Playing games on a smooth touchscreen device with on-screen “virtual buttons” just doesn’t give you the same gameplay experience as using traditional joypads or arcade sticks. TouchAbility Thumb Pads (US$11.99) are designed to solve this problem by adding temporary physical buttons and an analogue control pad to any touchscreen device such as the iPhone and iPad.

The analogue control pad (www.thumbpads.co.uk) allows full 360 degree rotation for more accurate control and more, according to the folks at TouchAbility, developer of the Thumb Pad. The five different keypads ensure compatibility with thousands of different games, they add.

The pads are made of soft and flexible silicone which is removable and will purportedly not harm the screen in any way. The 6-in-1 set also includes a carry case.