Review: GameSir G7 SE Controller

GameSir may not be a household name in tech, but when I was working on an update for our favorite Xbox accessories, I kept seeing it pop up. People seemed eager to recommend a budget-friendly controller from a relatively unknown brand.

The appeal isn’t hard to see. It offers Hall Effect sensors, a 1,000-Hz polling rate, and two rear bumpers, all for less than a first-party controller. The catch? It's only available in a wired version. I think that’s a tradeoff most PC gamers will be happy to live with, but it may be less appealing if you intend to sit in front of a TV.

If that isn’t a deal-breaker, you may find the G7 SE is just the ticket for occasional controller gaming, with extensive customization options, the latest tech, and a very wallet-friendly price point. If you're looking for a new controller and are on budget, this might be the one.

Photograph: Brad Bourque

Sticks and Buttons

Hall Effect sticks are all the rage lately, and they have been slowly replacing classic membrane joysticks over the last few years. While those can wear out with time, creating dreaded stick drift, magnetic Hall Effect sensors should have a much longer lifetime, more precise readings, and customizable options. We have a great article explaining their benefits if you want to learn more. The trade-off is typically that they cost more, but not in the G7 SE’s case!

Hall Effect sticks feel mostly like normal joysticks; they have a snappy centering action with a light recoil, and glide very smoothly, especially around the outside edge. They require a slightly heavy press for the button effect, but that at least will prevent accidentally bumping them.

Photograph: Brad Bourque

The directional pad on the GameSir controller isn’t my favorite, with a slightly mushy feel that isn’t super distinct or responsive. The face buttons are better. They're a little wiggly, but they do snap back up quickly. The rear buttons have a light, satisfying click, and there are trigger locks, which prevent accidentally pressing the underside bumpers if you aren’t using them.

I have slightly larger hands, and I found the grips on the G7 SE a bit small, but not uncomfortable. The materials feel firm in hand, but it's not the most premium-feeling controller out there. That said, it has smart features: You’d never guess that the front faceplate is held on by magnets, but though it sticks completely firmly to the controller, you can easily swap it out or get underneath for cleaning.

Photograph: Brad Bourque

Great App, Weird Install

The G7 SE is set to 250 Hz by default. If you want to raise it to the advertised 1,000 Hz, you’ll need to download the GameSir Nexus software. The instructional page contains somewhat detailed instructions for manually installing a trusted root certificate. I haven’t been asked to do that in years, and I wouldn’t recommend you do it now.

With that in mind, I opted for the Microsoft Store version of the app. There are quite a few complaints in the reviews here, particularly around the permissions the app asks for and the resolution the app runs in. It looks like GameSir has taken notice, because the app now only asks for two permissions for resizing or closing the window. Word to the wise: There are three GameSir apps in the store, so make sure you get the one that’s compatible with your model.

Photograph: Brad Bourque

The app is surprisingly detailed, giving you the ability to remap any button to any controller function. Even things like the menu and share buttons and thumbstick presses can be completely remapped. Like other Hall Effect joysticks, you can set the inside and outside dead zones, or use raw inputs.

There are settings for swapping the D-Pad and left stick, which might be appealing to some gamers, and a diagonal lock. Triggers also have their own dead zone settings, plus a hair trigger mode that causes them to fire at full power with any pressure. Finally, you can tune the vibration settings individually for each grip and trigger individually. That’s a ton of customization, only rivaled by some of the best controller apps out there.

Photograph: Brad Bourque

Go Wired?

I was already running a wired controller to my desktop anyway, so it’s not a big change of pace for me, and I think most PC gamers are in the same boat. Whether you can use the GameSir with your console and TV will depend on the number of dogs and kids you have in your house.

If you’re looking for a truly wireless option and don’t mind paying the premium, I also really like the PowerA Fusion Pro (9/10, WIRED Recommends).

Photograph: Brad Bourque

While it isn’t a perfect controller, the excellent joysticks and extra back buttons add a lot of value, and it’s hard to beat the price. People who like to get really nerdy about their controller and game settings will appreciate the deep level of customization offered by the GameSir app. There are probably more handsome and well-equipped offerings out there, but a controller like this could help GameSir become a more well-known name.