Sure, you can pair a Bluetooth keyboard or mouse with your phone. But what if you have a favorite mechanical keyboard or gaming mouse that you want to use… but it only works via USB?
That, apparently, is the question the
GameSir X1 BattleDock hopes to answer… I guess.
This $50 dock is basically a smartphone dock with a few USB ports. Plug in a keyboard and mouse and the dock turns them into Bluetooth accessories for your phone allowing you to hunch uncomfortably over a tiny screen while playing games on underpowered hardware. But at least you can use a full-sized keyboard while you do it.
While I’m obviously a bit skeptical that this is something most people want or need, it is actually a kind of interesting little device. It folds in half when it's not in use, making the dock pretty easy to transport. It weighs about 10 ounces and measures about 1.3 inches thick when folded.
There’s micro USB port for power, a 3,000 mAh battery for up to 5 hours of use while unplugged, and the system communicates with your phone via Bluetooth 4.0.
With a growing number of PC games finding their way to mobile devices, there might actually be a good reason to consider using a mouse and keyboard: battle royale game PUBG launched for mobile devices recently, but it seems like folks who use a mouse and keyboard have a serious advantage over those who are just using onscreen controls.
So why not go all out and use PC gaming peripherals?
On the other hand, if you’re going to sit down and use a desktop keyboard and mouse, maybe you could just use an actual notebook or desktop PC for gaming.
Anyway, if you’re interested in the GameSir X1 BattleDock, it’s available from several sources, including
♦
GameSir.com for $50 ♦
AliExpress for $40 and up ♦
GeekBuying for $43 VIDEO source 
