Customer Ratings & Reviews

I was skeptical at first. When I opened the product it felt sturdy, buttons and all. It did take me some time to figure how to set it up with my iPhone, but once I managed to do so everything worked fantastic! So far, my only complaint is figuring out how to set up the home button. All in time.

The Pocket Taco by GameSir is such a fun accessory to throw into your bag and be able to relive your Game Boy days whenever you want. I love the design on this thing, familiar button layout, color scheme, and even the crispness of each button press is a nod to a past of gaming glory. We all carry our phone in our pocket, this Pocket Taco now makes gaming really easy for you. It is lightweight and includes a pretty solid carry case. It is smart enough to power on or off depending on if you clip it to your phone on or off. It connects via bluetooth pretty easily. Solid battery life, rated at 30 hours, plenty for on the go gaming. If you run out of battery juice, you can easily connect your USBC cable to charge it up. On that same charging note, there is a convenient cut out on the bottom of the device that allows pass through charging for your phone so that you can continue to play even if your phone needs to be charged. I love to rave just on the design alone but they thought of everything with protecting your phone screen with soft touch pads on the inner clamp. It fits great even with my phone protector. As for game play, it is ready to go out of the box if you want to with the Game Sir Boy app. It has games you can play from there or bring your own to pull off local storage. If you want further button customization, you can remap button values, enable D-pad diagonal lock. You have access to full G-Touch and V-Touch support. I want to deduct just one star, this may just be my own user experience but sometimes if I start up the Pocket Taco it syncs to my phone's bluetooth but it doesn't get registered in the Game Sir Boy app and I have to manually click the device to connect from the app. It is just a little bit annoying to do so but I hope it is just a app update down the road that fixes it.

PROS: price ($35) battery life size & portability can charge while you play if necessary SO-SO: The setup wasn't the easiest due to the hit-or-miss Bluetooth. difficult to know what games work and which ones don't only works in vertical orientation (I wish the device would allow both vertical and landscape due to most games using landscape) CONS: It isn't a plug-and-play device, making it hard for kids to use freely doesn't work well with modern games (even classic remakes) You need an emulator for it to be worth using covers the screen of your phone If you grew up an 80s or 90s kid, nostalgia is just part of life now that you're older. We yearn for those days of lounging around the house on our dad's recliners, playing Gameboy until our friends came knocking on the door to play. That's what I remember most about it, and it's only natural to miss it. What about now, though? Sure, you can buy a Game Boy at a retro store, but what if you could make your phone into one? Is it as easy as buying this GameSir Pocket Taco? Yes and no. The design duplicates the minimal Gameboy buttons, but adds necessary additional ones to keep up with newer onesgen versions of classics. The physical D-pad and ABXY buttons replicate the exact arrangement you'd expect from older handheld gaming devices. It also has back buttons, which is a nice touch. However, there are no joysticks, which can make it harder for younger generations to learn. As cool as this idea is, and as well as the Gameboy feel is replicated, sadly, most of today's games are made for landscape mode, which hinders my experience using this one. I was hoping to play classics like NBA Jam or RBI Baseball, but the games available on the Play Store are all landscape-oriented. In fact, I didn't find many vertical games, aside from a few. To truly make this Pocket Taco look like a Game Boy, you'll have to dig into emulators, which can be a difficult task for those not technologically advanced. Once you get an emulator on your phone, though, it's a lot easier to dig into the settings because they're not locked down like a lot of Android/iPhone games are - especially regarding screen orientation. This device feels more like a beta device than a "plug and play" device you can use right out of the box. Bluetooth connectivity is hit-or-miss for me, but once it's working, it can work well. It's not as easy to use as I'd like. It is super lightweight and holds a charge well, which is perfect for long car rides or waiting rooms. The device doesn't take up much space and can literally fit in a coat pocket. The buttons are responsive and aren't too mushy. And the price is the true value. If you can get it to work consistently and have a good source of retro games, $35 is a steal. It's so much better playing with this than using the touchscreen controllers that games generally come with on your phone.

