Page 4. Analysis Of the Mad Catz M.O.J.O.
The C.T.R.L.R Controller

Update: 2014-03-02 Mad catz MOJO Final thoughts
Below is not maintained and out of date.

The M.O.J.O. C.T.R.L.R is no ordinary controller!
Like the M.O.J.O. the C.T.R.L.R is high-end tech and multipurpose!
It has a glossy plastic top, and a plastic mat finish on the bottom.

Firstly, the C.T.R.L.R can be used on:
* Mad Catz M.O.J.O.
* Android 4.0+ phones & tablets
* PC (Windows)
* Mac
* Unconfirmed support for Linux and iOS

Unlike the Ouya/Gamestick gamepads, the M.O.J.O. C.T.R.L.R has 3 HID (Human Interface Device) modes (called BT Profiles).
These Profiles, tells the other device what it is and how it should handle it.
Literally the C.T.R.L.R is 3 devices in one!

From the developers doc: CTRLR_M.O.J.O._Info_v1_6.pdf:
3 HID Modes selected by slide switch on front of pad.
1. GameSmart Mode – Used for gaming and basic navigation in Android.
2. Mouse Mode – Essential for initial M.O.J.O. setup, virtual keyboard input, browsing and
playing touch based games.
3. PC Mode – Gamepad mappings for PC and compatible with programming software
(Windows).

Profile 1: GameSmart Mode
This is the normal menu and gaming mode, the default M.O.J.O. mode.

Profile 2: Mouse Mode
This turns the C.T.R.L.R into a wireless BT4 mouse!
The left analog stick is the mouse, the right analog stick acts as a mouse wheel up/down and the buttons act as left, middle and right click.

The mouse mode is also a touch mode which in turn allows you access to Android’s User Interface, which can activate the virtual keyboard input for example.
I believe this mouse mode may also be supported on other devices, eg PC, Mac, Linux etc.

Profile 3: PC Mode
This mode allows you to use your C.T.R.L.R with a desktop wirelessly via BT 4!
Going by the developer’s document, the PC mode looks like it’s using the standard gamepad HID (Win API) on windows which requires no software installation.

It’s not written anywhere but I recognise the layout, ie buttons are mapped to numbers, the analog sticks mapped to axis and the directional buttons to POV with their standard values.

If this is the case then Linux is also supported in this mode, ie my phone :)
Unfortunately, I don’t have one to confirm this.

What is C.T.R.L.R app?

From the CTRLR_M.O.J.O._Info_v1_6.pdf:
“The C.T.R.L.R is app-enabled and can be configured via a smart device app.”

Not much more info on this app, but I’m guessing this is a mobile app that can be used if the game hasn’t been programmed to expect a gamepad, ie some older emulators only use keyboard key inputs.
In this case the app will emulate a key press and send it to the game, then a C.T.R.L.R button is pressed.
Eg, configure the game to use A as up, configure the C.T.R.L.R app so the up direction button is A.
So Pressing up on the directional pad, will send the A key press to the game.

It might also map touch screen controls to buttons, it’s a big ask, so I doubt it would.
I’m guessing iOS support might also be waiting it’s iOS app, we’ll have to wait and see.

Are gamepads on mobile platforms new?
Yes, but not really, you could connect USB controllers to mobiles via OTG (On The Go) cables since Android version 3.1 (10 May 2011).
Bluetooth gamepads for mobile is more recent, and more difficult.
Here are a few BT gamepad specifically for mobiles.

MOGA PRO POWER $80USD
It even charges your phone while you play with a rechargeable 2200 mAh battery!!
But only support Android/iOS and Android requires programming with their controller libraries, iOS doesn’t

Green throttle $40USD
No phone clip, only support Android/iOS and Android requires programming with their controller libraries, iOS doesn’t

Samsung’s GamePad
“December 17, 2013. Launched in response to the rapidly expanding global mobile gaming market, Smartphone GamePad provides consumers with a fun, convenient, and advanced gaming experience anytime, anywhere.”.
Currently, only supports Android platforms.

There are so many other controllers for mobile devices now!
See these 10 and these apparently are the best ones.

