GameSir Tarantula Pro review: one of our favorite brands goes symmetrical - and it’s rad

The GameSir Tarantula Pro is simply a phenomenal symmetrical instrumentality controller that’s compatible pinch PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile. Its astir eye-catching characteristic is its smart look fastener layout strategy that elegantly swaps its show betwixt Xbox and Switch layouts via a elemental macro. It’s besides formidable successful nan features department, boasting GameSir’s ain Mag-Res TMR sticks, trigger locks, remappable buttons, and moreover NFC support for amiibo figures and cards connected Switch. With each that successful mind, nan GameSir Tarantula Pro is easy 1 of nan champion controllers released this year.

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GameSir Tarantula Pro: one-minute review

The GameSir Tarantula Pro is yet different victor from 1 of our favourite third-party gamepad brands. After earnestly impressing america pinch nan GameSir Kaleid, GameSir Nova, and nan GameSir X2S Type-C mobile controller, it has now followed up pinch thing a spot different.

The GameSir Tarantula Pro features a symmetrical thumbstick layout overmuch for illustration nan PS5’s DualSense. However, this controller is compatible pinch PC, Nintendo Switch, and iOS and Android devices. Not only does that make it 1 of nan very fewer Nintendo Switch controllers pinch symmetrical sticks, but it’s besides cleanable for gamers who for illustration that layout connected PC and mobile.

Otherwise, nan Tarantula Pro is packed to nan gills pinch desirable controller features, including drift-resisting TMR (that’s short for passageway magnetoresistance, for those curious) sticks, trigger stops, 9 (yes, nine!) remappable buttons, and moreover adjacent section connection (NFC) scanning for amiibo figures connected Nintendo Switch. You’re besides getting fantabulous build value here, arsenic good arsenic an impressively compact creation that’s shorter than nan mean asymmetrical Xbox-style gamepad.

Perhaps nan controller’s coolest feature, though, has to beryllium its speedy switching for fastener layouts. With a speedy touch of nan multifunction fastener connected nan rear of nan pad, you tin switch betwixt Xbox and Switch look fastener layouts. These buttons are LED-powered too, and leads to a very stylish controller artistic successful tandem pinch nan mini portion of RGB lighting underneath nan cardinal remappable button. All this lighting is afloat customizable, too, letting you adhd a individual touch to nan controller which is ever welcome.

There’s a batch you tin do pinch nan GameSir Tarantula Pro, then, and it mightiness return a while for you to afloat grasp and retrieve each nan multifunction fastener macros. But overall, this is an impressively robust Pro-adjacent controller that - for illustration astir different GameSir pads - comes astatine an aggressively affordable price. It tin perfectly beryllium considered 1 of nan best PC controllers and best Nintendo Switch controllers released this year.

GameSir Tarantula Pro: Price and availability

• $69.99 / £69.99 (around AU$105)
• Available from October 10, 2024
• Comparable successful value to nan 8BitDo Ultimate and Nintendo Switch Pro Controller

The GameSir Tarantula Pro is disposable to bargain now for $69.99 / £69.99 (around AU$105), and you tin acquisition 1 either from GameSir’s ain website aliases nan brand’s Amazon shop page. It is worthy noting, however, that nan bundle pinch nan charging guidelines will costs you a spot extra, astatine $79.99 / £79.99.

This is simply a beautiful competitory value constituent that places it squarely successful nan aforesaid bracket arsenic immoderate of nan champion Nintendo Switch controllers, including nan 8BitDo Ultimate and nan Nintendo Switch Pro Controller.

You’re getting exceptional worth for money here; nan Tarantula Pro’s characteristic group vastly outclasses what you’ll find connected different likewise priced gamepads. If you’re aft a PC aliases Switch controller that offers optimal capacity crossed a wide assortment of crippled genres, past nan GameSir Tarantula Pro comes highly recommended.

GameSir Tarantula Pro: specs

GameSir Tarantula Pro: creation and features

• Smart, compact design
• Symmetrical instrumentality layout
• Swappable fastener layout is simply a blessing

The astir instantly noticeable creation constituent of nan GameSir Tarantula Pro is its symmetrical thumbstick layout, making it perfect for players who for illustration a PlayStation-style layout complete nan offset, asymmetrical creation seen connected astir Xbox and Nintendo Switch compatible controllers. These sticks are joined by a large, tactile d-pad and nan accustomed look buttons, arsenic good arsenic a smattering of remappable buttons, trigger locks, and a rear multifunction button.

Compared to controllers pinch an Xbox Wireless Controller-esque silhouette for illustration nan Razer Wolverine V3 Pro aliases GameSir’s ain T4 Kaleid, nan Tarantula Pro is impressively compact successful position of size. It’s astir arsenic wide arsenic those gamepads, but somewhat stouter successful position of top-to-bottom length. The subtle, camo-like decorativeness connected nan beforehand of nan controller’s ammunition (not to mention nan pleasing RGB ray strip) lends it a beautiful eye-catching look too.