A really good controller—ideal when you need something lightweight and handy to carry in your bag and play wherever you want.

First Impressions: Instant Nostalgia Hit The moment I saw the GameSir Pocket Taco, it hit me with a wave of nostalgia. The Gameboy/SNES inspired color scheme is ridiculously charming - the kind of design that makes you stop, stare, and think, “Okay… I probably need this.” I’m usually the first person to roll my eyes at phone accessories that feel gimmicky, but GameSir really made it hard to walk away. The retro look alone had me excited before I even touched the thing. Setting it up was refreshingly simple. Pair it over Bluetooth, give it a quick charge, and you’re basically ready to go. I appreciate that it has its own battery so it’s not draining your phone during long sessions. Installing the companion app only takes a minute, and it doubles as both a Gameboy emulator and a controller-customization hub. It’s clear GameSir wanted this to be as painless as possible, and honestly, they nailed it. Performance & Design: Tiny Controller, Big Fun The Pocket Taco is small - intentionally so - which is great for fitting most phones but might feel cramped if you have larger hands. Still, once it’s clipped onto the bottom of your phone, the whole setup suddenly feels like a legit handheld console. It’s surprisingly sturdy and surprisingly convincing. Playing my favorite Gameboy games on it was way better than I expected. The controls feel spot-on, the buttons are responsive, and I didn’t experience a single hint of lag. Whether it was Tetris, Mario, or anything that requires quick inputs, everything registered instantly. The Bluetooth connection stayed rock-solid the entire time, which is honestly more than I can say for some full-size controllers. Build Quality & Thoughtful Touches The build quality is impressive for something this small. The clamp holds your phone securely without squeezing it or leaving marks, though I’d still recommend using a screen protector just to avoid dust rubbing between the two surfaces. The included carrying case is a nice bonus - it makes tossing the Taco into a bag feel safe and effortless. Charging the internal battery is quick, so you’re not stuck waiting around when you’re in the mood to play. GameSir even throws in a handful of “homebrew” games. They’re not masterpieces, but they’re fun little extras and show that the company wanted to add value beyond just the hardware. And honestly, for the price, the whole package feels like a steal. You’re getting solid build quality, great performance, and a genuinely nostalgic experience without spending much at all. Final Thoughts: A Must-Have for Retro Fans The GameSir Pocket Taco is one of those rare accessories that blends nostalgia with modern convenience in a way that just works. Whether you’re reliving your old Gameboy library or exploring emulated classics for the first time, it turns your phone into a surprisingly capable retro handheld. Between the zero input lag, the great build quality, the easy setup, and the budget-friendly price, it’s hard not to recommend this thing. If you love retro gaming - even casually - the Pocket Taco is absolutely worth picking up. It brings those classic adventures back to life in a way that feels fun, authentic, and incredibly accessible. I can wholeheartedly say: if you’re a nostalgic gamer, this little device will make you smile.

I’ve had some fun and frustration with the Gamesir Pocket Taco. I loved my Gameboy back in the day and it was great to play some Tetris again. The controller felt familiar, like a smaller version of the Gameboy. Frustration came in at the beginning and throughout my gaming sessions however. Pros: -It was easy to connect via Bluetooth -Pocket Taco fits phones without taking (most) cases off -There is a hole in the bottom so you can charge your phone while you play -It comes with a sturdy case which also has a charging hole -Nostalgia unleashed when I hear the 8-bit Tetris theme song - you can probably hear it now Cons: -I want an On/Off switch. The auto power really hasn’t been working for me. I put it in the case and my son grabbed it and started pressing buttons and my phone started going crazy since it was still connected -For the most part, you need to use the Gamesir app which I did not have luck loading games on there with the iOS app. I kept getting errors. These are the same files that worked fine on Delta, but you can’t use the Delta app by default because if you connect a controller then the screen goes to the middle of your phone and the Pocket Taco covers the game screen. Hopefully Gamesir works on the compatibility of the app and this gets better. It could be great if they can improve the iOS app to be more stable. The material even feels like my old Gameboy! For now I’m using it like any other controller and setting my phone up on my lap or a table so I can still play the games on other emulator apps. The buttons are responsive and have worked well so far. There are a lot of features like button mapping that you can use to customize your experience, but right now it’s just okay for me.

