As any self-respecting gamer will tell you, physical controls always trump touchscreen interfaces when it comes to fast-paced, demanding titles. Seasoned thumb-bandits may also be aware that Google's Android platform is a hotbed of retro emulation goodness, with apps available that turn your humble handset into everything from a NES to a Sega Mega Drive.
It's now possible to get the most authentic gaming experience possible by linking a Sony PlayStation 3 controller with your Android device. The app that enables this astonishing combination is Sixaxis Controller, available for download from the Android Market for £1.01.
Before you purchase the app and dust off your PS3 pad in preparation for some old-school gaming action, take note: your phone has to be rooted in order for this to work. If you have no idea what rooting is, we'd advise you stop reading now.
It's also worth stressing that Sixaxis Controller doesn't work with every single Android phone -- the developer has noted that some HTC and Samsung devices are incompatible, due to complexities in how they handle Bluetooth protocols.
Still with us? Blimey, you're brave. Brew a cuppa, chum, and let's get stuck in. Hit play on the video above or read on.
Run a compatibility check
The developer has kindly made a compatibility check tool available for free so you can be sure your device is up to the job before spending your cash on the full app. Download Sixaxis Compatibility Checker and run the test to ascertain if you're eligible for some controller-pairing goodness.
If you are, make note of the 'local Bluetooth address' at the very bottom of the screen -- you'll need this in a moment's time -- and then download the full application.
Install the SixaxisPairTool on your computer
Once you're over the first hurdle, you'll need to download the SixaxisPairTool PC application from the developer's website. This allows you to manually create a bond between your phone and the PS3 pad.
Connect the PS3 controller to your PC
Use the mini-USB cable you got when you purchased your PS3 console -- it's the thing you use to charge up the pad's internal battery -- to connect the control pad to your computer.
Open the SixaxisPairTool -- it can be found in your computer's Start menu, assuming you're running Windows. It will probably install some drivers, but that's nothing to worry about -- the app's just making sure your PC can communicate with the pad itself.
Manually pair your phone with the PS3 controller
The SixaxisPairTool will display the current Bluetooth address that is paired with the pad. Input your phone's address -- the one you made note of at the bottom of the screen in the compatibility checker a few steps back -- into the blank box, and then click 'update'. Unplug the mini-USB cable.
Configure the Sixaxis app
Open the Sixaxis app on your phone. It may prompt you for superuser permission. If you're a seasoned rooter, you'll be intimately familiar with this screen. Start a scan and press the power button on the PS3 pad. The four red LEDs at the top of the pad should blink, and then one should stay lit to indicate that the pad and your phone have successfully connected.
Select 'change input method' in the app and select 'Sixaxis Controller'. This basically makes the pad your primary interface with the phone -- it's essentially acting like a Bluetooth keyboard.
Bind keys to controller buttons
Press the menu button in the Sixaxis Controller app and select 'preferences'. You'll be able to bind Android keyboard keys to buttons on the pad itself. Make a note of the bindings you create here, as you'll need to know them when you set up the buttons in each individual emulator in the next step.
Bind buttons in your emulator
We tested the Sixaxis Controller with several emulators, including MD.emu, Snes9x EX and PCE.emu, but, in theory, it should work with any Android app that allows you to edit keyboard commands.
You'll need to edit the bindings in the emulator's options menu -- in the example above, we've used MD.emu -- to ensure each key does what it should. Consoles like the NES and Mega Drive only use around two or three buttons for most games, so it's not too much of a headache.
Enjoy retro gaming
And there you have it -- proper gaming controls without the need to resort to buying a Sony Ericsson Xperia Play. Yay!
Android App 
RSS Feeds 
iPhone App 
Newsletters
Comments 14
Add your comment
ace9988 11 August, 2011 13:34
same case with the wii-mote hack ...it doesn't work on HTC Sense systems and some samsung handsets =( but oh well ....cyangenomod it is =D ..Flashing time !
Nathan Explosion 11 August, 2011 15:45
My Asus Transformer already works with SixAxis without any of this cumbersome setup... I'm guessing it's a standard feature in Android 3.1/3.2
Anonymous 11 August, 2011 16:54
Grrrrr I can't flash cyanogenmod at alll to my galaxy s2...constantly bootlooping after several attempts...any help ay all on why this is happening to me?! I'm going on.holiday in a few days and would love to be able to use my dualshock on my galaxy s2 :(
Also for anyone willing to help me :)) for some reason when I get to booting into recovery from ROM Manager, my phone fails to boot every time and just boots up with the stock recovery into of cwm recovery :(
Any help.would be magic! :DD
Anonymous 11 August, 2011 16:54
Grrrrr I can't flash cyanogenmod at alll to my galaxy s2...constantly bootlooping after several attempts...any help ay all on why this is happening to me?! I'm going on.holiday in a few days and would love to be able to use my dualshock on my galaxy s2 :(
Also for anyone willing to help me :)) for some reason when I get to booting into recovery from ROM Manager, my phone fails to boot every time and just boots up with the stock recovery into of cwm recovery :(
Any help.would be magic! :DD
Anonymous 12 August, 2011 11:40
From what I have read you can't use cwm with Samsung galaxy s2. You have to have rooted using cf root and use his version I think. I know on my HTC legend unless you flash a custom recovery to your recovery partition you have to fake flash by pressing up volume button and power button to get to cwm recovery. I know this puts you into download mode on a Samsung, well least I think it does. Just keep reading on XDA. Everything you need is on there.
anonymous 17 August, 2011 08:03
Finding this site made all the work I did to find it look like nothing. The reason being that this is such an informative post. I wanted to thank you for this special read of the subject. I definitely savored every little bit of it and I submitted your site to some of the biggest social networks so others can find your blog.
new android games
Aanya Sharma 17 August, 2011 08:06
Great Post, loved it will be waiting for your future posts,the internet would be a much better place. Please keep it up!
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.neuron.welcomearkanoid&feature=search_result
anonymous 22 August, 2011 10:03
Probably the only way I would get to relive Die Hard Trilogy, so I might as well give it a try, but not on a phone. I need a tablet. I hear you guys are giving one away? :)
anonymous 1 November, 2011 11:12
Presumably, if you're a seasoned "rooter" and "thumb-bandit", you already know there are emulators that do the same thing.
anonymous 1 November, 2011 21:35
PIECE OF CAKE
anonymous 10 November, 2011 15:19
To the above Anon comment: No emulator currently supports a connection with the PS3 pad. You can link pads like the iControlpad and PhoneJoy, but not the superior PS3 pad.
anonymous 17 December, 2011 00:27
once done how do you get sonic?
anonymous 7 January, 2012 02:51
I need help, I did everything and I go to connect it with my Asus Transformer and the app will say client connected yet my controller keeps flashing? What do I do?
anonymous 27 January, 2012 03:38
S2 samsung dont have to be rooted does it?