How good is the C.T.R.L.R’s usage for media?
C.T.R.L.R has 5 dedicated buttons!
Volume-Down, Back, Play/Pause, Forward, Volume-Up.
These buttons also work with the media player in the background!
The extra 5 buttons are a great feature!
This really shows you the quality, forethought and integrity of the C.T.R.L.R.
Instead of removing buttons to save costs, Mad Catz is giving you extras! Very useful extras!

What’s the Travel Clip for?

The C.T.R.L.R comes with a Travel Clip, you can see it on the pick above holding the mobile phone.
This is a Clip which holds your mobile phone’s screen above the C.T.R.L.R, held in place by a screw which screws into the back of the C.T.R.L.R.
It instantly turns your M.O.J.O. C.T.R.L.R into something like the MOGA PRO!

What’s the ‘USB Nano Dongle’ for?

Until the M.O.J.O is updated to Android 4.4 KitKat, the USB BT4 dongle is required to be plugged into the USB2 port.
This is because Android 4.2.2 doesn’t recongnise the new BT4 internal hardware .
This is great because you can re-use the dongle after the update on mobile, PC etc.

What’s the difference between the M.O.J.O.’s and the retail version?
Oh yes! Well, this the complicated bit (not really).
There’s two versions of the ‘C.T.R.L.R’- the one that comes with the M.O.J.O. and a retail ‘C.T.R.L.R’ which is sold like a MOGA Pro with desktop support etc.

From the developers document
“There are two types of C.T.R.L.R.
The version supplied with the M.O.J.O. console (silver media buttons) is built on a Bluetooth Smart chip (BT4).
Bluetooth Smart delivers longer battery life and lower latency over existing Bluetooth products.
As a result, the pad will only connect to Bluetooth Smart compatible hosts via the HID Over GATT (HOGP) profile.
A USB dongle is supplied with this version to enable compatibility with devices that do not support HOGP.

The second version is a Dual Bluetooth variant.
It can work with M.O.J.O. but it also targeted at other mobile gaming devices such as smartphones and tablets.
It is capable of HOGP connection, but will also work on existing or ‘classic’ Bluetooth devices.
Both pads have the exact same HID button mappings in all three modes, and both are powered by 2 x AAA batteries.”

Basically the M.O.J.O. C.T.R.L.R (in the micro-console pack) is only BT 4 enabled (for battery saving and lower latency) while the retail C.T.R.L.R (sold seperately) has both BT 4 and 2.1 (classic) which can connect to any BT device (maybe even a PS3 or a Ouya? lol).

Platforms older then Android 4.4/iOS 7 don’t support BT4, in this case you’ll need a USB BT4 adapter (aka the dongle), you’ll also need to get yourself a OTG cable to convert the USB Male To Female Micro USB as this isn’t included.
Here is an ebay search of the OTG cable.

However Android 4.4+ does support BT 4 so this dongle isn’t required on these platforms.
iOS 7, also supports BT 4 but M.O.J.O. C.T.R.L.R support is unknown to me.

The dongle can also be used on a PC/Mac/etc as it’s also required for BT 4 connectivity for the M.O.J.O. C.T.R.L.R to work.

The dongle, Travel clip and everything is used and explained here by Mad Catz’s Dalin:

Where are the C.T.R.L.R sold separately and for how much?
Yes, good questions, I don’t know.
I’ve asked Mad Catz and awaiting a replay.
I’m guessing they are still finishing the C.T.R.L.R mobile app and wont be available until this app is finished.
A safe guess would be at least $80USD like the MOGA Pro, maybe more. I don’t know.

Mad Catz? They make cheap knock-offs, how is this going to be any good?
Yes, 15-20 years ago they made cheap clones.
Has anyone seen or used a new Mad Catz product?
The Mad Catz of today isn’t the same, now they make unique, mid to high end products.
If you read all this, you would know that by now anyway.
Look for yourself.

It’s cheap because I can’t charge it via USB
Do you know how to change the battery on a PS3 controller?

The C.T.R.L.R. uses the same AAA batteries that all remote controls do.
If you don’t use rechargeable batteries on these, it’s a good idea to start.
You can get a $2USD USB AAA battery charger on ebay, like this one:

Continue to: Summary- Overpriced or value for money?