CRKD ATOM+ – a full game controller that fits on your keychain

By Ricardo de Jong ·

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Two black CRKD ATOM+ mini controllers hanging from their lanyards, one seen from the back and one from the front

There’s always one person at game night who gets the bad controller. The one with the sticky A button and the drifting stick. Usually it’s the host. Usually it’s me.

The CRKD ATOM+ is the spare controller that lives on your keys until you need it. It’s a keychain-sized Bluetooth controller with two thumbsticks, triggers, rumble and motion controls. It works with a Switch 2, a PC, a phone or a smart TV.

It’s also 30 bucks, which makes it the most obvious stocking stuffer for gamers I’ve seen this year.

Black CRKD ATOM+ mini controller with a wrist strap, seen from the front

What is the CRKD ATOM+?

CRKD is the accessory maker behind the Nitro Deck, the grip that turns a Switch into a more comfortable handheld. In 2024 it released the original ATOM, a keychain controller with a D-pad and buttons but no thumbsticks. Fun for retro games, useless for anything 3D.

The ATOM+ fixes exactly that. CRKD announced it in March 2026, and it started shipping in August after a couple of delays. It keeps the keychain size but adds:

  • Two thumbsticks with TMR sensors, a magnetic type that CRKD says won’t develop stick drift
  • Shoulder buttons and digital triggers
  • Vibration, motion controls and a turbo mode
  • Support for the Switch 2 as well as the original Switch, PC, phones, tablets and smart TVs

It charges over USB-C and comes with a wrist strap. Four colors are available: Smoke Black, Glacier Blue, Retro Purple and Pal Grey.

How does it work?

You pair it over Bluetooth like any other wireless controller. The free CRKD app handles button remapping, vibration settings and firmware updates.

There’s one very CRKD extra. Every controller gets a unique serial number, and if you register it in the app you get its number and a “rarity rank” in CRKD’s True Collection System. Completely pointless. Weirdly satisfying. Collectors love that stuff, and CRKD knows it.

The good and the not-so-good

What I like:

  • The size. It’s small enough to clip to a bag or a keyring and forget about until someone needs a second player.
  • Thumbsticks. That one change makes it usable for 3D games and party games as well as 8-bit stuff.
  • The price. A second official Switch controller costs a lot more.
  • Early buyers seem happy: it sits at 4.4 out of 5 stars on Amazon at the time of writing.

What could be better:

  • It’s tiny, so it will never be as comfortable as a full-size controller. Fine for a party round, less fine for a three-hour session.
  • The triggers are digital, so no gentle throttle in racing games.
  • There’s no full independent review of the ATOM+ yet. Reviewers of the original ATOM, like TheSixthAxis, found its shoulder buttons a little loose and the ZL/ZR buttons very small. CRKD redesigned the layout for the plus, but nobody has tested whether that fixed it.

Who is the CRKD ATOM+ for?

Switch 2 households that keep running out of controllers. Gamers who travel with a laptop or a tablet. And anyone who likes collectible little objects; it’s the kind of gift that ends up on a keyring the same day, like our arcade cabinet keychain.

Skip it if you want one main controller for long sessions. Get a full-size pad like the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 instead. And if you’re shopping for Switch 2 extras anyway, the Piranha Plant Camera is the other fun one.

Where can I buy the CRKD ATOM+?

CRKD sells it on crkd.gg and through its official store on Amazon, at about 30 bucks at the time of writing (October 2026). The link below goes to the Smoke Black edition; the other colors are on the same page.

A real controller you can lose in your pocket. Please don’t.