Hands-on review: GameSir G7 wired controller for Xbox - Electric vehicles is the future

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Raise your Xbox game, sir.

As any hardcore gamer knows, the finest of margins can make a world of difference. In a game where milliseconds can decide between virtual life or death, any advantage should be seized upon.

GameSir’s officially licensed G7 wired controller for Xbox has been designed to provide high speed and ultra-low input latency to give you that competitive edge, with extreme sensitivity, faster response, additional controls, textured grips and comprehensive software customisation. Even if you’re more of a casual player, the G7 controller can still up your game.

The G7 controller will work with Xbox Series X and S, and Xbox One, as well as with Windows 10/11 on PCs. It’s a wired controller, not wireless, so there’s a detachable 3m USB-C cable in the box. This should be long enough for most gamers.


Gamesir G7 Inline 2

Image credit: Gamesir

Costing approximately the same as a standard official Xbox controller, the G7 needs to bring something extra to the party to give it the necessary edge – and it does.

For starters, it comes with two swappable paint-friendly faceplates (one white, one black), offering endless customisation possibilities (see picture below). Customisation is technically possible on standard Xbox controllers, but this mostly requires dismantling the handset. With the GameSir, you can apply whatever customisation you like to the faceplate before reattaching or swapping them around.

There is also that aforementioned software customisation, via the Nexus app. Using this, a player can create custom controller profiles, mapping the buttons, adjusting sticks and triggers zone, configuring the vibration level of the rumble motors and so forth. For those who like to dive deep into settings, this is manna from heaven. Probably the most appealing customisation feature will be the G7’s ‘Hair Trigger’ mode, whereby a player can set a near-imperceptible instant trigger, actioned within the first couple of millimetres of a trigger’s travel.

The G7 controller has been designed to provide high speed and ultra-low input latency (below 0.004s), with a stated polling rate of 265Hz. These are the kind of numbers that can make all the difference in a high-intensity gaming situation.


Gamesir G7 Inline 1

Image credit: Gamesir

 

The GameSir also features four rumble motors (also customisable): two standard motors in the grips, running the full gamut of vibration sensation, plus two additional motors behind the triggers to give vibration feedback to the fingertips. Combined, these do add to the tactile experience and physical feedback from all types of games, from FIFA to Fortnite, from Forza to Call of Duty. 

The G7 also has two additional back buttons, which can either be preprogrammed in the Nexus software or updated on the fly – no software necessary – to address the specific needs of any game. For popular games such as Call Of Duty and Fortnite which involve a lot of actions, these additional paddles prove very useful. 

Arguably the most important technology utilised by the G7 controller is concerned with the joysticks and clickable buttons. The G7 has been equipped with Alps 3D joysticks for smooth and precise 360° control, which do feel very nice. The A, B, X, Y face buttons are all clickable, which means less input delay, meaning the time between you clicking it and the game reacting is faster than with a standard controller. The L3/R3 buttons are also clickable, offering even more input options.

Those A, B, X, Y face buttons have been finely tuned, according to the company, with a five-layer structure and microswitches to deliver the fastest possible actuation and a minimised actuation distance of just 0.6mm. The embedded kit also includes a soft rubber pad and bracket designed to respond with a satisfying press and tactile sensation and tested to last for five million clicks. They definitely feel subjectively better than a standard controller. 


Gamesir G7 Inline 3

Image credit: Gamesir

 

The G7 also includes a 3.5mm audio jack for headsets, plus mic and volume control and a dedicated mic mute button, and the handset features textured grips on the bumpers and triggers to help keep busy fingers in place in the heat of battle. 

It’s all these small, subtle improvements that add up collectively to a superior gaming experience. The G7 is slightly smaller than the standard Xbox controller, which does require a little bit of adjustment from the user to retrain the muscle memory. The controller is smaller in the hand, which long term is a good thing, but that initial ‘hand feel’ is different. After some hours spent with the G7, though, it’s hard to go back to the stock controller. 

As noted above, the GameSir G7 costs around the same as buying a replacement (or spare) standard Xbox controller, but of course the latter will have none of the G7’s uprated features. Microsoft does offer its Elite series of pro-level controllers, but these cost around £130, so £49 for the G7 with all its  additional refinements is not at all unreasonable. If you’re feeling the need to sharpen your competitive gaming edge, the G7 could be the tool to take you to new heights.

GameSir G7 Xbox controller

£49.99

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