the GameSir pocket taco is a great throwback toy, especially for the Elder Millennial or late Gen X. set up was really easy; as soon as opened up the clamshell, it turned on and a pair request shows up on your phone. comes with a neat carry case that can be charged while its in the case and has a strap if you wanted to connect it to your bag though aside from scratch protection, don't expect it to prevent drop damage There is a companion app to manage pair peripherals and install games. There is a large amount to choose from, but surprisingly, there are a large amount of landscape games, which obviously wouldn't work with this. I don't do too many "game" games on my phone. most of those are in landscape mode. I usually stick to simple mindless puzzle games, as well as retro console games that I've ripped from my collection. NOTE: this does not come with built in games, its just a BT controller. As far as those go, out of the box, it worked well. buttons were properly mapped for use but you can customize. if you have bigger hands, it may be a bit awkward. easily using the inner rear shoulder buttons can be a bit tricky. My kid's love it though because its easy for them to handle and gives them that old school Gameboy feel (which i still have that they enjoy using) Battery life is really long, though I haven't been able to use it continuously on a super long road trip or flight. Your phone would die before this did. overall its really neat, and would make a great gift for kids or any game enthusiast, assuming you have access to games.

Playing games on your phone is a great way to pass the time. Since most of us carry a smartphone with us at all times, phone gaming is handy and ready for time-wasting. While the modern smartphone is orders of magnitude more powerful than older consoles like the GameBoy, touchscreen controls are a terrible way to experience a game. Mashing actual buttons is far superior to tapping glass. That’s where a physical game controller shines! This Pocket Taco is designed to evoke nostalgia by looking and functioning like the controls of a GameBoy while using your smartphone for the rest. It is compact, lightweight and easy to carry for when you need it. Clamp it on for a solid feel when you choose to play and stow it in its protective case in your pocket or bag when playtime is over. The Taco’s built-in rechargeable battery lasts for hours of play while connected to your phone via Bluetooth. The unique design clamps around the bottom half of your phone (in portrait mode). There’s a passthrough hole so you can still plug your phone in if needed. The spring-loaded clamp opens wide enough to fit most phone cases and the button section has a rubber pad on the back to prevent scratching the screen. The controller charges by USB-C (cable provided) separately from your phone. It automatically powers on and reconnects when you open it to clamp around your phone, and then turns off automatically after you pull your phone out for seamless operation. When you’re done playing, just unclamp it and put it back in the provided controller case for storage. The case has an image of the button layout for easy matching of how it fits in. A small cutout on the bottom of the case allows you to charge the controller while in its case and is also useful to push the controller out of the case. A provided lanyard can be attached to the case to make it easier to carry both with you. On the face are a 4-way direction pad, A, B, Select and Start buttons just like the original GameBoy. Plus, there are X, Y and shoulder buttons like the Nintendo DS and a Home and M button, too. Depending on what games you’re playing, you can map these buttons to match or supplement those from the original games. When clamped on my iPhone 17 Pro Max, the Taco occupies about the bottom 1/3 of this phone’s screen and perfectly matches my phone’s width. Given that, it’s a tad bottom-heavy but manageable while playing. It’s designed to be used primarily for games that are played in Portrait orientation on your phone, but since it’s Bluetooth, it can instead be used as a standalone game controller with compatible systems. When on the phone, though, it’s about as comfortable and balanced to use as the original Gameboy with your index fingers on the shoulder buttons behind the phone and your thumbs mashing the buttons on the front. I found that it was relatively comfortable to use for casual gaming for a while, but I needed to take some breaks to prevent hand cramping during longer gaming sessions. The free GameSir app is used to update the controller’s firmware, verify that the buttons work and provide help if needed. The rest of the controller just works as a bluetooth-connected game controller for whatever compatible games you load up including use with laptops and computers that support Bluetooth game controllers. My iPhone 17 Pro Max’s screen is a tad larger than the default settings so the GameSir app blanked more screen than necessary. I was able to set the screen ratio (the part not blanked when the Taco is connected) to 63% which maximized my 17 Pro Max’s screen availability. This app and website also have a huge list of compatible games or you can just try out the controller with a game you have. For casual retro gaming on your phone, this Pocket Taco game controller really adds that nostalgic vibe to your phone without incurring a lot of bulk or weight to carry. The physical buttons on the front and the shoulder buttons on the back enhance your gameplay over mashing virtual buttons on the screen. It doesn’t rival the best dedicated game controllers, but it doesn’t have to. Adding physical buttons alone makes portable game-play that much better and the unique and retro design of this controller totally hits the mark for a great value.

