Portable Abxylute review: Definitely the best budget live streaming controller you can buy

The sudden growth in the game streaming market reflects the resurgence of mobile gaming initiated by the Nintendo Switch. While devices like the Steam Deck and the upcoming Asus ROG Ally provide powerful hardware for playing authentic games on the go, their high price points aren’t an affordable option for everyone. Portable cloud gaming consoles aim to provide a similar experience at a fraction of the price, and the Abyxlute (pronounced “absolute”) console is the least expensive yet.

The Abyxlute console, which is funded as a Kickstarter project, is expected to ship in May 2023. We got our hands on an early version of the device, and although there are some rough edges, it’s a practical option for those looking for a portable console on a budget.

Apexlot

8/ 10

The Abyxlute console is a portable budget streaming console, which means it has to cut a lot of corners to hit a low price. However, the excellent build quality and reliable streaming means you couldn’t do much worse when looking for an inexpensive pick-up and playback device.

a screen

1080p, 16:9, 7 inch

storage

32GB/64GB, MicroSD

CPU

MediaTek MT8365

battery

5,200 mAh

Contact

USB C

Gangsters

802.11 a/b/g/n/ac

Dimensions

250mm x 115mm x 30mm

weight

430 grams

ram

4GB

Pros

• Best value portable streaming unit
• Great build quality
• Light weight

cons

• Uncomfortable to hold for long periods
• Speakers are in poor condition
• Terrible native gaming performance

Expand

Pre-order abyxlute on Kickstarter

Price and availability

We will not have an exact retail price until the console is available for purchase. However, the cheapest Kickstarter tier is $229 for the 4GB RAM/32GB storage option and $239 for the 4GB RAM/64GB storage option. That’s significantly cheaper than other cloud gaming devices, particularly the Logitech G Cloud, which retails for $350.

The Abyxlute controller is available worldwide, although you can only pre-order it through a Kickstarter campaign at the time of writing.

Design and presentation

The Abxylute controller is slightly larger than the Nintendo Switch and is almost identical in size to the Logitech G Cloud. The general shape is flat. Although it has rounded handles, it is not large enough to hold comfortably. It weighs 430 grams, which is acceptable; It won’t strain your wrists during long gaming sections. Budget devices often skimp on build quality, but the Abyxlute feels sturdy and premium. The finished version will ship with a textured background, which my model does not include.

The layout of the controls follows the Xbox layout and mirrors the Logitech G Cloud. Unlike most other handhelds, the face buttons and D-pad are offset from the joysticks, keeping them vertically aligned. This means you shouldn’t accidentally hit the joysticks when pressing the buttons.

Unfortunately, the Abxylute does not provide a comfortable grip; The edge of the controller constantly digs into my palm. Wrapping my hand completely around the controller minimized this issue, but it completely obscured the speakers. The Abxylute’s speakers are placed where your palm rests. To hold the controller comfortably, you have to sacrifice clear sound or wear headphones. Although I’d recommend wearing headphones anyway given the small speakers, it’s still a remarkably silly design choice.

The Hall effect joysticks are a nice touch, and something we wouldn’t expect to see on a console at this price. While we’ll have to test the device for a few more months to make a final verdict, this should eliminate the stick skew issue. While packing a little more resistance than I’d like, the analog triggers are satisfying to press.

There is a USB-C port for charging, a headphone jack, power and volume buttons, and an SD card slot on the body of the device. Considering the device’s poor ability to run the original games, I can’t see why you’d need more than the storage space on the device, but it’s a good option if you want to emulate classic games. The 7-inch, 60Hz, 1080p screen is excellent. You’ll need a reliable internet connection to get the most out of it, but it will provide clear images whether you’re playing native Android games or streaming them.

programming

Abyxlute claims the trigger is “exclusive,” but I noticed more than a few similarities to the Logitech G Cloud trigger. It’s a clear layout. The home screen is taken up by organized app shortcuts with recently used apps on the left and icons for Account (under construction at the time of writing), Notifications, Photos, Settings, and Power. Although I believe this program was dedicated to Abxylute, their claim of “exclusive” episodes rings hollow.

Closes

Left: Abyxlute launcher, right: G Cloud launcher

Google Play is locked as the leftmost app, with recently used apps arranged on the right. Swipe to the right to open a window with all applications. You can add apps to the Quick Start menu, which is a permanent line of shortcuts below the center row. It’s uncluttered and simple which is exactly what I want from a portable console.

Since this device runs Android 12, you get access to the same Android settings that you would find on your phone. I rarely felt the need to dig too deep here, as all the basic settings (such as WiFi, battery and sound) can be found in the player’s dedicated app. There are some cool things here, like changing the color of the backlight for the face buttons and the ability to switch to tablet mode.

