We look at the Gamesir X2 Pro, a controller accessory for your Android phone that allows you to play mobile games with a controller format.
First Impressions
The Gamesir X2 Pro instantly won some brownie points purely due to the addition of a travel case. This case is a solid and sturdy case that would cost a decent amount on its own, so to have that as part of the product is great for customer friendliness.
Gamesir provided the controller with a small packet of alternative thumb grips in case you wanted to swap the original thumb grips for whatever reason you may have. Again, this shows that Gamesir has put thought into what the customer could want and supplied it with no extra cost.
As for the actual controller, it reminded me of the Backbone One, but with a much thicker and wider ‘backboard’ for the phone to sit on. The sticks, buttons and feel overall was like the Backbone One or the Nintendo Switch controllers.
Design
The design of the Gamesir X2 Pro is standard for a phone controller accessory like this. The layout of the buttons and sticks are identical to an Xbox controller, with the interchangeable magnetic Y,X,A,B buttons, RT/LT and RB/LB bumpers, along with a Xbox button.
There is also a ‘start’ button and a ‘share’ button, again identical to that of a Xbox controller. This makes sense as the X2 Pro says it is designed for Xbox, with a nifty 1-Month long GamePass subscription included.
One unique thing that I haven’t seen on controller accessories for phones is the addition of back paddles on the handle grips. This really gives the pro feel that Gamesir were trying to give off with this controller and is something that puts it above standard mobile phone controllers.
These back paddles can be programmed impulsively by pressing and holding the Menu, View, and selected back paddle for a couple of seconds, then pressing the button you want to bind to the back paddle paddle.
The thick ‘backboard’ where your Android phone sits is sturdy but soft on your phone, with a rubber pad that protects the back of your phone. In general, the design is of a high quality, whilst also keeping your phone safe and sound.
The only real downside to the design is the way your phone slots in, with it being quite a struggle to hold the extendable ‘backboard’ wide whilst sliding your phone onto the USB-C connector. This connector being flexible does help in this department, however overall, it isn’t too easy to put your phone in.
There is a USB-C port at the bottom of the right side of the controller, allowing you to charge your phone whilst playing, which is handy as you aren’t limited to a certain amount of playtime.
Performance
The triggers and sticks are highly sensitive, with a light tap causing much movement with no stiffness whatsoever, a very smooth experience. This favours games such as Call of Duty Mobile and PUBG, as they are shooting games that require fast triggers to help players shoot quicker and smooth sticks to look around quickly.
The bumpers are not stiff or flimsy at all, with a responsive feel that I think even surpasses the normal Xbox controller bumpers in my opinion. This is more of a personal preference; however, I like my bumpers to be springy and responsive as they are on the Gamesir X2 Pro.
Same goes for the Y,X,A,B buttons and the back paddles themselves, with a smooth and high-quality feel that gives a great experience of playing console games on your phone. Gamesir succeeded in this area, with the X2 Pro delivering in terms of button quality.
Overall, the Gamesir X2 Pro delivers in giving you an Xbox-style controller attachment for your android phone, letting you play Xbox Remote games from the Xbox app, Steam Link, Rainway, Moonlight or any mobile game from the Google Play store.
Gamesir App
In fact, all the buttons, sticks and triggers are mappable through the Gamesir app, which is essentially a customization hub in the form of an app (available free on the Microsoft Store and Gamesir.hk).
The App is decent, making it relatively simple to swap buttons, update firmware and view all your Gamesir products in one place. One odd element about the App is that the back paddles aren’t customizable here, which would’ve expected to be a given.
The app also has a ‘discover’ section, displaying a range of available games that are compatible with the X2 Pro. This acts as a handy hub for all playable games, although it has all the normal games that you can find on the Xbox App and the Android store.
Conclusion
The Gamesir X2 Pro is undoubtedly a solid piece of kit if you’re looking for a premium feeling controller experience for your Android phone. If you compare it to something like the Backbone One, it’s buttons, sticks and triggers are better in my opinion, although something like the Backbone One or Razer Kishi series does provide a cleaner hub for gaming with their respective apps.
Overall though, for the price of £60, you are getting a phone controller that performs very well, with snappy buttons, sticks and bumpers, along with some decent customization options for button binding and interchangeable magnetic Y,A,X,B buttons.
Ratings
Design: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars
Performance: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Gamesir App: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Value for Money: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars
Overall ranking: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars – 4.5-star rating
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