Android helps free up gaming platforms

A useful advantage of Android is that it’s an operating system that can be manipulated in any number of ways. One of the more popular ones for gamers has been to pair a PlayStation 3 controller with an Android phone or tablet to play without having to touch the screen.

There are a few ways in which this can be done, and admittedly, the process for each can be a little confusing. In some cases, like with Sony’s tablets, for instance, there are official apps and methods for pairing the two. Unofficially, however, there are both wired and wireless methods that seem to do the trick.

There’s no shortage of YouTube videos that explain and demonstrate how this is done, as well as written threads on forums that also provide step-by-step directions. The most invasive way to do this requires “rooting” your Android device, which is tech speak for bypassing the security controls on the phone, allowing you to customize and delete core apps as you see fit.

SixAxis Controller is one of the best apps for pairing the PS3 controller to a rooted Android phone or tablet. But before you pay $2.50 to download it, use the free SixAxis Compatibility app to see if your device is compatible. The downside is that you would need to root your phone first, since compatibility requires the device be rooted in the first place. If you decide to go through this process, the reward can be exciting, not least because regular Android games and old Nintendo or arcade games can work, too (these are played through “emulators” that run what are called “ROMs,” which are small files containing entire games).

There is a semi-wireless way of pulling this off by using your Windows PC as a go-between. To make the direct wired method work, you will likely need what’s called an OTG cable, which is basically an adapter cable with a female USB port on one end and a microUSB on the other. Plug in the PS3 controller’s cable to the female port, the microUSB into the device and use SixAxis Controller or USB/BT Joystick Center.

For those averse to rooting, the wired connection with Joystick Center will work, though older Android devices may not be able to read the controller, so it is a gamble.