CRKD launches Atom+, a keychain-sized controller that promises no stick drift
CRKD has released the Atom+, a controller small enough to hang from a keychain.
The tiny pad is available now priced at US$29.99 / €34.99 / £29.99 in four colours: Smoke Black, Glacier Blue, Retro Purple and PAL Grey, Video Games Chronicle reported on 23 September 2026.
CRKD is the peripherals maker best known for the Nitro Deck, a cradle that turns a Nintendo Switch into a chunkier handheld. The Atom+ line-up is the successor to its Atom range of extremely small controllers designed to be carried when on the move.
It is built for travel. Each Atom+ ships with a wrist strap for attachment to a wrist, backpack or keychain, and runs on a rechargeable battery charged via USB-C. No dock. No loose batteries. Just plug in a cable to top up.
Despite the size, the layout is surprisingly complete. Each controller has two full sticks and four shoulder buttons, plus triggers as part of its full control layout. It also packs motion controls, which let you steer by tilting the pad, a turbo mode for repeated button presses, and vibration feedback, Notebookcheck reported.
The headline feature is what is inside the sticks. Each stick uses TMR technology, short for tunnelling magnetoresistance, which uses magnets rather than rubbing contact pads to read movement. The idea is to avoid stick drift, the fault where a worn stick registers movement you did not make and a character or cursor creeps on its own.
Connectivity is over Bluetooth to Switch, Switch 2, PC, mobile, tablet and smart TV. That makes it a spare pad for a phone on a train as much as for a console at home. The controllers also work with the CRKD App, which allows players to remap buttons, adjust vibration and update firmware.
What makes this stand out is the pitch. This is not meant to replace your main controller. For fans, this means a backup you can actually keep with you, for multiplayer on the go or when the main pad runs flat.
CRKD had earlier estimated the Atom+ would begin shipping in June 2026, TechPowerUp reported. That date has now passed, with the controller listed as available on CRKD's official product page, titled 'ATOM+ Mini Bluetooth Gaming Controller Zero Drift TMR'.
