I’ll be honest—when it comes to mobile gaming, I lean more toward the Steam Deck and ROG Ally. But I won’t deny that playing on a smartphone has a certain charm, including access to some of the best controllers on the market. So, when Serafim showcased its Serafim S3 Cloud Gaming Controller at CES 2025, I wanted to get my hands on it outside of a controlled setting.
That’s when Serafim was gracious enough to send one out for review, and I’ve been putting it through its paces. I’m finally ready to let you know if the Serafim S3 Cloud Gaming Controller is worth your hard-earned cash.
Familiar Design with Solid Controls
The front of the Serafim S3 Cloud Gaming Controller features a D-pad on the left side and two analog sticks positioned on the left and right. There are also four front-facing buttons (A/B/X/Y), a start/select button, and a dedicated button for bringing up the Serafim gaming app. On the top, you’ll find left and right bumpers and triggers, along with a USB-C port on the right side for charging and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Additionally, there’s a USB-C port for connecting your phone to the Serafim S3 Cloud Gaming Controller.
If this setup feels familiar, that’s because it is. Most controllers follow a similar layout—after all, if it isn’t broken, why fix it? However, my one gripe is that while the back of the controller does have a textured grip, it isn’t enough for my taste. I would have preferred a more pronounced texture for better handling during intense gaming sessions. Hopefully, this is something Serafim will consider for future revisions of the controller.
Inserting your phone into the Serafim S3 Cloud Gaming Controller is straightforward: simply line up your phone with the USB-C adapter on the device and give it a firm push. I also appreciate that, unlike some devices, the USB-C port isn’t rigid; instead, it has some flexibility, allowing you to move it up and down. This is a smart design choice, as the port needs to be flexible to prevent accidental damage. Kudos to Serafim for that!
The analog sticks feel great and snap back into position when using them, while the bumpers and D-pad give you a satisfying clicky sound, and the triggers provide a responsive press. The face buttons lack any indication, and the all-black buttons fade into the background, making them hard to see—they could use a dash of color for better visibility. The D-pad is stiffer than I’d like, even after multiple sessions, and I’m not a fan of it—especially when playing Street Fighter 6 or Tekken 8 on the PlayStation 5 via the PlayStation app. In that regard, I’d switch to the analog joystick instead. I know some might like tight D-pads, but I’m not one of them.
The S3 is a bit longer than the Backbone, another phone controller that this will be compared to. Yet, at the same time, the S3 can fit larger phones due to this. I also appreciate the thick boi grips that allow the controller to fit firmly in my hands. And if you aren’t a fan of those, the back of the grips can be detached for a slimmer footprint.
More importantly, the controller feels good in my hands, and that’s always a major point for these types of controllers. I also don’t have any concerns about my phone falling out of the controller during sessions, even when I’ve tried to forcibly eject it, which I have tried.
While Serafim states that you can use your phone with the controller even if you have a case, that really depends. If you have a thick case, you’ll need to remove it every time you want to use the controller, which could be an issue for those with cases that are nearly impossible to remove.
Hall Effect Joysticks and Triggers: A Game-Changer for Longevity
Even before getting hands-on with the Serafim S3 controller, I was excited to know that it features Hall Effect Joysticks and Triggers. While these won’t make you a better gamer or feel drastically different from other controllers, they do have one major advantage: longevity.
If you’ve been paying attention through 2020-2024, the phenomenon known as joystick drift has been causing havoc with all sorts of gaming controllers—from Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation to third-party controllers. It’s a major concern and a costly one since you typically have to fork over money for a replacement. However, with the rise of Hall Effect Joysticks—something I’ve been advocating for some time now—this issue is significantly reduced. What makes these controllers different from regular joysticks is that they don’t use potentiometers that wear down over time due to friction. Instead, they use magnets to detect the range of movement, making them far more durable despite this technology being older than most gaming consoles.
It’s not something you’ll notice when you pick up the controller, and it won’t make you a better player, but you’ll definitely appreciate not having to replace your controller due to mechanical failures. The S3 Cloud Controller is built to last, potentially outliving many other controllers in your collection.
How’s the Software?
Like other smartphone controllers, the S3 Cloud Controller also comes with software that turns your phone into a full-fledged gaming device. There is a subscription, although it is optional, so that’s a benefit.
You simply download the correct Serafim app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Once done, the app allows you to take screenshots, record gameplay footage, and more. It’s been great when I want to take screenshots: I press the capture button and am done. It also integrates with Nvidia GeForce Now, the Google Play Store, Xbox Cloud, Netflix, and several other services. Additionally, it conveniently organizes all your available games into a library, allowing you to scroll through them with ease. It does what it promises by turning your smartphone into a gaming console experience.
There’s even a testing function so you can verify that the joysticks, D-pad, triggers, bumpers, and buttons are working properly.
Conclusion
As someone who owns multiple handheld devices, I’ve been using the Serafim S3 Cloud Gaming Controller more than I expected. Instead of grabbing my Steam Deck or ROG Ally X, I’ve been stuffing this into my pocket for quick gaming sessions. The controller is a strong contender in the smartphone gaming space. I like it, more than I thought I would have.
However, with stiff competition from Backbone and the Gamesir G8, two products that are prominently mentioned whenever a conversation about smartphone controllers takes place. Serafim might benefit from a more competitive price point. Additionally, the fact that the only place to purchase the controller is through Serafim’s website—rather than major retailers like Amazon or Best Buy—could hinder its success. Hopefully, Serafim considers expanding its availability to reach a broader audience.
Review Disclosure Statement: A review sample of the Serafim S3 Cloud Controller was provided to us by Serafim for review purposes. For more information on how we review video games and other media/technology, please review our Review Guideline/Scoring Policy.
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