With the recent release of the Switch OLED, many consumers who splurged on a fancy pro controller are now looking for a suitable alternative to go with their new white (everyone bought white, right?) Nintendo box of magic. Enter the Gamesir T4 Mini, aiming to satisfy all controller needs with an ergonomic design, bright responsive buttons but with a bizarre marketing campaign that feels a little prehistoric at times.
The main selling point is that Gamesir is a controller made for small hands. Perfect, a good USP that will appeal to a specific demographic, no need to further push that statement. Weirdly a lot of the marketing materials also sold this as a controller for “girls”. Surely the small hands were enough of a statement to cover the marketing and there was no need to target a specific gender. Anyway, enough of the soapboxing, let’s get inside the tech!
The T4 Mini is exactly that, fitting perfectly for anyone with a smaller grip. Initially for someone with the opposite to marketed hand measurements this felt uncomfortable, as it should because it is not made for larger skeletal fingers. What was a surprise is that after a few days the controller felt natural, the ergonomic design starting to sit comfortably between the bigger than intended digits. For the new console it is now the go-to controller and not just for its size.
Aesthetically pleasing to look at, the T4 has hit the best style choice ever committed to gaming by housing the magic tech inside a semi-transparent shell. Nothing has ever looked cooler than being able to see inside a controller apart from one thing, lights. With those cold British nights drawing in, it is a saving grace to be able to clearly see controller buttons shining in the darkness. Created for the Switch, with a layout that may throw people off other if they play alternate consoles for a while, vivid colours shine through a translucent button cover accompanying a satisfying smudge under the finger when pressed, all of which can be customised with various colour modes and options via the PC setup. Lovely. The whole surface is also slightly textured to allow for a firm grip in even the most stressful of situations.
As well as the Switch where the majority of testing took place, the T4 Mini is also compatible with the PC as well as Android and iOS devices via Bluetooth. The only real shortcoming is that the controller is not compatible with Sony and Microsoft consoles, although it really does feel built from the ground up to perfectly suit a Nintendo Maniac with its cutesy size and layout. A turbo button (retro and awesome) is also programmable for all systems and is a rare treat on accessories in a time where them being a household feature has long since passed.
Battery life holds out for around ten hours, but this is of course dependent on how much strain is put on the LED lighting; in terms of life-span it is a very competitive amount when lined up alongside various other official and third-party products on the market. A standard USB-C cable included in the bundle will recharge when needed, however due to its compatibility any similar cable will do. A longer one can also allow for play and charge capacity, the one provided is not really big enough unless those square eyes parents warned against are desired.
