OnePlus turns its new flagship phone into gaming handheld with controller add-on

There were rumors about OnePlus working on a gaming handheld, and before the Ace 6 Ultra was announced, a sketchy leak even gave a glimpse of what was claimed to be the new product from the company. Well, as it turns out, the brand isn't actually working on a dedicated device that's just for gaming.

Instead, OnePlus was simply working on a controller add-on for its Ace 6 Ultra, which has just been fully showcased. This accessory promises to turn the phone into a gaming handheld when attached, and as the brand highlights, it's designed for shooting games.

OnePlus has shared some videos of the controller, which show it in action, and there's a big emphasis on having an ergonomic grip. As the company claims, playing competitive FPS games on mobile isn't as easy as it should be, and this controller add-on aims to fix it.

The accessory adds four physical buttons, and it encourages hybrid controls: touch and buttons. OnePlus shows that with the controller attached, gamers can easily use multiple fingers to play shooting games on the Ace 6 Ultra. This setup, as the videos show, makes it easier to do complex FPS actions such as peeking, aiming, shooting, and controlling the recoil at the same time.

As for the hardware, OnePlus highlights that it's geared for performance. There are micro-switch buttons, which are better than membrane switches as they are clicky and have fast actuation (Razer Kishi Ultra with micro-switch buttons curr. $79.99 on Amazon). The 1 kHz polling rate promises responsive controls, and the company claims that the response time is around 1.8 ms.

There's a dedicated slot in the middle for attaching a cooler to the setup, and the controller features what OnePlus calls a "built-in gaming antenna" to boost wireless signals. It also sports a Type-C port on the bottom to let users charge the Ace 6 Ultra while gaming without the cable getting in the way. Compatibility-wise, it seems that the controller will be compatible with other phones, as it comes with a telescopic mechanism. 

This new gaming controller will launch alongside the OnePlus Ace 6 Ultra in China. The Chinese debut is set for April 28, 2026, and it's still unclear whether the company will launch the smartphone in the global market.