Living In My GameSpace started as a place to check out new gear for my gaming battlestation. Over time, it has expanded beyond the game room to include other areas, including household tech, outdoor lighting, gaming experiences, and mobile gaming. The Serafim S3 Cloud Gaming Controller falls into that last category. Thanks to Serafim, I’ve been using the S3 for a few weeks now. Made for gamers who want the same feel and controls of a dedicated handheld console while gaming on their smartphone, the S3 just might be the option you are looking for. But, in a market already full of mobile controllers, many of them cheaper, is the Serafim S3 worth the price?
Serafim S3 Cloud Gaming Controller – What Is It?
If you’ve done any gaming on your smartphone, then you know that touch controls aren’t all that great. Grabbing a Bluetooth controller is definitely an upgrade, but it can be awkward to use, especially if you don’t spend the extra money to buy a clip to attach it to your phone.
Enter the Serafim S3 Cloud Gaming Controller. Instead of needing an extra clip to attach to your phone, the S3 has a telescoping back that lets you place your phone directly between its two control pads, leaving you with a setup that looks similar to a Nintendo Switch, ROG Ally, or other dedicated handheld console.
The S3 has all of the buttons you’d find on a default PS5 or Xbox controller. The Hall Effect thumbsticks are configured in an Xbox-style offset layout, with a D-pad, Select, and Screenshot button on the left pad. The right pad holds the A|B|X|Y buttons as well as a Menu and Serafim button. There is also a bumper button and Hall Effect trigger on the top of each pad. At the bottom of the left pad is a 3.5mm headphone jack, while the right pad has a USB-C port for charging and connecting to a PC.
With overall dimensions of 26×9.4×3.4 cm (10.2×3.7×1.3 in), the S3 features a slim telescoping backplate that accommodates phones up to 17.9 cm (7.05 in) long. The inner edges of the controller have soft rubber pads to grip your phone and keep it in place, and a USB-C connector on the controller’s inner right side connects it to your phone, giving you lag-free input.
Serafim S3 Cloud Gaming Controller – Day-to-Day Use
The Serafim S3 is compatible with any Android 10.0+ and iPhone 15-17 (since the S3 uses a USB-C port, it is not compatible with older iPhones). The open design of the controller makes it very simple to spread the S3, slap your phone in place, and be gaming in just a few seconds. The USB connector has limited flexibility, so you won’t even need to remove your phone case unless it is extremely bulky.
Although the front of the controller has a carbon-fiber aesthetic, it’s plastic through and through. It doesn’t have a cheap feel, but the S3 doesn’t feel like it’s made of premium material. Metal accents or trim would go a long way.
The backbone design of the S3 has quite a bit of flex and twist, especially when it is fully extended. Once your phone is in place, the setup has a much more rigid feel, and I never feel like my phone is going to slip out while gaming. A full-sized backplate would probably yield an even more rigid feel, but the thinner backbone allows you to still use your camera with the S3 in place. I didn’t do any thermal testing, but there’s also the potential for reduced heat retention during heavy gaming with a thinner design.
When it comes to actually playing games, the S3 gives the same functionality as a regular controller, and the familiar layout will have Xbox gamers feeling right at home. Your hand size will affect comfort and fit, but the controller felt good in my medium-sized hands. The S3 comes with two sets of plastic grips. There is a thinner, flat set with a smooth finish and a thicker, more rounded set that has a textured surface. Neither grip has a soft or rubber cover, so, once again, personal preference will affect your overall comfort with the controller.
The Hall Effect thumbsticks and triggers are responsive, enabling smooth, accurate movement. S3 has also done a good job with button placement and spacing. The grouping is tight but not too tight; you don’t have to worry about errant presses here. The Hall Effect controls also ensure the S3 won’t experience stick drift as the controller ages.
The S3 has the same pitfall as any other controller: your favorite games may have limited support for controllers, or possibly touch-screen only controls. This leaves you at the mercy of the developers, but the S3 works well with any mobile game that offers controller support.
Moving away from Google Play and the iPhone store, you’ll find the S3 really finds its stride with cloud gaming. Serafim has created an app specifically for the S3 to help facilitate gameplay across all of the most popular streaming services. I played games across Steam Link, Geforce Now, and Xbox Cloud Gaming using the Sarafim Console App as a launcher, and it worked very well.
Serafim S3 Cloud Gaming Controller – Practical Travel
If you’re already toting around a controller to use when gaming on your phone, the Serafim S3 makes a lot of sense. Just like a controller, you can throw it into a backpack or cargo shorts pocket – sorry skinny jeans wearers, this thing is too big to carry in your back pocket – and pull it out when you are ready to game. And since you don’t need an extra clip or table stand for your phone, the S3 is less awkward to use, especially in tight spaces.
I took the S3 on a flight, and it was almost the perfect companion on the plane. If you’ve ever tried to use a phone and controller when wedged into the middle seat, you can probably guess how much more convenient the S3 is.
As previously mentioned, the S3 supports pass-through charging, but the USB-C port does not support video output. This is a deal-breaker if you use XR glasses to expand your display. It’s the one downside to an otherwise travel-friendly controller.
Final Thoughts
The Serafim S3 isn’t a groundbreaking controller, but it gets the job done. If you’re looking for something more convenient and easier to use than a regular controller – let’s face it, controllers are made for couch gaming with a full-sized console – the S3 is right up your alley. The controller pad size is neutral, making it perfect for people with medium-sized hands, but anyone who usually uses a jumbo-sized controller may need to look elsewhere.
The S3 doesn’t really stand out in a crowd, but its Hall Effect thumbsticks and triggers are a stealth feature that put up above many other mechanical switch controllers. The Console App is also a nice feature that many gamers will take advantage of. There is a subscription that unlocks the full feature set, but it is optional for basic play.
So, we once again find ourselves looking at the price. Currently on sale for $89.99, it’s a solid buy for anyone into gaming on their smartphone. Its overall value is diminished if you primarily game on consoles or PC, since you’ll probably want to have a regular controller dedicated to your system of choice. I personally prefer it over a controller when on the go, though, and find it a good investment for anyone doing a lot of travel gaming.
