Have you ever thought your favorite mobile games would be improved by awkward ergonomics, a dreadful D-pad, and a couple of camera lenses blocking a third of the screen? Then oh boy, does Xiaomi have the phone for you.
Today it announced its flagship 17 series phones in China, led by the 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max (any naming similarity to Apple is resolutely not a coincidence). Those two Pro models mostly stand out for the inclusion of a second screen on the back, which stretches across the wide camera island. It can be used to frame selfies, set timers, and control music playback, but all I can think about is Xiaomi’s official accessory to convert the phone into a ratchet Game Boy.
The ¥299 (about $40) Retro Handheld Console Case includes four face buttons, a circular D-pad that looks more like an iPod Click Wheel than anything else, and a 200mAh battery that Xiaomi says should deliver 40 days of gameplay, at three hours a day. It even comes with Angry Birds 2.
The sole downside — apart from what I can only assume is an incredibly awkward, cramped gaming experience ruined by the two lenses on the screen — is that you can’t use the phone’s wireless charging while the case is in place.
No word yet on if, or when, the 17 Pro phones will launch in Europe or anywhere else outside China, but let’s hope the retro case comes with them when they do. Maybe this is a sign that the mad scientists in Xiaomi’s accessory lab are cooking up something even weirder for the fourth-generation photography case for next year’s 17 Ultra.
