GameSir’s Tarantula Professional controller beats Sony at its personal recreation

I like what GameSir is doing with its product portfolio; I used the G8 Galileo fairly a bit within the final yr, and instantly took to the Bluetooth-enabled G8 Plus when it debuted. With the Tarantula Professional, GameSir is delivering a flexible controller that can be utilized together with your telephone, Home windows gaming machine, and handheld consoles just like the Change and Steam Deck.

The Tarantula Professional debuted on the finish of final yr for $69, and it’s now out there on Amazon for $58. I acquired the usual variant, and there is a mannequin with an built-in charging stand that is out there at GameSir’s web site. The controller is offered in a single coloration scheme, and also you get a great worth contemplating the variety of options out there.

Let’s begin with the design; the Tarantula Professional is just like Sony’s DualShock 4 controller because of a thinner physique with elongated sides. It has a great in-hand really feel, and whereas on the heavier aspect at 263g, it is not uncomfortable to carry within the least. Weight distribution is right, and construct high quality is incredible — there is not something to critique on this space.

The black coloration choice is accentuated with a camo design on the entrance, and the again has a textured end that makes it straightforward to carry and use the controller. The buttons are simply accessible, and have good tactility; the D-pad has good actuation, and the triggers are extremely customizable — you possibly can change between a hair set off mode and customary analog set off, and there is a distinct really feel to the hair set off mode that is useful when taking part in shooters.

The joysticks use TMR sensors touted to be much more efficient than corridor impact modules, and so they’re a delight to make use of; there is no stick drift in any respect, and after six months of use, I haven’t got any points with any of the buttons or triggers. The one level to notice is that the ABXY cluster makes use of membrane buttons, and so they do not fairly have the identical tactility as the remainder of the controller.

I like that there are two customizable buttons on the again, and in complete, you get 9 programmable buttons on this controller. Setting macros and assigning motion keys to buttons is finished by way of GameSir’s cellular utility, and it’s fairly easy to make use of. Curiously, you possibly can change the positioning of the ABXY cluster by way of a gear that sits to the aspect of the buttons.

There’s RGB lighting as properly, and like every thing else, it’s customizable. The controller fees by way of USB-C by default, however if you happen to get the charging stand accent, you should use the magnetic connector on the again and cost it that approach. Battery life is first rate because of a 1200mAh unit, and I did not see any issues on this regard.

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The Tarantula Professional is nice for gaming, and whereas I desire Xbox-styled controllers, I did not have points utilizing it in marathon gaming classes. The twin rumble motors ship nice suggestions, and battery life nonetheless holds up after six months of use. The one limitation (because it have been) is that the sheer variety of combos and configuration tweaks out there means you may must seek advice from the guide typically to tweak the settings to your liking.

Exterior of that, there is not a complete lot to fault. If you happen to just like the design of Sony’s controllers and wish an aftermarket resolution with higher joysticks and triggers, you may take pleasure in what the Tarantula Professional has to ship.