Chinese manufactures Gamesir has quickly established itself in the gaming market as a low price, exceptional quality manufacturer for controllers and accessories. The original G7 in fact was highly praised as a budget alternative to an official pad, offering some features that would only be found on high end controllers. Does this updated edition offer more in the tank or is this a case of the emperors new controller?
As a wired controller, certain consumers are always going to have an unnecessary bias against these outings, as a weathered gamer with eyes square from their 1m long NES wire however, this has never been a make or break when making a purchase. Presented in a brilliant white, the Gamesir G7 SE looks almost identical to original outing at first glance, albeit with a new teal green surrounding the thumbsticks. After a bit of nosing, these are known as “anti friction glide rings”, allowing the sticks to move a bit more freely in movement.
After use there didn’t seem to be a noticeable difference however, they certainly do add a bit of aesthetic flavour. With a matte texture on top and a grip finish at the back, any Xbox user is also going to feel that familiarity when playing. Hall effect triggers have also been included that had to be searched due to having no idea what a hall effect was. Essentially, magnets are used in the controllers to detect movement, reducing wear and tear. No idea if that makes a noticeable difference but any potential saving of not needing a new controller is a good one.
The main case for jumping ship and joining the unofficial crew is the programmable features this controller is packed with. An additional button situated between the directional pad and the right thumbstick allows for two easy to access features. Firstly, headset functionality can be tweaked using the D-pad, allowing for audio balancing and volume control. Game and chat audio can easily be tweaked and muted as necessary. The second use is to program the additional quick latch buttons situated at the back of the controller. This allows a button to be quickly assigned to each dependent of preference. As they sit so closely to where some stray fingers naturally rest, its also a big plus having lock out buttons to ensure they are not activated if not needed.
With these options and the general feel of the Gamesir G7 SE, you really can argue the case that these could be the go-to option over the official option, especially with what is on offer for the budget price asked. Although looking great in white, the option for customisation of the paint friendly front or purchase of additional faceplates has been maintained from the original model. Gamesir also encourages use of its user-friendly app to plug and play with any additional settings to really create a comfortable, user-oriented, custom experience.
One another important note when looking to pricing, one month of Game Pass Ultimate is included in the box, again putting this above its competitors in terms of bang for your buck. Although most will already have an online subscription in some capacity, this could easily sway the choice if looking for a new controller alternative.
