How to play the full version of Celeste on Android with a Bluetooth controller

Celeste is one of those games that doesn't require a powerful console or a big screen. Its pixel-art graphics, precise controls and levels split into small sections make it ideal for playing on a handheld console or an Android phone with a good D-pad.

I used to own a Steam Deck and tried playing Celeste on it, but I never really felt comfortable. I wasn't convinced by the D-pad, and the console seemed too big and heavy for this kind of game.

So I decided to try another solution: turning my Android phone into a small handheld console, using a high-quality Bluetooth controller (the M30 from 8BitDo) and a native version of Celeste.

The best part is that we can play the entire game, rather than a simplified adaptation, using our original PC copy. You can see it here:

What you need to play Celeste on Android

Three things:

• An Android phone: in my case, I use an Honor X8 with a Snapdragon 680.
• An original PC copy of Celeste: it can come from Epic Games, Steam or another store, as long as you own the original game.
• A Bluetooth controller with a good D-pad: in my case, the 8BitDo M30, which does a brilliant job of recreating the Sega Saturn controller (with the same D-pad as the Mega Drive).

We'll also need CelesteAndroid, a free, unofficial project that lets you run Celeste directly on Android.

It's worth making clear that we're not emulating a console or streaming the game from a PC. CelesteAndroid runs the game natively. Your phone works independently, with no connection to a computer.

Which version of Celeste for Android should you install?

There are several unofficial ports. I tried two.

The first was Celeste Mobile Port, by Unlim8ted Studios. It has one advantage: you only need to copy the Gameplay0.data file from your original Celeste installation to unlock the game. It also has customizable touch controls.

However, I ruled it out because I couldn't get it to work properly with the Bluetooth controller I normally use for these games, the 8BitDo M30. That same controller worked with other games, so the problem seemed to be compatibility between that port and the controller. That doesn't mean it fails with every controller.

The second option was CelesteAndroid, by BelmanteGu..

This version is designed for Bluetooth or USB controllers, and it's the one I managed to use with my M30. The downside, which isn't a big deal, is that you need to import the entire original game folder rather than a single file.

That's the option we'll cover in this tutorial.

Tutorial: install Celeste on Android step by step

1. Download Celeste to your PC from Epic Games

If Celeste is already installed on your computer, you can skip this step.

In my case, I bought the game on Epic Games. To get its files:

1. Install Epic Games Launcher and sign in.
2. Open your Library.
3. Find Celeste and click Install.
4. Choose the destination folder and complete the download.

You don't need to run the game on Windows.

2. Check that you have the correct version

CelesteAndroid requires the FNA version of Celeste. To check, open the game folder and look for these items:

Celeste/
├── Celeste.exe
├── FNA.dll
└── Content/

The important file for identifying a compatible version is FNA.dll.

My Epic Games installation of Celeste 1.4.0.0 contained the necessary files.

If you own Celeste on Steam and FNA.dll is missing, open the game's properties, go to Betas and select the opengl branch. Let the update finish before copying the files.

3. Compress the Celeste folder

Select the entire game folder and compress it into a ZIP file.

Don't compress just the Content folder, because CelesteAndroid also needs the game's executable files and libraries.

Next, connect your phone to your computer via USB and copy the ZIP to the Download folder on your phone.

4. Install CelesteAndroid

Go to the project's repository:

Download CelesteAndroid for Android

In the Assets section of the relevant release, download the APK file. I used version 1.0.1, released in September 2026.

Install the APK and temporarily allow installations from that source if Android asks you to.

CelesteAndroid requires Android 8 or later, ARM64 architecture and approximately 1.2 GB of free space to import the game.

5. Import the full game

Open CelesteAndroid and follow these steps:

1. Tap Import .zip.
2. Select the ZIP you copied to Download.
3. Let the app import and prepare the files.
4. When it's finished, tap PLAY.

The app takes a little while, but it handles adapting the files to run on Android. You don't need to compile code, install emulators or manually modify the game.

You can also import PC save files if you want to keep your progress.

6. Connect a Bluetooth controller with a good D-pad

For Celeste, the D-pad matters more than anything else. Much more than analog sticks, extra buttons or additional features.

To show you how to connect the controller, I'll use my 8BitDo M30::

1. Turn on the M30 in Android-compatible mode by pressing B + Start.
2. Enable Bluetooth pairing.
3. Go to Settings > Bluetooth on your phone.
4. Select the 8BitDo M30.
5. Open Celeste and check the controls.

Celeste basically uses three actions: jumping, grabbing walls and propelling yourself with the dash. You gain this last ability during the prologue, so it's normal not to have it at the start.

You can customize the button mapping in the game's control settings.

How well does Celeste run on a phone?

The main advantage is convenience. Celeste uses 2D graphics whose size and resolution are perfectly suited to relatively small screens.

You don't need a seven-inch screen or cutting-edge hardware to appreciate its graphics or environments. That said, performance depends on the phone and port, so 60 FPS isn't guaranteed on every device.

In any case, it ran perfectly on the modest Honor X8 I keep for these kinds of games, so I doubt you'll have performance problems on your phone.

And as for the controller, no complaints. Everything works like a charm, with the precision needed for a fairly challenging 2D platformer.

Conclusion: is playing Celeste on Android worth it?

Yes. Celeste is demanding, but exceptionally well suited to short gaming sessions.

Its sections are short, you respawn almost immediately when you die, and you don't need to remember an inventory, a huge map or a complicated story every time you come back, unlike the metroidvanias that have flooded the market.

That's exactly what I want for five or ten minutes on the sofa: a game with depth that rewards skill and doesn't need a big console.

It also has an assist mode. In case the climb gets a bit too steep.