Shaks S5b (S5i) Review: I really wanted to like this controller

I recently got my hands on the Shaks S5b because I wanted to see if there is any telescopic controller that is better than the Flydigi Wee 2(T) that I am using at the moment. I came across the Shaks S5b on Amazon and it seemed promising. The controller was crowdfunded on Kickstarter and it smashed through it’s goal. So is it any good?

Unboxing and First Impressions

When the controller arrived, it came in a very basic cardboard box. The box features a picture of a controller that is not the S5b/S5i (more on the different names later). Inside you get the controller itself, a leather (not sure if it’s faux) case, a charging cable, a circular d-pad replacement, and a user manual.

The first time I picked up the controller, I immediately notice how light it felt. This along with the hollow feeling and poor plastic molding gives off a rather cheap feel. Stretching out the controller reveals the telescopic arm which is made of entirely plastic. The arm has quite a bit of flex and it creaks. Also, it often gets stuck when collapsing down. This wouldn’t be a big deal if the controller was cheaper, but at around $55 USD, you would expect better build quality.

The seams where the plastic molds meet is unpolished

Gameplay and Usage

The controller seems less portable than something like the Wee 2, but because there is no gaps in between the halves, it takes up a similar footprint when collapsed. When it is collapse, you can use it like a traditional controller which is great if you are using this with other devices besides your phone. The controller is able to pair with 4 different devices thanks to the pairing slider on the left side. Originally, this controller was suppose to support iOS natively, but Shaks was unable to acquire the chips required for MFi so they’re now relying on software-based implementation (hence the name change from S5i to S5b). I do not have an iOS device to test this, but from the…