If you’ve ever wanted your phone to feel like a classic handheld, this controller absolutely delivers. The first thing that stood out to me is how closely it recreates the feel of a retro console—very similar to the original Game Boy experience. Most mobile controllers try to turn your phone into a console—but this one turns it into a classic handheld. That’s a big difference. It feels like a modern-day Game Boy. The design is what makes this special. Instead of the usual wide controllers, this uses a vertical layout, with your phone acting as the screen on top and the controls on the bottom—just like a classic handheld. Physical D-pad + ABXY buttons mimic the exact layout you’d expect from older consoles. The portrait orientation feels natural for retro games. It genuinely gives that nostalgic “holding a Game Boy” vibe. You can turn your phone into a Game Boy-style device, especially when playing emulated titles or classic arcade games. The absence of analog sticks actually makes it feel more authentic, just like older handhelds. Beyond the nostalgia, it performs really well: - Bluetooth connectivity is quick and stable - Responsive buttons with a soft, comfortable press - 600mAh battery lasts through long sessions - Ability to charge your phone while playing - Super lightweight (~62g), making it easy to carry anywhere Pros: - Authentic Game Boy-like design and feel - Perfect for retro and emulator gaming - Compact, lightweight, and travel-friendly - Easy setup with reliable Bluetooth - Charging passthrough is super convenient Cons: - Not ideal for modern 3D games (no analog sticks) - Covers part of the screen (Biggest con for me) - Best experience is with retro-style games Final Verdict: This controller nails what it sets out to do. It doesn’t just add buttons to your phone—it recreates the classic handheld gaming experience in a really clever way. If you grew up with a Game Boy like me or enjoy retro games, this will feel instantly familiar—and honestly, pretty addictive. Easy 5 stars.

