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Whilst mobile gaming has always been a bit of an independent offshoot from the mainstream gaming space, there are many who would still prefer to use traditional controls when playing on the go. Whilst some games have tried to emulate button controls on a touch screen, I\u2019ve never really felt satisfied with this style and thus always avoided playing full-control games on my phone.<\/p>\n

However, when I was given the chance to review the GameSir X2 Bluetooth<\/strong> controller I saw an opportunity to experience phone gaming through fresh eyes. My only concern was that the Bluetooth nature of the controller may restrict battery life, but I was willing to give it a try. Luckily, the X2 blew away all of my expectations.<\/p>\n

Before I get into the nitty-gritty, I\u2019ll just mention what I decided to play whilst testing the device. Unfortunately, as phone peripherals have always been quite a niche there isn\u2019t an over-abundance of games to play with them. There are a few that you\u2019d expect to see \u2013 Fortnite, Minecraft, Call of Duty Mobile (eugh\u2026) \u2013 but I was surprised with how many indie and niche titles I found. Stardew Valley, Dead Cells, Castlevania SotN and Hyper Light Drifter all made it to mobile somehow. There\u2019s also a wide range of emulators that those with swashbuckling tendencies may peruse. However, the app I spent the most time in was surprisingly Steam Link. Whilst there were a few obvious compatibility hiccups with recognising the controller (that\u2019s just a quirk of Steam Link) I ended up putting the X2 really through its paces in the likes of Elder Scrolls Online, Hitman, Psychonauts, Fallout 4 and Monkey Island. Whilst using a Bluetooth controller whilst streaming games through an internal network sounds a bit like a nightmare, it really wasn\u2019t, and I think that\u2019s thanks to the GameSir<\/strong> itself. There is also a dedicated app designed to help compatibility with touch-controlled games, but whilst it\u2019s a good idea in theory I didn\u2019t really get on with it.<\/p>\n

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The controller looks great. It\u2019s very clearly inspired by the Nintendo Switch, with neon red and blue accents inside the control sticks and an identical layout. Thankfully, this also extends to the controls themselves. The sticks feel almost identical to those of the Switch \u2013 but without the drift. The buttons feel nice and substantial with good return and the triggers are satisfyingly clicky. Alongside the dual sticks, there is a nice d-pad and four buttons on the right labelled as they would be on an Xbox. There is also a dedicated turbo button, a home\/power button and a screenshot button, which links to your phone\u2019s dedicated screenshot capability. Finally, there are two extra buttons used for\u2026various stuff? They\u2019re basically function keys, but some games automatically seem to map them and at other times they are used as part of button combos for turbo mode and volume. Regardless of these strange brothers, the buttons are wonderful to use on the whole and I can\u2019t think of any immediate complaints. To put it simply, whilst many off-brand peripherals end up feeling cheap in the button department, the GameSir X2<\/strong> doesn\u2019t- in fact, it feels almost as good as any Nintendo or Sony-produced controller.<\/p>\n

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The rest of the controller continues this trend of quality. It fits around your phone nicely, with plenty of rubberised material to keep your expensive device safe. To install, you simply stretch the X2 around the phone, and with a max compatible size of 173mm, it easily fits my Pixel 5, even with the case on. I found the phone felt safe and secure in it; again, much like the Switch. This was another worry for me, but thankfully the whole device just feels really stable. It\u2019s bizarre \u2013 most of the time clipping a device to your phone feels a bit risky, but adding the GameSir<\/strong> almost felt transformative. It looks, feels and acts like a whole new device. The only thing reminding me that I was playing through my phone was the constant stream of spam email notifications. In the hands, the controller yet again excels, with nice, comfy rubberised grips at the back. It\u2019s comfortable to hold, even for long periods, and substantial enough even for my Ogre hands. The main limiting factor for long sessions wasn\u2019t comfort, but my phone\u2019s battery life.<\/p>\n

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On the topic of battery life, I was surprised by how long it lasted. I played it pretty intensely and only had to charge it every few days. Again, the issue was my phone, not the controller. I also didn\u2019t notice much excess heat from my phone thanks to the vented design of the peripheral, so it seems that it\u2019s not going to cause any additional heat damage.<\/p>\n

Of course, despite all of this there\u2019s still one unaddressed question \u2013 does the Bluetooth nature of the controller impact gameplay? Now, whilst I personally didn\u2019t notice any input lag whatsoever between the controller and phone, I have seen that many others have. I think this may be one of those things where your mileage may vary based on your phone, your preferred titles and your specific controller. I\u2019ve also heard that some iPhone users have had issues with Apple Arcade compatibility, so again, please bear that in mind.<\/p>\n

Another surprise I had with the GameSir<\/strong> was the abundance of extras out of the box. It came with a neat little hard carrying case, four thumb stick caps, a charging cable and some stickers. Neat! Yes, the case isn\u2019t a looker, but it\u2019s great that it was provided and it\u2019s meant my controller has stayed clean and safe on the go. The thumb caps were also a nice addition, especially with my aforementioned Ogre hands.<\/p>\n

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In short, I love this thing. It feels good to hold, it\u2019s truly transformative for your phone and it lasts longer than most players would need it to. Whilst I can\u2019t attest to its iPhone capabilities, I can easily say it\u2019s one of the best Android peripherals I\u2019ve ever seen and it\u2019s converted me to the benefits of mobile gaming \u2013 at least when it comes to streaming and emulation. If that sounds good to you, I can highly recommend it.<\/p>\n