The Official Word on Controllers (Spoiler: There Isn’t One)
What Tencent Actually Says About Controllers
Tencent Games hasn’t just avoided adding controller support—they’ve completely ignored it exists. The game launched as a mobile-first experience, and frankly, that’s where their vision stops. No official documentation mentions gamepads, no developer blogs discuss input alternatives, and millions of players who’d prefer traditional controls are left figuring things out themselves.
Here’s what gets me: other mobile MOBAs have at least acknowledged the controller conversation. Tencent? Radio silence.
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The Regional Reality Check
Don’t expect different treatment based on your location. Whether you’re playing in Southeast Asia, Latin America, or anywhere else Honor of Kings operates, the controller situation remains consistently… nonexistent.
iOS users get hit particularly hard here. Those workaround solutions I mentioned? They only work on iOS 11.3 to 14.2. Got iOS 15 or newer? You’re out of luck. Apple’s security updates basically killed most touch-mapping solutions, and there’s no sign of that changing.
Android users have more options, but more doesn’t mean easy.
What Recent Updates Tell Us
Every major Honor of Kings update focuses on refining touch controls rather than expanding input options. The message is pretty clear—Tencent isn’t planning to change course anytime soon.
Why Players Keep Asking for Controllers
The Precision Problem
Look, I get it. Coming from PC League of Legends or console gaming, touchscreen controls feel… imprecise. There’s something about physical buttons that just clicks (pun intended) for traditional gamers. You know exactly when you’ve pressed something, and complex ability combinations feel more natural when you’re not hunting around a glass surface.
The tactile feedback argument is real. Miss a crucial ultimate because your finger slipped? That’s a uniquely mobile gaming frustration.
Beyond Comfort: Accessibility Matters
This isn’t just about preference—it’s about accessibility. Players with motor disabilities or conditions affecting hand mobility often find controllers more manageable than touchscreen gaming. Extended gaming sessions can cause hand fatigue with touch controls, and controllers distribute that strain differently.
It’s honestly disappointing that a game this massive hasn’t addressed these accessibility concerns officially.
The Workaround Reality: What Actually Works
Third-Party Mapping: Your Only Option
Every functional controller solution operates through mapping apps that create virtual overlays. Think of it as a translator—your controller speaks to the app, the app speaks to your screen by simulating finger taps at specific coordinates.
ShootingPlus V3 is the go-to app for this setup. It’s not perfect, but it’s what we’ve got.
The process involves creating virtual touch points that match your on-screen controls. ShootingPlus V3 has a cloud library of pre-made configurations, which saves you from mapping every single button manually. You can save multiple setups for different heroes or game modes, and everything syncs to the cloud.
Hardware That Actually Works
The Billboard BB2845 Wireless Controller consistently gets recommended, and for good reason—it has a built-in Honor of Kings preset. Press and hold ‘Up’ + ‘HOME’ simultaneously to activate it. The specs are solid: 400mA battery lasting up to 20 hours, Bluetooth range up to 8 meters, and it auto-sleeps after 5 minutes of inactivity.
The iPega PG-9128 offers an alternative with its telescopic design fitting phones up to 95mm wide. Battery life hits 15+ hours with Wireless 4.0 connectivity. But here’s a critical warning: it’s incompatible with MediaTek processors. Check your device specs before buying.
For players investing in premium setups, cheap honor of kings tokens from BitTopup ensure your in-game progression stays competitive with secure transactions and competitive pricing—regardless of how you choose to play.
Setting Everything Up (The Real Process)
Android: The Easier Path
Android setup is relatively straightforward, though straightforward is relative when you’re dealing with workarounds:
Hold ‘A’ + ‘HOME’ for 2 seconds on your BB2845 (LED 1 starts flashing)
Enable Bluetooth and scan for devices
Connect to ‘BB-BT’ when it appears
Solid LED 1 light confirms successful pairing
Launch Honor of Kings and activate ShootingPlus V3’s overlay
Use the floating ‘V3’ icon to map buttons to on-screen controls
Android’s live mapping system is genuinely helpful. You can adjust button placement while the game runs, test immediately, and fine-tune everything in real-time.
iOS: The Complicated Route
iOS requires more patience and delivers less accuracy:
Hold ‘Y’ + ‘HOME’ for 2 seconds (LED 2 flashes)
Pair with ‘BB-BT’ through iOS Bluetooth settings
Take a screenshot of Honor of Kings’ control layout
Open ShootingPlus V3 and load your screenshot
Drag virtual buttons over controls in the static image
Save and hope for the best
This static mapping method is significantly less precise than Android’s live overlay. You’re essentially guessing where buttons should go based on a screenshot.