📦 UNBOXING: Inside the box, you’ll find the Pocket Taco, a hard protective cover, the hardware manual, and a GameSir sticker. 💪 BUILD: The Pocket Taco is a plastic build that is reminiscent of the original DMG Gameboy. The D-Pad isn’t as good as some well-known affordable “mini” emulation handhelds, as it does seem to click a bit as you press in on it. That means it won’t be the quietest handheld if you wanted to use it in silence. The ABXY buttons are in Nintendo layout on the hardware, but they can be switched to Xbox style layout in software. The buttons are membrane, but are audible when quickly pressing and letting go of them. They’re not bad by any means, but a little bit disappointing when the mini emulation handheld I have has been sold around the same price yet has significantly better feeling buttons. When on my phone, the shoulder buttons work well enough, but they’re pretty slim. So those with larger fingers may find they’re less pleasant to press. The L2 and R2 are especially small and require my fingertips to use, especially because they’re flush with L1 and R1. I feel like they could have benefited from protruding slightly more. The Select and Start buttons feel a bit mushy and could use some tactility, while the Home and M buttons are quite small but have a bit of click. On the interior, there’s silicone padding so that it grips your phone while also avoiding scratches. The hinge is neatly designed to allow most phones to fit, but in my experience, it doesn’t seem to clamp with too much force, so your phone might not be “snug” unless you’re using a case. My iPhone 16 Pro with a slim case fit pretty snug without issue, but thicker protective cases might not fit safely. The Pocket Taco has a passthru hole on the bottom so you can charge your phone, and a USB-C input on the top so you can charge the Pocket Taco. I use a case with my phone and found that while some of my thicker USB-C cables could fit through the passthru hole, the hole isn’t tall enough for the USB-C input on my phone to be accessible with my phone case. So the passthru charging hole is best used without a phone case. Meanwhile, I didn’t have issues charging the Pocket Taco via its USB-C input. Lastly, there are 4 LED bars on the right to indicate battery and pairing status. 🛠️ SETUP: The setup guide is easy to follow for Android, Apple, and Nintendo Switch 1 & 2. If you use an Android device, there’s also a “G-Touch” mode with the GameSir app which can virtually map touchscreen controls to the Pocket Taco for even broader compatibility. Setup typically requires you to pair by holding the Home + A for Apple, Home + B for Android, Home + X for Switch, and Home + Y for G-Touch mode. One interesting note is that for Apple mode, it shows up as “DUALSHOCK 4 Wireless Controller”. 💿 SOFTWARE & REMAPPING: The app itself allows you to perform firmware updates (which I did to v5500), assign the D-Pad to the left or right joystick for better game compatibility, customize the Button layout for Xbox or Switch, and even swap the L and R buttons. And if you want to completely customize your controls, you can re-map each individual button other than the M and Home buttons. 🎮 GAMING: The Pocket Taco has two big drawbacks—it doesn’t have analog sticks, and it is meant to cover your phone screen. This means that it is best designed for emulating consoles from NES, SNES, GB, GBA, PS1 and similar consoles without analog sticks. But the fact that it also covers your screen means that the apps you use need to allow vertical orientation and allow you to move the game display itself so that the Pocket Taco isn’t covering it. Moreover, GameSir doesn’t have an equivalent G-Touch feature for iOS, so you’ll have to rely on native controller support in games for Apple devices.The Pocket Taco seems like it may be better suited to Android due to the sheer number of emulation apps available, but I focused on iOS. Through online discussions, I found that I was able to use the Delta emulator for the most common classic consoles. Delta required me to import and set up some community-made skins from the Deltastyles website so that I could still access some basic on-screen controls that couldn’t be re-mapped to the Pocket Taco while also ensuring that the Taco wasn’t covering the game display. I also decided to try both the recently released Pocket8 app for the PICO-8 fantasy console as well as the also newly released PicPic app for PICO-8. Both apps worked with the Taco Pocket without covering the game display. In most cases, I did need to re-map the A/B buttons, as they seemed to be reversed, but that may be because it’s being treated as a DualShock 4 controller where in the US typically the Playstation cross button (X) is the confirm button, while (A) is the confirm button on Nintendo. In iOS, you can create controller profiles for individual apps so that you can mostly set it and forget it for each app. But apps like Delta which support many consoles may still require you to re-map the ABXY buttons in the app for each console. Latency of the Pocket Taco is not competitive in my experience, but can be “good enough” for casual games. Mashing the same button over and over shows some unregistered presses even in GameSir’s own in-app controller tester. If you’re playing games where you don’t have fast presses, this may not be an issue, but the Pocket Taco may not be well-suited for games that rely on low latency or fast repeated button presses. The Select button is the worst offender, with nearly half a second of latency at least on iOS. 🔋 BATTERY: The battery is 600mAh for roughly 30 hours of play, which seems plenty reasonable, and doesn’t take very long to charge. 🧐 CONCLUSION: Overall, I don’t think the GameSir Pocket Taco is for most people—at least on iOS where I did my testing. It has many limitations imposed by both its hardware and the software ecosystem. A controller is your only way of directly interacting with the game and should be of decent enough quality to make sure the experience is reliable and without frustration. But in my experience, I think the Pocket Taco falls short in enough ways that would have me suggest purchasing a cheap dedicated emulation handheld instead.

