Last year, we went hands-on with the GameSir X2 controller for Xbox Cloud Gaming and found it to be “a brilliant way to unlock your phone’s potential as a cloud gaming platform”, and now the company is back with the Pro edition of this design, which actually might be our favourite xCloud controller to date. Seriously, it’s really good.
From the moment you open up the box, this feels like a premium experience. The GameSir X2 Pro comes packaged in a really stylish carry case, complete with a little pouch to store any accessories in (such as headphones). The manual is also included in a little red box along with a month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which is a great touch.
The controller itself is neat and compact, stretching apart to accommodate most Android phones on the market. We say Android, because the GameSir X2 Pro features a direct USB-C connection, so your phone needs to include one of these or the controller is basically useless. The USB-C thing is absolutely brilliant, though. Because of this, you don’t need to use Bluetooth, so you can turn it off on your phone to save battery – plus, the GameSir X2 Pro doesn’t require any kind of charging whatsoever. Better yet, when your phone is connected, there’s a little USB slot on the controller itself that allows you to charge your phone while you play. Brilliant!
You could argue there’s a question mark over how durable the USB-C connection will prove over time, as it definitely feels a little flimsy at first. To be fair though, it seems like that’s by design, as the connector can bend in different ways to allow you to attach your phone from different angles. You just get that feeling of, “I really hope the connector doesn’t break”, every time you pull your phone away from it, but we’ve seen no signs of wear and tear thus far.
The comfort of the GameSir X2 Pro is really good, and even though bulky phones always make these Xbox Cloud Gaming controllers feel a bit heavy, it’s really not a big deal in this instance. We’ve been playing games for hours at a time without any issues whatsoever, and to be honest, even when compared to something like a Nintendo Switch Lite, we actually find the GameSir X2 Pro more comfortable. Can’t complain with that!
As for the buttons? They’re perfectly efficient, if not anything spectacular. Interestingly, the LB and RB buttons have a very clicky sound to them, so although they feel great to use, they may irritate your parents or significant other if you like playing Xbox games at night on your phone (we know from experience!). Elsewhere, the analog sticks feel good and responsive, the A/B/X/Y buttons are magnetic and therefore swappable as well, and the triggers are certainly competent enough for the job. There’s even a dedicated screenshot button!
So yeah, it’s hard to find too many issues here. The GameSir X2 Pro has pretty much blown us away with how enjoyable it is to use, both in terms of comfort as well as controls, and that direct USB-C connection is just such a great feature. The only concern we have is whether the USB-C connector will last for years to come when you’re constantly attaching and disconnecting your phone from it, but we have no reason to believe it won’t. As it stands right now, the GameSir X2 Pro is undoubtedly up there with the very best Xbox Cloud Gaming controllers we’ve tested to date.
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Have you bought a GameSir Xbox controller? Let us know what you think of it in the comments below.
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