When Things Go Wrong
Connection failures usually stem from wrong pairing modes or Bluetooth conflicts. ShootingPlus V3 needs ‘Accessibility’ permissions to function—the app literally can’t simulate touches without these permissions.
Your device’s processor matters more than you’d think. Qualcomm Snapdragon and Samsung Exynos handle mapping software better than MediaTek processors. If you’ve got MediaTek, try the BB2845’s compatibility mode (press ‘X’ + ‘HOME’).
Controller Recommendations That Actually Matter
The Clear Winner
The Billboard BB2845 dominates recommendations for legitimate reasons. Those dedicated game presets aren’t marketing fluff—they work. The LED system provides clear status feedback: LED 4 shows power, LED 1 indicates Android mode, LED 2 shows iOS mode.
The 20-hour battery life and charge-while-playing capability eliminate those frustrating mid-match power deaths that plague cheaper controllers.
Reality Check on Performance
Even the best controller can’t eliminate the fundamental limitation of workaround solutions: input latency. You’re adding steps to every input, and physics doesn’t care how expensive your controller was.
Controllers vs Touch: The Honest Comparison
The Latency Tax
Controllers add 10-20 milliseconds of input lag through the mapping process. That might not sound like much, but in a game where missed combos or failed dodges determine outcomes, every millisecond counts. Touch controls provide virtually zero input lag—your finger touches the screen, the game responds immediately.
Professional players choose touch controls for competitive advantages, not just familiarity.
Precision Isn’t Everything
Here’s something controller advocates don’t always consider: players native to mobile gaming often outperform controller users in Honor of Kings. Touch controls enable multi-finger techniques that controllers simply can’t replicate. Simultaneous movement and ability casting feels more natural when you’ve got multiple contact points.
The haptic feedback from modern phones provides information that controller vibration can’t match.
The Competitive Reality
Professional tournaments explicitly ban third-party input devices. Every controller type is prohibited in competitive play. If you’re aiming for high-level competition, you’ll need to master touch controls eventually—might as well start now.
The Risks Nobody Talks About
Technical Fragility
Controller setups break. Frequently. Every game update that shifts UI elements can destroy your entire configuration. Those carefully mapped buttons? They’re tied to specific screen coordinates that become meaningless when Tencent moves a button two pixels to the left.
You’ll be reconfiguring mappings after major updates. It’s maintenance, not a one-time setup.
Platform Limitations Are Real
iOS 15+ users are essentially locked out of controller workarounds due to Apple’s security restrictions. The majority of current iOS devices can’t use these solutions, period.
Android compatibility varies wildly based on manufacturer modifications and device specifications. What works on a Samsung Galaxy might fail completely on a Xiaomi device.
Performance Impact
Running mapping software consumes system resources. Background processing, screen overlays, and constant input translation can impact game performance on lower-end devices. Frame rate drops and increased battery drain are common side effects.
What’s Next for Controller Support?
Community Pressure vs Developer Silence
The Honor of Kings community has consistently requested official controller support through social media campaigns, forum discussions, and direct feedback. Tencent’s response? Complete silence.
This isn’t technical limitation—it’s deliberate design philosophy. The lack of acknowledgment suggests controller support conflicts with their vision for the game.
Industry Context
While some mobile games embrace controller support for accessibility and player choice, mobile MOBAs largely maintain touch-exclusive approaches. The competitive ecosystem reinforces this standard—tournaments, streaming platforms, and professional teams all operate under touch-only assumptions.
That institutional momentum makes official controller support increasingly unlikely.
FAQ
Does Honor of Kings officially support any controllers? Absolutely not. Tencent Games hasn’t implemented any native controller support on any platform. Every controller solution requires third-party workarounds that simulate touch events.
Which controller works best with Honor of Kings workarounds? The Billboard BB2845 Wireless Controller is your best bet. It has a built-in Honor of Kings preset (activate with ‘Up’ + ‘HOME’), 20-hour battery life, 8-meter Bluetooth range, and auto-sleep functionality.
Can I use controllers on iOS devices with Honor of Kings? Only on iOS 11.3 to 14.2. If you’re running iOS 15 or newer, controller workarounds won’t work due to Apple’s security restrictions.
How much input lag do controllers add to Honor of Kings? Expect 10-20 milliseconds of additional latency. The signal chain goes: Controller → Bluetooth → Mapping App → Game. That delay can impact competitive performance.
What happens to my controller setup after game updates? It often breaks. Controller mappings rely on specific UI coordinates, so when updates move buttons around, you’ll need to recalibrate everything using ShootingPlus V3.
Will using a controller get me banned from Honor of Kings? Immediate bans are unlikely since workarounds use accessibility features rather than game modification. However, competitive tournaments explicitly prohibit third-party input devices.
