Corsair HS35 headphones | $40 | Amazon

SteelSeries Arctis 3

If you're aiming for something wireless, check out the SteelSeries Arctis. It's still a universally compatible headset that can be plugged in with a 3.5mm connection, but if you don't want to plug it in (or your phone doesn't have a headphone jack) just fire up the Bluetooth connection and go. It's specifically designed for low-latency to not lag behind your gameplay, and the integrated Clear Cast microphone is great for talking to friends with VOIP apps.

SteelSeries Arctis 3 | $100 | Amazon

Samsung Galaxy Buds+

Don't sleep on Samsung's Galaxy Buds, especially with the latest Galaxy Buds+ refresh. They're very solid headphones that are completely wireless, and with the newer version featuring more microphones you'll get a much better communication experience. Samsung's phones typically have some gaming EQs, too, and the Galaxy Buds really just sound great. You can't go wrong here, making these headphones one of the best gaming accessories for your smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy Buds+ | $149 | Amazon

Batteries and chargers

If you're gaming for long periods of time, you've probably noticed how big of a battery drain some games can be. They push your phone's processor harder than just about any other apps, so you'll need to keep an eye on your battery level if you're playing games during the day. These accessories will take some of the worry out of that.

Anker PowerCore III Sense 10K

Anker is no stranger to power accessories, and they've got some great options to extend your gaming sessions. Their latest PowerCore III Sense 10K is a big 10,000mAh battery that features a slim design (that comes in a few different colors) and extremely fast charging, which is key here; this thing will absolutely charge your phone faster than any game can deplete the battery. At its size you're also looking at a couple extra charges on your phone which should turn into about an extra 10ish hours of playtime for most phones, which isn't bad at all.

Anker PowerCore III Sense 10K | $50 | Amazon

If you're not concerned about size, Aukey's got a behemoth of a battery that's arguably the best thing you could possibly want for long gaming sessions. It's a 26,800mAh battery that features USB-C PD charging speeds, so it can handle charging small laptops. There's plenty of speed here. It features two USB-C ports and a USB-A port for whatever kind of connectivity you need, making this one of the best gaming accessories for your smartphone.

Aukey 26,800mAh Power Bank | $80 | Amazon

Xcentz USB-C PD 45W Wall Charger

If you don't need to worry about being portable, you can get some great charging speeds out of the Xcentz 45W USB-C PD charging block. It delivers a crazy fast charging speed to USB-C compatible devices, and Xcentz makes some pretty premium stuff. We've been very pleased with the quality and craftsmanship out of these accessories in our reviews, and it makes for a great accessory to throw in your bag when you know you're going to need to charge back up to keep your game going.

Xcentz USB-C PD 45W Wall Charger | $26 | Amazon

Aukey USB-C Right Angle Cable

Right angle charging cables are criminally underrated for keeping your cable out of the way when actually using a device, which I've been known to rant about. Aukey makes some fantastic cables specifically for this purpose, and that's all I've been using lately. For $15 you get two sturdy braided USB-C to USB-C cables, perfect for any of the charging blocks or batteries on our list here. They're great for getting your phone plugged up while gaming without having to cramp your hand around a big cable jutting out of the bottom of your phone.

Aukey 2-pack USB-C cables | $15 | Amazon