CRKD Atom controller review

For a controller as small as the Atom from CRKD, you'd be surprised at how much there is to say about it. It's far from your standard Bluetooth controller. Its lightweight and tiny form feels like a gift from a Christmas cracker rather than a piece of gaming hardware. But, it's a surprisingly nifty bit of kit that is easy to travel with, and even though it's much smaller than your standard controller, it can still deliver a fantastic experience on PC. 

Boasting Bluetooth wireless connectivity, you won't have to worry about any draping cables clogging up your space. The tiny shape of the controller also feels like a refreshing change of pace compared to many other PC gaming peripherals. 

Bluetooth controllers in particular pack quite a bulk to fit in all the necessary components, but the CRKD Atom shows that bigger doesn't always mean better. If your PC doesn't support Bluetooth connection, the Atom can also be connected via USB-C from a port in the top of the controller and still feels like less of a faff than other budget controllers available. 

The build quality doesn't feel cheap either, which I found surprising for a controller so affordable. The minuscule shape feels like I could crush it in my palm if I got particularly angry at whatever I was playing, but nothing about the materials used on the controller alludes to this feeling. The translucent shell of my Atomic Purple controller feels good and has a slightly gritty texture, and the buttons and D-Pad have a satisfying click behind them rather than feeling cheap and rattly. The Pal Grey variation also mirrors this quality despite not having the translucent shell, which I'm assuming can also be said for the rest of the solid colours. 

Connection: Bluetooth (Wireless) / USB-C (wired)
Battery life: ~ 10 hours
Buttons: 8 (4 shoulder buttons)
Price: $20| £20  

Aesthetically, there's a lot to love about the Atom regardless of which colorway you set your heart on. With eight different controller colors, there's also a