GameSir is a Chinese-run company that creates well-regarded mobile phone accessories aimed squarely at improving the mobile gaming experience. The recent trend in “clip-on” controllers has led to the design of the GameSir X2 as both a lightning (Apple) and USBC version. Cubed3 has been lucky enough to go hands-on with the Lightning variant of the device!
Ever wondered if it’s possible to make phone gaming comfortable and feel more like a portable console? Ever wanted to improve remote play and cloud experiences? Well, GameSir has everything covered. The X2 is a slick device moulded in white plastic with black rubberised grips, a very sturdy mechanism for clamping a phone and a cool loading mechanism that makes use of a hinged connector; it’s really something to behold. The box is a very neat package. It simply houses the GameSir X2 in a carry-case. Inside the case is the device and a small collection of paperwork, stickers and some caps for the thumbsticks.
Once unpacked and clipped onto a phone the X2 is very comfortable to hold. It has a decent heft and feels contoured enough to get a good grip on. All the buttons are responsive and satisfyingly clicky. The analogue sticks are decent enough but travel a bit too much for this reviewer’s comfort. If using a smaller phone the phone will be surrounded by the device with a bar both above and below the screen. This isn’t distracting and is the nature of the X2 but it definitely looks neater with a bigger phone. One of the major design wins for the X2 is the charging port at the bottom left of the device allowing for charging pass through while playing, thus accommodating long play sessions!
When it comes to using the X2 for Xbox games, the recognition of the X2 is instant and all the button mappings are as expected. It is very satisfying to use for those games and so long as there is a steady internet connection there is almost zero input latency. The only downside is that iOS doesn’t support the controller navigation in the menus but that’s not on GameSir.
