GameSir X5 Lite Mobile Gaming Controller for Android & iPhone 15/16 Series (USB-C), Hall Effect Joystick, Lightweight Ergonomic Phone Controller- Play Genshin Impact & Zenless Zone Zero

Really solid for the price. I was debating on getting a Steam Deck or a Switch 2 to scratch my mobile gaming itch only to realize that most of the games I play nowadays is via streaming with Xbox Cloud and GeForce NOW. So instead of spending hundreds on a console, I looked into controllers.I own a Razer Kishi V1 and whole it was fine and super portable, it didn’t feel the best while being far more expensive. Plus even though it’s type C, it’s not iPhone compatible. So then I went to buy a new one. I was comparing this to the likes of competitors such as Backbone and this just seemed way more worth it. 25-30% of the cost with all of the features I need.It’s very lightweight and comfortable which is nice. No bluetooth, which is okay for me because I wanted the latency free wired feeling, and the port moves to help better adjust your device for a good fit. I do wish it expanded a bit more to fit my Tab S6 but it does fit my iPhone 16 Pro perfectly fine.I’m not super up to date with third party controllers so I will say what I know. These buttons are all membrane switches, which is fine for me. The buttons feel tactile and similar to a standard Xbox controller but with more of a responsive bounce back. The bumpers and “triggers” are also membrane switches and feel responsive and fast. The sticks are hall effect to prevent stick drift but do feel like they could benefit from being slightly larger with a wider range of motion. I’ll take what I can get though.Compared to my Kishi, this is so much better and it’s not even close. More ergonomical, more intuitive adjustments for different cases (I can fit my phone with a case perfectly fine), and much higher quality feeling input. This device is very comfortable in the hand and I don’t foresee my self getting fatigued after longer sessions of Oblivion, Cyberpunk, or various multiplayer shooters.The device is plug and play. On iPhone, you need to enable “Switch mode” which is explained in the manual for input to be received. After that, it’s smooth sailing. My Xbox Cloud app seemed to not register the device at first but I haven’t had a problem since then. No issues with my GeForce NOW experiences, and PS Remote Play only really works with a third party app like PX Play.The GameSir app doesn’t detect this device but I guess it doesn’t need to. It is nice to quickly access the manual through there. Aside from that, it has plenty of features I won’t use like turbo function, switching the A/B and X/Y buttons for what I’m assuming is for Nintendo games and emulation, screenshotting with key combos, and volume adjustment (android only).For this cost, it’s kinda a no brainer, even if my sample size for products like this is super minimal.

