Over the past half-decade, I’ve reviewed countless pieces of gaming hardware from consoles and gaming headsets, to must-have accessories. My bread and butter, though, is controllers.
Whether they be the best Xbox controllers, best Switch controllers, or indeed the best PC controllers, there’s always been one brand that has impressed me more than almost any other: GameSir.
Based in China, GameSir releases multiple controllers each year that are broadly compatible with Switch, Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The brand typically offers its controllers within an affordable price bracket, though in recent time, some of its products have reached that mid-range tier.
However, it doesn’t typically price anything as highly as, say, the DualSense Edge or Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2. As such, even its more expensive offerings are competitively-priced at their full retail rates.
I’ve reviewed seven of the 12 GameSir controllers we’ve tested here at TechRadar Gaming, and I’ve only scored one of them below four stars – and even then, that was a three-and-a-half. GameSir just rarely misses, and its controllers typically offer features that punch well above what their price points would suggest.
Out of those seven I’ve tested personally, my top three would include the GameSir G7 Pro (a review of which will be going live in the coming weeks). This is one of GameSir’s more premium products, sporting drift-resisting Hall effect sticks, sublime build quality, and included charging dock, and swappable faceplates for a high degree of aesthetic customization.
Then there’s the GameSir Tarantula Pro, a PC and Switch-compatible controller that adopts a symmetrical stick layout (similar to PlayStation’s DualSense). Build quality is seriously premium here, and one handy feature lets you swap the face buttons between the standard ‘ABXY’ and Nintendo’s inverted layout based on your preference and/or platform of choice.
Finally, the GameSir Nova Lite is without a doubt the best controller you can buy for less than $25 / £20. While certainly lighter on features, GameSir has not skimped on build quality and this is still a fully wireless option that packs Hall effect sticks, too.
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As TechRadar Gaming’s Hardware Editor, I’m on the frontlines of informing you about the very latest (and hopefully greatest) in gaming tech. That includes controllers, headsets, must-have accessories, and of course the consoles themselves.
The best GameSir controllers
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