The GameSir G8 Plus hardware reviewed in this writeup was provided by its manufacturer GameSir.
The GameSir G8 Plus is a mobile phone and Nintendo Switch-compatible Bluetooth and wired-capable controller. Like other mobile game controllers on the market, the G8 Plus lets you slot-in a mobile device, your Switch, really anything that can fit in-between both sides of the controller. Up to this point, all my controllers that I’ve used with my mobile devices were Xbox and DualShock controller propped up with some cheap clips I’ve bought off eBay. They do the job but kill portability in the process—anyone who has tried to mobile game on a metro when it suddenly gets very packed will know what I mean. Lot’s of twisting, elbow turning, all that unpleasant stuff to keep your controller from getting smushed.
About two weeks back, Hong Kong-based hardware manufacturer GameSir offered me the chance to check out some of their latest models of controllers. Out of their selection of “Kaleid” Xbox controllers (I quite like how they look, thanks to the translucent casing) what really caught my eye was the G8 Plus. I’ve not really used a controller with this form factor before and seeing how I was starting to game more on my Galaxy S20+ and I wanted something that wobbles a lot less when I’m moving around.
I’ve spent a week with this little kit and quite frankly I’m amazed at how well-made this controller is. When I got this controller in my hand, all I could think of was “this think is really sturdy”. Across the board, be it construction and features, this is one of the best controllers I think I’ve ever used.
The GameSir G8 Plus Bluetooth controller comes packaged up in light packaging but just enough to keep the unit in place. Most of it is recyclable and I appreciate the minimalistic approach to the packaging. Besides a fairly crummy manual (more on that later) we also get three replaceable analog sticks and a GameSir sticker, if that’s your thing. I might just end up slapping it onto my old laptop for funsies. But I digress, once you pull out the G8 Plus setup is as simple as slotting in your phone and connecting to the device via Bluetooth. The controller automatically turns on when extended, which is really nifty. But if you’d like to use the controller, simply press the nexus on the right side of the controller.
Now the controller itself is really nice to hold. It curves into the palm of my hands with no issues and the asymmetrical sticks means that I’m not fighting the natural alignment of my thumbs—and even better, they utilise hall sensors so I’m less concerned about damage happening to them from The face buttons and bumpers slash triggers feel good to press, the battery life is solid, and just about every controller-capable game I tried on the unit worked without issue. Something to note is that the controller technically has two batteries, one on each side, but as far as I could tell they seemed to discharge at roughly the same rate.
You can also swap out the analog sticks with one of the three others included in the box. You can also swap the face buttons between one another, in case you prefer other controller set ups like Nintendo’s. It took me a bit to figure out how to get to all that however. Unlike the Xbox Elite controllers, the G8 Plus requires you to pull off the face covers on the controller to move things around. But I couldn’t see an easy way to pull off said covers and I’m not the kind of person that likes to just yank at my controllers. The manual wasn’t very helpful and it’s hard to read, it being a giant poster-sized brochure with very small typefacing. Might as well have just included a QR code to the e-manual at that point.
But thankfully it’s quite literally as simple as just yanking off the cover. The magnets snap back on with no issues, but I wish there was a groove in the molding that would make taking off the cover just a bit easier.
Before I get to the games, there’s also the GameSir app that we need to talk about. It lets you assign macros to the back keys, test controls, adjust triggers/buttons/vibration intensity, and upgrade the firmware on the controller. It does the job for the most part but it has some stability and localisation issues. Some functions haven’t quiet been translated to English and at one point, while I wasn’t using the app, Android prompted me to wipe the cache of the GameSir app because it was apparently erroring out in the background. But otherwise it does the job, no real complaints on my end.
Getting to our games, I primarily spent my time running through emulators. I’ve been playing my back ups of the original ‘Crash Bandicoot’ trilogy via DuckStation while also mucking around with some of my older GameCube titles such as ‘Jedi Outcast’ and ‘Call of Duty: Finest Hour’. Despite its age, emulation holds up pretty well on the Galaxy S20+—this thing is a powerhouse and the GameSir G8 Plus works wonders here. I also ran through the Dark and Darker Mobile beta as well as a bit of ‘Zenless Zone Zero’. Actual physical buttons make these games far more enjoyable to play than simply letting your hands sizzle on the screen, not to mention proper responsiveness. The left side of the controller also comes with a dedicated screenshot button, which uses your phone’s built-in screenshotting system. Very useful, though be wary of how fast your phone can take screenshots.
I do think slotting your device in could be a little easier—I felt like the controller would snap back a little too quickly and I’d end up whacking the left analog stick unnecessarily trying to unceremoniously shove my phone in. And as the controller is fully Bluetooth-based, there’s no port for your phone to siphon charge off during play. Matter of fact, unless your phone’s charging port is facing up or downwards, there’s no way to plug in your device while it’s in the holder.
The GameSir G8 Plus is a genuinely fantastic controller. It’s responsive, feels good to hold thanks to its molding, button placement, and texturised grips on the back. I don’t think the drawbacks will significantly impact your ability to play on the go and the controller works great on PC and Switch as well. At $20 USD less than the competition, I think it’s well worth the money if you’re looking for an accessory that makes gameplay on mobile more comfortable or if you’re looking for a better on-the-go Switch experience. It works as a good backup controller for PC use as well.
The GameSir G8 Plus is available for purchase directly from the company’s website (global free shipping!), retailing at $79.99 USD. It is also available for purchase via Amazon.com.