For a while now I have gone back and forth on wanting to buy a Steam Deck or a dedicated Android gaming handheld. I'd read reviews, watch videos, look at the specs and always put it off. I'd had a Retroid Pocket2 years back and while it was okay (Played through several PSX games on it) I found setting up and dealing with emulators a pain and its Android was always painfully slow and clunky to do anything with. We have a Switch in the house the kids love but I have never really gotten into it. (Played through Kirby Forgotten Lands and that was about it.) With the itch to do some gaming on the couch or laying in bed going unscratched I eventually stumbled on this controller and for the price decided it would be worth taking a stab at using my phone instead of a very expensive Steam Deck or other dedicated device. I've now put about 15 hours on it and I am pleased with the results.Use case:I've been streaming pixel-perfect jumping platformer games using Sunshine / Moonlight to my Pixel 5a with /e/OS and it is much better than I'd ever expected it to be. (Linux box with Steam and Sunshine connected with Cat6 to the router. Moonlight running on the phone.) The two games I have been playing the most are Curse Crackers and MainFrames and with an average of 5 - 8ms of latency according to Moonlight I feel like it is all running on the phone. (Moonlight settings 720p 60fps 8.0Mbps)I've never liked Bluetooth devices so any controller I tried with my phone was going to need a physical connection. It doesn't disappoint and is very responsive.I was able to easily fit my phone using the included mid-size pads and it holds it well but a little lower on the right side than the left but more on the fit later.I don't seem to have any issue with the position of the USB-C charging port like other users but then most of the time I am not charging while playing since there is no need to. I am not running any emulators or CPU heavy game on the phone. I don't have over heating problems or have the phone burn through the battery all that quickly.Pros:Comfortable and light weight.Physically connected to the phone so no lag from Bluetooth.No issues with the dpad giving unintended angled inputs unlike my 8bitdo Ultimate 2.4ghz controllers I have on my main PC and on the TV PC where I play with my kids.Easy to put the phone into and the spring tension holds well.No battery to worry about.Connects and fits with my phonecase on without any problem.Cons:No access to headphone jack. (Once again, I don't do Bluetooth, even for headphones.)Support for the back of the phone could be improved.*Doesn't seem to charge if the charge cable is plugged in when the controller has powered down. (It times out and shuts off if it is unused for a while. You have to press the button under the right stick and then plug in. After that it can sleep and it will keep charging.)Other thoughts and feedback:*My phone sits well with the correctly sized depth pads to make the connector fit correctly. However, I didn't like that it sat "deeper" on the right side than the left. The screen ended up tilted to be aiming slightly to the right side of my face. (Looking at it from the bottom of the controller the whole phone is tilted since the left side is held up by the usb connector but the pads on the right let it sit deeper in since there is nothing there to support it until it rests on the extending spring loaded back plate.) A solution I came up with was to use a piece of an old thin mousepad and some double sided tape to make a soft neoprene pad most of the length of the extending support to fill the void behind the phone. It would be better if on a new version they made the right side of the controller have more of a shelf on the right side for the top of the phone to sit on. This could be a built in customization option like the side pads on a future version by including three different thicknesses of rubber supports.While the position of the charge port doesn't bother me when I have played with a cable connected it really should be in the middle of the controller under the GAMESIR logo.My phone's buttons are on the right side which means they end up pointing down when docked into the controller. Moonlight always starts streaming landscape display upside down so I have to rotate the phone screen with the double arrow "rotate" button that appears next to the navigation buttons on Android. Not a huge deal but the buttons being on the bottom is a bit of a nuisance. I know it would add to the cost but a removable USB-C connector or left side/right side docking versions to choose from would be a nice touch.A USB-C DAC for headphones and a headphone jack should be built in. Adding more things hanging off is just not a great solution.All in all I am pleased. There is no way I am going to justify buying a Steam Deck for myself anytime soon. I am not gaming "on the go" just on the couch so I don't need everything to be able to roam with me. And I don't game intensely enough anymore to make it worth. For an hour or two in the evening on the couch to play some without having the large TV on this is a very good alternative with very few drawbacks for a really decent price.

This has got to be, hands down, one of the best purchases I have made in YEARS! This thing is incredible! I've never been much of a tablet gamer, I just don't like touch controls, but I keep trying. Though some games, mostly racing, I can tolerate, there are others that are just right out due to the touch controls. I came across the GameSir X5 Lite and, for $35, I thought "Let's give it a shot and see how it goes". I have since bought multiple Android games, installed multiple emulators and have been glued to my tablet(Galaxy Tab A9) ever since! This thing has basically opened the tablet for me for being a full-fledged gaming system.About the only thing more I could want would be a bigger version of the S5 Lite, it's just really tiny in my hands, but still works fine. I know they've got quite a line up of other controllers, so maybe at some point in the future I'll look into it, but for now I can barely put my tablet down!

I love this thing. At first I could not get it to work, turned out it was because of my assistive touch, I had to turn that off. I did email them and they did email me back the next day, but I had already gotten it to work so I ignored the email so I can’t say how helpful it was... quick response though! I wanted this to play games on my iPhone 16 pro max and it works/fits perfectly. No connection issues after setting it on the correct mode. Sometimes I prefer to play Fortnite with this because I like the feel of the controller/buttons so much. Worked for app games (bully/gta/stardew) and also worked on the delta app for various console games (gba, 3ds, n64, gb color). Glad I didn’t buy a backbone. 10/10 highly recommend!