The Gamesir Pocket Taco is super fun. You will have the ability to play lots of games including many retro games without the cost of many expensive devices. The first key design point is you are using your own cell phone which does have an excellent display. The second design point is you will be using very well designed physical buttons and control pads that have all have a very tactile feel. Using physical buttons and controls definitely gives you a much more satisfying retro game experience. Instead of just touching the phone screen this device allows you to sense the touch and feel of the games as they were originally designed. It may be a subtle point but it is a very obvious advantage that adds a lot to your gaming enjoyment. I did compare the ‘feel’ you get from similar ‘sliding’ devices and these products are indeed very nice, but I like the game experience much more with the Pocket Taco. The Pocket Taco gives you a smaller, much more portable device, that you can carry easily; and secondly it simply clamps securely on your phone with no sliding mechanism to wear out; and is less cumbersome to carry around. It has a silicon lining that prevents it from scratching your phone screen. You do need to learn the button descriptions and a guide is included. It is very simple to connect your phone via Bluetooth to the Pocket Taco. Once paired, you simply open it and re-clamp it and it re-connects to your phone. Also, it will turn off when you remove it. Note I played around pairing it to different cell phones. If it was already paired to another cell phone you first had to hold the ‘M’ and Home buttons to get it into pairing mode – which is a different process than when you first paired it. The design allows you to have the device on your phone and still be able to plug a charging cable into your phone if needed. A tip of the cap to the GameSir designers for making a very sturdy, well thought out and easy to use device at a very affordable price. One feature which didn’t bother me and would depend on the game used is the vertical clamp position which results in a screen roughly half the size of your phone. However, if this smaller screen does bug you enough, the Pocket Taco can be used without clamping it on your phone i.e. as a simple handheld controller. As a separate handheld controller you now have the entire phone screen to use horizontally. I would absolutely recommend this small device for its excellent construction including the switches and the clamping characteristics; and the ability to realize the physical button experience of retro games as they were first played.

I decided to get this Game Sir Taco retro mobile controller to conveniently play my favorite retro video games on the go. It comes with a hard case for carrying and a charging cable. The retro design is visually appealing, and my iPhone 17 Pro Max fits well even with the iPhone case. However, the Game Sir app and the process of connecting my iPhone were incredibly frustrating and confusing. It seems like they only designed this gadget with Android and other devices in mind. Despite following all the instructions, the Game Sir Taco connects to my iPhone, but it doesn’t allow me to play any of my retro games while using this controller , even when I use the Dual Shock 4 wireless control settings on my iPhone. While Game Sir had a great idea with this controller, they need to address the issues with the app and the connectivity to iOS devices. Apart from these problems, it’s a cool gadget if it works properly and at a good price. I really won’t recommend this gadget due to the connection issues, hopefully Game Sir will fix the issue and do a major update to their app.

The GameSir Pocket Mini is a cool little gadget for mobile gaming. While it lacks traditional joysticks, it still offers a semi-modern controller layout that works especially well for retro style games. Its compact size makes it a great option for anyone looking for a portable controller. The GameSir app helps optimize the experience on mobile, allowing content to be displayed on the top screen for a more immersive setup. When it works, it definitely enhances gameplay. However, I did run into some issues getting the app to detect my phone. At one point, I had to use another device, which let me connect it as a “DualShock 4-style” controller but that meant I couldn’t use the app features. I eventually got everything working, but the app experience could definitely be smoother. As for the controller itself, the Pocket Mini is comfortable for its size and performs well, especially with retro games and platformers. It’s also versatile, supporting multiple systems including Switch, iOS, Android.Connecting it can be a bit confusing at first since it depends on different button combinations (using the home button plus a face button) depending on the platform. Overall, the GameSir Pocket Mini is a fun and portable controller that shines when playing retro and platform-style games, even if the app experience still has room for improvement.

