The Zeemote JS1 is a hot new wireless thumbstick designed to make life easier for mobile gamers who constantly complain that cellphone controls just plain suck for gaming.  Yeah, I’m in that group, and even though some publishers have painstakingly taken steps to deliver games with simple one-thumb controls, it’s good to know that someone else is going further and providing an alternative to the existing form factor.

The JS1 connects to the phone via Bluetooth (avoiding cables) and provides an analog joystick along with three buttons.  It’s extremely lightweight and fits in the palm of your hand comfortably with the thumb resting on the analog stick and the forefinger poised ready at the buttons.  This does cause the use of both hands, which some might not prefer, but in all it still feels comfy in your grasp.

A handset was provided for testing purposes and included the likes of Sonic the Hedgehog (Adventure), Heli Strike (Shooter), Planet Riders (Racing), Perplex (Puzzle), and Pub Darts 180.  When playing, it responded well and quickly to movement and actions though it did take some getting used to.  That might be because it’s strangely weird to hold the game screen in one hand and controls in the other.  (Except for the Wii controllers, I’ve never felt this type of “disconnect” before.)  Additionally, when I had a few casual gamers play with it, there was a comedic aspect seeing them move and wave their hands around with items in hand.  Again, this will take some getting used to.

Games like Sonic, Heli Strike and Planet Riders seemed to have benefited from the smooth input and added maneuverability, but the more casual games, of which are more prolific and popular on mobile, seemed to be unaffected.  I’d rather preferred just using the keypad or D-pad for these, rendering the JS1 moot.

As promising as the JS1 seems for mobile gaming, it does raise the question of who will support it?  Are mobile gamers ready and willing to drop a speculated $30-$50 on a peripheral they’ve gone so long without?  Especially if that means carrying an extra item along or using it only for specific games?  How many developers will embrace the technology and employ Zeemote’s SDK knowing that it eventually adds to development costs of their games?  Can wireless carriers jump on the bandwagon and realize that this might be of benefit by attracting a bigger gaming audience?

This isn’t the first attempt of a game control peripheral for mobile phones as a few years back Samsung released handheld controllers that could nestle the phone in a slot and provide console-like input.  These were kind of bulky and led most to decide that they were still better off using other portables for gaming, so they eventually died off.  The Zeemote JS1 is smaller, more ergonomic and comes along at a time where it can have a greater impact. 

Despite the few questions it raises, it has greater possibilities because as Zeemote Founder Dr. Beth Marcus points out,  “The JS1 is a Bluetooth-capable device that can have many other uses, not just mobile games.”  She is correct, and perhaps I’m not looking at the big picture outside of our little mobile gaming world, but think of computers, automobiles, medical devices and so on…There’s so much more.  Of course, MY main concern is still wireless games and since it does solve some control issues, I can’t help but hope that the Zeemote JS1 does find some support out there.