Get Your Game On: Fly Spark with a Gamepad

Good News for Gamers! 

Spark Now Supports Third-Party Gamepads

With the proliferation of smartphones, touch controls are being more and more prevalent in everything from gaming to drone flying. But for many of us who grew up playing console video games, touchscreen controls just can’t match the physical feedback of a gamepad (a.k.a. controllers or joypads).

To be fair to DJI, controlling a DJI Spark with virtual joystick controls in DJI GO 4 is surprisingly intuitive. For example, your mobile device will vibrate when you release a stick, which provides much-needed physical feedback for inputs, and you can even adjust gimbal pitch by tilting the phone up and down.

But for many dedicated gamers, this just doesn’t cut it. DJI makes a dedicated controller for spark, which has physical control sticks and shoulder buttons and dials, but some gamers may be most comfortable flying with something that more closely resembles the controllers they’ve come to know and love from years of gaming experience.

That’s why in recent firmware and DJI GO 4 updates DJI has added third-party gamepad support, and we’ve added some great gamepads to the DJI Online Store. Here are two third-party gamepads you should consider purchasing.

Gamevice Check the Price!

Compact, portable, and foldable, Gamevice gamepads are an excellent solution for gamers and Spark users who are always on the move. Gamevices come in several different sizes to fit your specific device, and they’re incredibly easy to set up. Just unfold it, slot your phone or tablet into the side with the lightning or USB connector, and you’re ready to game or fly.

Flying Spark with a Gamevice certainly feels like an upgrade from flying with just a mobile device. The A, B, X, and Y buttons are all customizable, the shoulder buttons control the shutter and recording, and you can adjust gimbal tilt with the D-pad. Plus, if you’re running low on battery, just connect the Gamevice’s USB port to a power source and keep on flying! And even if all your Spark batteries run out of power, Gamevice is compatible with over 1000 mobile games, so you can put the drone away and go straight to gaming.

Gamevice for the iPhone is available now at the DJI Online Store. Additional models are available at Apple Stores and on Gamevice’s official website.

SteelSeries Nimbus Check the Price!

This controller lacks the Gamevice’s portability but makes up for it with control precision. The Nimbus is a full-sized console-style controller that looks and feels fabulous. The control sticks offer a significant range of motion for accurate control, and it connects via Bluetooth. Just like with the Gamevice, you can customize A, B, X, and Y buttons to perform several different functions.

However, the Nimbus does have a few downsides. For one, it’s only compatible with iOS devices, unlike the Gamevice, which is available for the Samsung S7 and S8. Also, the Nimbus doesn’t feature a holder for your phone or tablet, so you’ll need to purchase one independently. Consider picking up a Mijoy Smart Clip from AliExpress or a Nyko Smart Clip from Amazon. The Mijoy clip may take a long time to ship from China, depending on where you are, and the Nyko Smart Clip covers some of the controller’s buttons, but both can get the job done.

If you know of any other phone clips for the Nimbus, feel free to share in the comments on social media or email us at onlinesales@dji.com, and we’ll consider adding them to the DJI Online Store!