Closes

Tablet mode turns the Abxylute into an Android tablet with controllers attached, using a user interface that any Android user should be familiar with. This mode lets you run two apps at once (say, Spotify and Game Pass), but gaming is awkward, so you’ll mostly stay in portable mode unless you absolutely need to launch Spotify while you’re gaming.

Pressing the Home button opens a sidebar with some settings options. It is an easy-to-use tool that is perfect for adjusting the brightness or volume while gaming.

performance

Abxylute is a live streaming console, which means performance depends on third-party streaming apps and your internet connection.

Your experience with Abxylute performance may differ from mine. Home equipment varies from person to person, and once you add the distance to servers and the quality of your local Internet provider, it becomes nearly impossible to predict your performance. If you’re considering using a console, I recommend installing Game Pass (or any streaming app) on your phone and trying out online multiplayer. The result will be more or less identical to the performance of Abxylute on the same network.

I tested all the pre-installed apps on the Abxylute, from cloud streaming apps like Game Pass to using Steam Link to stream games from my PC. When testing Android controllers, I usually open a few apps to test games like Halo Infinite or Wreckfest. Although my home Internet connection isn’t the best, I used these tests as a benchmark for the Abxylute console. The result was almost the same, if not a little more consistent, on the Abxylute.

Closes

Things aren’t smooth sailing outside of live streaming games. This controller is slow. Really slow. I had difficulty delivering consistent performance whether I was browsing apps or moving back and forth on the home screen. 4GB of RAM should be enough for a smooth experience, so we can blame the chipset and poor optimization. The MediaTek MT8365’s benchmark scores are low, but still, with RAM, they should be enough to navigate menus without stuttering.

While I don’t expect perfect performance every second with devices like this, my poor experience suggests that Abyxlute needs to go through a few more rounds of optimization before it reaches consumers. Hopefully this issue will be resolved through software patches, because if not, using it can be very frustrating for many.

Open an Android game, and things get unpredictable. While games like Dead Cells ran at a steady 60fps after lowering the settings a bit, my attempt to run Genshin Impact pushed the device to its limits, and it was only able to reach 20fps at the lowest settings. Given the console’s primary purpose, I wouldn’t consider this a major drawback, but if you intend to play Android games, we recommend avoiding Android games with demanding graphics.

However, it is the perfect console for emulating old games. GBA, N64 or PS1 emulators work great, with much better performance than Android games.

Battery life

Abxylute promises a battery life of 8 to 10 hours. After playing Halo Infinite for an hour via Xbox Cloud Gaming, I lost 12% of battery life, putting it at the low end of that estimate. The battery dropped at about the same rate for emulated or original games, but I didn’t run out of battery by the end of the day. It took about 2.5 hours to fully charge the device.

a race

For good reason, we’ve mentioned the Logitech G Cloud several times in this review. The same company could have easily developed these devices, with the Abxylute offered as the budget version. On the other hand, if you have a phone with a larger screen, you can spend less than half the price on the Razer Kishi V2 controller and play via your phone.

The Logitech G Cloud is functionally identical to the Abxylute, but the $100 price difference means the Abxylute is a tough buy. But unlike the Abxylute, the G Cloud has a larger handle, and its speakers won’t be muted by your hands.

Below, you can see a comparison of each controller’s key features. As you can see, they’re almost identical outside of the G Cloud’s more powerful chipset and larger battery. And if you don’t play demanding Android games, the chipset is more or less identical when streaming.

So, while the G Cloud is technically a better controller when it comes to value and high-end performance, the Abxylute still outperforms it in almost every way. In the world of portable controllers, you can also choose the Razer Edge. At $400, it’s not a budget console, but if you want something that can handle original games with ease, the Razer Edge might be a better choice.

The Razer Kishi V2 is our standout pick for the best Android controllers. The retail price is around $95, which is a fraction of the price of the Abxylute controller. Install it on your phone, install some streaming apps, and you’ll get the same experience with the advantage of being able to play Android games reliably.

You’re sacrificing screen size, but purchasing the Razer Kishi V2 (or any Android-compatible controller) is the most affordable way to stream games. While a dedicated handheld device is great, if you’re looking for an affordable way to stream games, an Android console is the way to go.

Should you buy?

At $229, the Abyxlute is the best value portable console for streaming games, but that’s not a particularly high bar. You’re at the mercy of third-party apps and inconsistent Wi-Fi connections, and there’s not much more you can do with it than that.

So, if you’re looking for a dedicated portable gaming rig that won’t break the bank, Abxylute will satisfy you. But if you’re willing to reduce the screen size, you can use your phone just as easily.

Choose a big budget

Apexlot

8/ 10

For budget-conscious users, Abyxlute will satisfy, but outside of its niche, it won’t find much use. But for a device to relax on the couch at the end of the day, it’s hard to beat

Pre-order abyxlute on Kickstarter