Thank you to CRKD for sending me the ATOM+ in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll be honest, my first reaction was “aww, it’s so cute.” My second was “okay, my hands are not going to be happy playing with this for very long.” More on that below.

The CRKD ATOM+ is a collectible keychain controller that’s small enough to clip onto your keys or backpack. It’s the follow-up to the original ATOM, and the big upgrade is that it now has actual thumbsticks.

Specs

• Price: $29.99 SRP
• Connectivity: Bluetooth (works with PC, mobile, tablets, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, and smart TVs)
• Thumbsticks: TMR (Tunnelling Magnetoresistance) magnetic sticks, which CRKD says eliminate stick drift
• Controls: dual thumbsticks, action buttons, digital triggers, shoulder buttons, and dual four-way toggle buttons
• Extras: vibration feedback, motion controls, and turbo mode
• Power: built-in rechargeable battery, USB-C charging
• Included: wrist strap
• Colors: Smoke Black, Glacier Blue, Retro Purple, and Pal Grey
• Customization: the CRKD Companion App lets you remap buttons, adjust vibration, and update firmware
• Collectible angle: works with CRKD’s True Collection System, where you register the controller in the app to reveal its product number and rarity rank

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Pros

• Adorable and very portable
• Connected and worked well on both my PC and my phone once it was set up
• Packs a full controller layout into a tiny size
• Includes a wrist strap
• Rechargeable over USB-C, no batteries to buy
• Fun collectible design

Cons

• Way too small for long play sessions
• The QR code in the instructions took me to the guide for the regular ATOM, not the ATOM+, so the buttons didn’t match and setup was a hassle
• Switching between devices took some figuring out
• My older phone couldn’t tap to register it, and I didn’t see a manual option

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The CRKD App and Collection Feature

If your phone supports tapping, you can use the CRKD app to register your ATOM+ through the True Collection System. Tapping the controller to your phone reveals its unique product number and rarity rank, and adds it to your personal digital collection of CRKD products. It’s a fun extra if you like collecting or plan to pick up more than one CRKD controller.

The app also works as a companion for the controller itself. You can remap buttons, adjust vibration, update firmware, and manage your device settings.

My phone is older and doesn’t support the tap feature, and I didn’t see a way to add the controller manually, so I wasn’t able to try the collection side myself. If you have a newer phone, this might be the part you enjoy most.

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Who It’s For

I think the ATOM+ is best for mobile gaming and quick sessions, not marathon PC or console play. It’s also a fun gift for someone who loves collectibles or wants a tiny backup controller in their bag.

Images courtesy of CRKD