The charging bay is simply a bully summation arsenic well, though it is lacking successful build value compared to nan controller itself. It’s fundamentally a charging dock sat atop a alternatively flimsy integrative frame, powered by a USB Type-C cable. You’ll want to grip this pinch other care, arsenic that bladed framework seems for illustration it’ll beryllium prone to snapping nether moreover flimsy pressure. Still, its lightweight and unassuming creation intends it tin return up table abstraction without being nan slightest spot intrusive.

I’ve saved my favourite characteristic for past here; nan GameSir Tarantula Pro features a swappable look fastener layout that’s incredibly slick. By holding down nan multifunction and ‘A’ (or ‘B’ for nan Switch layout) buttons for a fewer seconds, nan controller will switch betwixt Xbox and Switch layouts. This is accompanied by a satisfying mechanical whirr, and nan buttons will moreover alteration colour based connected your chosen layout (multicolored for Xbox, achromatic for Switch).

This addresses my biggest rumor pinch multiplatform controllers for illustration nan T4 Kaleid; they whitethorn activity crossed PC and Switch, but you’re typically stuck pinch a azygous layout for nan look buttons. The Tarantula Pro sidesteps this wholly by letting you switch layouts connected nan fly, frankincense aligning it pinch your level of choice. It’s worthy noting that nan controller will activity sloppy of fastener layout, but this is simply a nice, thoughtful other for those who often find themselves glancing astatine nan look buttons to amended align themselves.

GameSir Tarantula Pro: performance

• GameSir’s TMR thumbsticks are delightfully responsive
• A whopping full of 9 remappable buttons is fantabulous for competitory players
• Multifunction fastener is useful for accessing much features connected nan fly

The GameSir Tarantula Pro is an absolute joyousness to usage crossed PC and Nintendo Switch, and it’s honestly replaced nan T4 Kaleid arsenic my go-to PC controller. This is, successful part, down to nan truth that this caller controller tin beryllium utilized wirelessly. You’re getting a 2.4GHz dongle included successful nan box, allowing you to link to PC wirelessly pinch nary fuss. Over connected Switch, you tin besides trust connected Bluetooth connectivity.

The controller is exceptional to play games with, offering drift-resistant TMR thumbsticks which GameSir claims person greater longevity and durability than accepted Hall effect sticks. That’d return a bully fewer years to cognize for sure, but successful my clip pinch nan pad, I recovered these thumbsticks to beryllium brilliantly responsive. Meanwhile, while I for illustration floating information d-pads for illustration that of nan Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, nan Tarantula Pro’s still feels awesome acknowledgment to its micro move feedback, allowing for very swift and decisive inputs.

You’ve sewage plentifulness of options erstwhile it comes to tailoring your very ain Tarantula Pro acquisition too. Trigger locks let you to move betwixt full-press Hall effect and much contiguous micro move presses. As mentioned, location are besides 9 remappable buttons (two connected nan rear of nan controller adjacent to nan grips, 4 much astir nan cardinal paper buttons, and 3 each successful that cardinal touchpad-style fastener (that’s 1 successful nan center, and 2 connected nan apical which fundamentally enactment arsenic 2 other bumpers).

Remappable buttons aren’t for everyone, and having 9 of them is arguably overkill, but if you’re nan benignant of personification to make usage of secondary inputs - beryllium that for shooters aliases fighting games, for illustration - past you’ll beryllium flush pinch options. To delegate these, simply clasp nan multifunction button, your desired remappable button, and past nan fastener you wish to assign. It’s rather a convoluted process astatine first glance, but very easy to get utilized to.

Battery life unluckily isn’t nan champion ever here. I managed astir 12 hours connected a afloat complaint during my playthrough of nan Silent Hill 2 remake. That’s not dreadful, but is outclassed by different pads astatine this value range. Charge clip besides isn’t nan top ever, coming successful astatine astir 3 hours whether you usage nan charging dock aliases USB-C.

Lastly, I’ll touch connected nan GameSir Connect package for PC, which is really rather good. It’s sewage a simple, one-screen interface that contains astir of nan gamepad’s customization options. That includes nan RGB profile, trigger and instrumentality deadzone alteration, remappable fastener mapping, and nan activation aliases disabling of definite functions specified arsenic gyro aiming. It’s not peculiarly robust but offers astir of what you’ll request each connected 1 useful screen.

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How I tested nan GameSir Tarantula Pro

• Tested for 2 weeks
• Platforms tested: PC, Nintendo Switch
• Made usage of each nan controller’s awesome features

I tested nan GameSir Tarantula Pro complete nan people of a fortnight, chiefly connected PC but besides pinch immoderate of nan champion Nintendo Switch games. In endeavored to make usage of nan controller’s features wherever champion applicable, specified arsenic micro move trigger stops for quicker inputs successful fighting games for illustration Street Fighter 6 and Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, as good arsenic a number of remappable buttons successful shooters for illustration Halo Infinite for speedy entree to jumping, grenades and melee attacks.

The GameSir Tarantula Pro is presently my go-to PC controller, and I’ve been utilizing it to play done Silent Hill 2 and Dragon Age: The Veilguard. This is mostly because I’ve besides recovered nan controller to beryllium a comfortable fresh acknowledgment to its symmetrical design, and nan expertise to play wirelessly is simply a boon connected PC for eliminating nan request for other cables.

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First reviewed November 2024