Fortnite mobile controller support: Here's what you can use
Mobile Fortnite players can now use a wide selection of Bluetooth gamepads to scrap and fight on the go.
Epic introduced support for Bluetooth gamepads in Fortnite on iOS and Android early last year with version 7.30. You can read Epic's full patch notes here.
On Android, most Bluetooth pads are supported, including Razer's Raiju, the Steelseries Stratus XL and Microsoft's Xbox One controller. In fact, all of the options on our list of the best PC game controllers will work, save for the wired-only Logitech F310. You could even get away with 8BitDo's retro-style SN30 Pro+, or the pricey-yet-premium Switch Pro Controller.
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Originally, on iPhone and iPad, you need a controller that followed Apple's Made for iOS spec, like the Steelseries Nimbus and the Gamevice grip. That was obviously somewhat limiting, because you couldn't simply use any old Bluetooth pad like what's possible on Android.
Fortunately, halfway through 2019, Apple added native support for the DualShock 4 and Xbox One controller within iOS, to coincide with the release of Apple Arcade — and they work just as well for Fortnite on mobile as they do on consoles.
In a clever stroke of convenience, Fortnite is designed to automatically disable your phone's vibration when a supported controller is paired. That'll save you from any unexpected notifications breaking your rhythm in the middle of a tense match.
The 7.30 patch also introduced 60Hz mode for select Android models. At launch, these specifically covered the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, Huawei Mate 20 X and Honor View 20, but over time, newer and more powerful Android handsets have joined those ranks, like the Samsung Galaxy S20.
Before this update, the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR were the only Apple handsets optimized to run Fortnite at a full 60 frames-per-second. Today, all current iPhones, from the iPhone 11 Pro to the iPhone SE 2020, powered by Apple's A13 Bionic chip are able to run Fortnite just as smoothly.
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Looking ahead to next-generation consoles, Epic has already outlined a roadmap for how Fortnite will make the jump to the PS5 and Xbox Series X. Players will be able to carry over all their progress, whether they're coming from mobile, PC or existing platforms. The upgrade will take full advantage of all the benefits afforded by Unreal Engine 5, which notably saw a showcase demo during one of Sony's PS5 teaser streams in mid-May.
Adam Ismail is a staff writer at Jalopnik and previously worked on Tom's Guide covering smartphones, car tech and gaming. His love for all things mobile began with the original Motorola Droid; since then he’s owned a variety of Android and iOS-powered handsets, refusing to stay loyal to one platform. His work has also appeared on Digital Trends and GTPlanet. When he’s not fiddling with the latest devices, he’s at an indie pop show, recording a podcast or playing Sega Dreamcast.