TL;DR: SETUP: The Pocket Taco controller pairs easily over Bluetooth and feels solid in the hand. USE: Works reliably once connected, but the button layout and responsiveness feel tuned more for emulator play than modern mobile games. USABILITY: Limited compatibility with App Store games; many titles don’t recognize the inputs. OVERALL: Well‑built, but not the right fit if you primarily play native iOS games. REVIEW: I spent some time using the GameSir Pocket Taco Bluetooth Mobile Gaming Controller, and while the build quality is surprisingly solid, the overall experience didn’t land for me. Setup was simple. Pairing over Bluetooth took only a few seconds, and once connected, the controller stayed connected without any drops or hiccups. The sliding mechanism that turns your phone into a Game Boy‑style handheld feels sturdy and secure, which I appreciated. I like the slim, hard case it comes with, too. Where things fell short for me was the actual gameplay. The Pocket Taco seems to work better with older games, retro systems, and anything designed around a D‑pad and simple button inputs. In that environment, it performed well and feels natural. I generally use App Store games and for me, I preferred using the onscreen controls rather than the Pocket Taco. Many games didn’t recognize the controller and others mapped controls in awkward or unusable ways. If your goal is to play mainstream iOS titles, Apple Arcade games, or controller‑supported App Store releases, this device just isn’t optimized for that ecosystem. The hardware itself is good. I liked the retro GameBoy looks, but the software compatibility limits its usefulness. For someone who primarily plays emulator games, it could be a fun little device, but more of a novelty. For me, I wanted a controller for App Store gaming and it’s not intended for that. Overall, the Pocket Taco is well‑made but not the right match for my needs. It’s a niche controller that excels in one specific lane, and if you’re outside that lane, it’s hard to recommend.

I’m a big fan of mobile gaming and have been using mobile gaming controllers for many years. GameSir is one of my favorite gaming peripheral makers and this Pocket Taco was a very intriguing to me. Being a child of the 80s, I love the retro design and was excited about using it to turn my phone into a retro handheld gaming device. The controller comes with instructions, a charging cable, a protective storage case for the controller, and a lanyard. One thing to point out here is that as nice as the devices are from GameSir, they aren’t always the most user-friendly. The Pocket Taco is definitely plug-and-play especially if you are using an iPhone. The controller connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth, but there are different pairing modes available. The trick is that you have to know which mode will work for your device. You also need to download the GameSir app, which is not specified in the user manual. Here’s the process I went through. I powered on the controller. It went into the pairing mode and my iPhone recognized it as “GameSir-Pocket 1_b9”. I tapped on “GameSir-Pocket 1_b9” to connect and even though the app said it was connected, the LED indicators on the side were slow flashing, which meant that it was trying to reconnect. I did a little research online and found that with iOS devices, you may have to connect to a “DUAL SHOCK 4 Wireless Controller” which I did. At this point, the GameSir app said I was connected, but the testing area didn’t show any input were being triggered even though I was press all the buttons. This led me to try a different pairing mode. I swapped to the Switch mode and finally the controller was working with the iPhone. The next hurdle was playing a game. I took my phone out of the Pocket Taco so that I could navigate to the App Store and I downloaded Lego Star Wars. The first thing I wanted to do was test how well the controller would play. There was some lag, but it was playable. In order to play retro games on an iPhone, you have to download an emulator. The emulator is free to download and in the App Store, but the ROMs are a different story. So, even though I was able to test that connection method and how well the controller could play, I wasn’t able to actually play with the controller attached to the phone because I couldn’t access any playable games that formatted properly since the Pocket Taco covers half the screen. The controller isn’t a bad idea, but the current execution of it is flawed due to the access of appropriate games.

