// THE VERGE — MODA & SOCIETÀ
Genki’s new customizable controller has a big screen and adjustable buttons
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The Manta launches on Kickstarter today with a focus on tailoring the controller’s functionality and feel for each game.
The Manta launches on Kickstarter today with a focus on tailoring the controller’s functionality and feel for each game.
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After collaborating with 8BitDo on a gamepad two years ago, Genki launched the first controller the company designed from the ground up today. With an unorthodox design that positions its thumbsticks and buttons above a large 2.9-inch LCD screen, the Manta looks a lot chunkier than competing controllers. But what really sets it apart is a deeper focus on customizability with numerous settings that can be adjusted using the controller’s screen plus buttons and thumbsticks that can be tailored to each player’s preferences.
The Genki Manta is launching today through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. The earliest backers can preorder the controller discounted to $189, while full retail pricing is expected to be $279. This is the company’s ninth crowdfunded device so while there’s always some risk with backing a Kickstarter, Genki has an excellent track record of delivering products this way.
While companies like Anbernic already have controllers with integrated screens, the Manta offers an especially deep level of customization through a settings interface powered by a dedicated Raspberry Pi RP2350 microcontroller. Players can configure and switch between multiple console, game, and user profiles, adjust thumbstick response and dead zones, increase the intensity of the haptic feedback, remap buttons, and record, edit, and combine multiple button presses to create custom macros.