Back in September, you may remember us sharing news of the GameSir G6s mobile gaming controller launch. This was no ordinary Bluetooth controller to connect up to your iPhone. It was marketed as the world’s first mobile gaming controller whose vibrating buttons can be customised. And we’ve been fortunate enough to get hands-on with one and put it to the test.

BUILD QUALITY & DESIGN – 3/5

In terms of Build Quality, it’s great. Feels like a really solid product, and due to the way it extends to grip your phone, it holds everything tight and it doesn’t feel loose or like it’ll break under pressure generated by intense gaming moments when you’re 1-on-1. However, the Design aspect left me wanting more.

As mentioned above, it extends to fit most models of phone, whether normal or plus-sized. And it does so leaving space for chargers, headphone ports etc. Great so far. You then have trigger buttons at the back; L1, L2 and R1. Fantastic. On the left is then a 3D analogue stick, which makes it even better as it frees up space on your screen for most titles.

The problem is what is under the analogue stick, the A, B, X and Y buttons. It just seems like a bizarre location. I’d expect D-Pad style controls here but function buttons should be on the right, like a typical controller. But to fit space to allow for a charger or headphones to be plugged in, there are no buttons on the right. So what point are they? As your left thumb will be too busy navigating the battlefield or race track you’re on. A big flaw for me.

FUNCTIONALITY – 5/5

The controller, despite the obvious (to me anyway) design flaw, actually works really well. The GameSir G6s connects via Bluetooth 5.0 and was picked up on the phone after a couple of seconds searching for devices. We then tested this on the recently released Call of Duty mobile game, as well as PUBG, Fortnite and many others. It responded really well with barely any input lag, as soon as you pressed a button or moved it was doing it on the screen what seemed like instantaneously.

What I really liked though, was the fact the GameSir G6s has dual motor vibration. So when you’re shooting or crashing etc. as long as the game is fully compatible, to get feedback on the controller as if you would playing on a console. This really enhances the immersion into the game. You can even customize the intensity and duration of the vibration with the GameSir G-Crux app, as well as customising what some of the buttons do.

Another impressive feat of the GameSir G6s is how long it lasts. Packed with a Nordic 52832 chip with 3mAh ultra-low power consumption it means you can get up to 40 hours of game time. And for those of you thinking it will get you banned before them 40 hours are up, the GameSir G6s features G-Touch technology that supports iOS native games meaning you won’t get banned. Therefore proving to be a legit way to get the edge over opposition players by freeing up screen space where your thumbs would normally be.

VALUE FOR MONEY 4/5

For a gaming accessory, this is reasonably priced. It’s not the cheapest controller you’ll find, but it does seem to pack a fair few extra features than some competitors and the G-Touch technology does mean you won’t get banned. A quick search will reveal that you can pick this piece of kit up for anywhere between £20.00 and £35.00. A similar price range to others. But, be wary as some of the cheaper ones are on eBay and we can’t vouch for seller reliability.

For some gamers, this may seem steep. But when you think about how much an official controller costs for a console, you can look at somewhere double the lower end of that price scale. And then look at how much the consoles themselves cost. Now, think about how much that nice new phone is worth. Probably double or even triple the cost of a console. So in comparison, the cost of the controller is actually pretty good. Especially if you’re a big mobile gamer

This controller has the potential to be great. It packs loads of features, has a great battery life and isn’t that expensive for the more serious mobile gamer. However, I am still a little disappointed in the design, because I think the A, B, X and Y buttons on the left are pointless. Ok, some games may make better use of them, but for titles I tested the GameSir G6s out on, I’d think a dual-handle controller design would be more beneficial instead.

Gamesir, a leading provider in innovative, high-quality game peripherals released the Gamesir G6s following on from their successful Indiegogo campaign. You can find more information from the official GameSir website by clicking HERE.

For even more hardware reviews, click right HERE.