The Pocket Taco will make your phone look like a Gameboy but making it a niche product is not very practical for functionality. The Pocket Taco is a strange game controller; it’s not your average game controller that you can use as a standalone controller. In order to use this controller, you will need to have it wrapped around your phone just like a Taco. There is only one way your phone can fit into it and that’s in the vertical position making it look exactly like a Gameboy. Unfortunately, you can’t use it in any other position, and you can’t use it as a controller by itself. The reason for this is the way you turn the device on is by pulling it open and pressing any button, once the controller closes together, then it automatically turns off. The Pocket Taco is by far the most confusing Bluetooth controller I have ever used. The first time I tried to set this up with my iPhone 16 plus, I had a heck of a time getting the controller to work. I tried using the GameSir app, but the only thing I found to be useful in that app was updating the controller. There are 4 different modes the controller has; Android, iPhone, Switch and AP mode, and the only mode I was able to get to work with my phone was the Switch mode. I tried changing the controls in the app, but it didn’t work at all. Eventually, I just used the emulator software to customize my controls. Once I was able to finally get this controller to work, I loaded up some games to play on my Delta app. The controller works well, but unless you have tiny hands, it’s not very comfortable. It’s also very annoying having to play my game on such a small screen because of the way this controller is designed. This would have been so much better if you could use the controller without the need to put your phone inside of it. Overall, I am not impressed with the Pocket Taco. Getting the controller to work is a real chore, and it’s too small to hold for very long without my hands cramping. But the biggest problem is that you have to use it with your phone placed inside of it, limiting you to only having a small square display to play with. If you’re chasing the experience of playing on a classic Gameboy, then look no further, otherwise I would not recommend this controller.

At fist glance, the GameSir Pocket Taco seems like the perfect solution to playing retro games on your phone, but unfortunately this controller is uncomfortable to use for any extended period of time, and your hands will start to cramp up or go numb pretty soon, if you are fully grown adult. This product may be more comfortable to use if it came with a larger grip attachment, but unless you have really small or kid sized hands, then I would not recommend getting this controller. And to add insult to injury, the unit that I purchased came with a defective D pad that missed inputs half the time, so it seems like the build quality of this controller is not the best. Overall, for only $35 the GameSir Pocket Taco may be worth trying out, but good luck on using it comfortably or even getting a functional unit

This is what I was looking g for to play retro games vertically. No lag for me. Programmable buttons and app that assists with that.

I missed my gameboy from the golden age. So when I was "volunteered" to go on a long (11+ hour) trip, I knew I needed something to keep me sane. Well, this is the tickets for me. Not only can I play my fav games from the childhood, I can discover ones I have never tried. Few things kinda set me back, but nothing that really affects the use of this. 1. small, compact 2. comes with carry case and charge cable 3. retro buttons so I don't have to learn new ones and what they do 4. hold decent charge for the size and can be topped off with a power bank if needed 5. holds phone firm, but still be careful when defending the universe 6. you have to download the makers app (low usage so far on store) and then find your ROM to play. so setting it up is not a few min task 7. controls are nice and work well. I need to figure out how to not touch the one in the back as much, to avoid messing up my gameplay 8. runs on bluetooth, so no messy cables or such to get in the way of your fun. So with this being said. I am glad I got this and so far it works great for me. it is simple to attach and easy to use on a moments notice. I highly recommend this to anyone that needs a quick fix or a major distraction from travel or life.

This is a great device when you want to play some emulation, but the biggest downside is that the size of it makes it difficult to play some games that require more screen. Apart from that, it’s very cute and very tactile. The buttons are very nice to the touch. The packaging is very nice as well. The box and whatnot is very precise and the paperwork is minimal and not wasteful. The overall feel is very well made. The device does feel a bit “fragile” because of the way you insert it into the device. The Bluetooth connection is stable and works just right. It does have pass through charging so you can game and charge then go on the move if you have to. Configuring the device to your game does take some time as with any other device you will use to game, but that’s just part of the fun. Don’t let that deter you or don’t just think it’ll just be a quick plug and play. It doesn’t really make the phone bulky when you use it since the overall design is small, but it does come with a case so you can definitely bring it around anywhere in your pocket.