Monday 24 July 2017

Hello Bitty Controller. Goodbye Bitty Game Controller!

Bitty Game Controller is an application from my friends at Bitty Software that lets you remote control something like a Kitronik buggy from your smartphone. In fact you could use it to control anything connected to a micro:bit, provided the micro:bit is running the right code.

However, Bitty Game Controller has been withdrawn from the Google Play store and will soon also be withdrawn from the Apple App store.

Don't despair though! A rather similar application called Bitty Controller has taken its place. Bitty Controller offers a choice of the old dual d-pad game controller user interface or a new, analog touchpad controller and in the future, other UIs will be added to the application too. The point is, some types of micro:bit connected machine, are best controlled by one type of UI like the game controller, whilst others are better suited to something else. So Bitty Controller will offer a collection of controller user interfaces so that it is suitable for use with a wide range of micro:bit projects.

Bitty Game Controller was free of charge. Bitty Controller is not. It now costs GBP 1.99 in the UK, or something equivalent in other parts of the world. Why is Bitty Controller not free of charge?

Bitty Software has various costs associated with it, from web hosting and domain names, to developer accounts with Google and Apple and test equipment. Various companies are also selling commercial products, with Bitty Controller bundled with them. It's no longer possible to offer this application free of charge, therefore and so a small, fee is now payable. Bitty Software hope people understand and continue to find their applications useful and fun. On that basis, Bitty Software will be able to continue to offer smartphone applications for lovers of the BBC micro:bit.

Dual D-Pad controller interface

Analog touchpad interface - push the ball to set direction of movement

See http://www.bittysoftware.com for further details.


2 comments:

  1. I think you're asking if the Bitty Controller app can act *as* a PC gaming controller. If so, the answer is *maybe* but probably not. The PC would need software that understands the commands being sent over Bluetooth by Bitty Controller, just like a micro:bit needs the right code on it to understand and respond to those commands.

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