Amber Neely
Take your mobile gaming to the next level with the new GameSir X2, a plug-and-play controller designed to work with Apple Arcade, Xbox Game Pass, Stadia, and more.
Mobile gaming is a rapidly growing industry, and now thanks to game services such as Apple Arcade and Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass, the iPhone is gaining traction as a gaming device.
However, when used on its own, the iPhone's glassy touch-screen doesn't do it for us. We'd rather have something more familiar, like a controller.
That's where the GameSir X2 controller comes in. It's a plug-and-play controller designed to emulate other, more familiar handheld gaming setups.
Design
Like many smartphone controllers, the GameSir X2 can be expanded to fit different-sized iPhones. It extends from 100 millimeters to 173 millimeters, which can accommodate any current iPhone model. In addition, the movable Lightning connector allows you to insert and remove your iPhone without fear of damaging your Lightning port.
We tried it with an iPhone 11 and found that it worked great. The X2 also features a nice rubberized backing where your iPhone will sit, making it feel very secure.
We will note that we did need to remove our iPhone case for it to sit comfortably within the controller. Yet, thanks to our relatively soft case from Casetify, changing out our case for gaming sessions is hardly a problem.
It feels pretty similar to other handheld gaming consoles and controllers. It features two joysticks, a directional pad, four buttons in an X-Y-A-B configuration, four bumper buttons, and four additional buttons at the top and bottom "inner corners." It feels very much like a Switch — especially with the red and blue accents under the joysticks.
One feature we really appreciate is that you can charge your iPhone while you're using the controller. You simply have to plug your iPhone cable into the charging port on the bottom left side of the controller, and voila — uninterrupted gaming to your heart's content.
Performance
Hands down, the best feature of the X2 is that it's plug-and-play. You just unlock your iPhone, insert it into the controller, and you're good to go. No fuss, no muss.
As far as the responsiveness goes, it's top-notch. The buttons are wonderfully tactile, there's no noticeable lag like sometimes can be with Bluetooth, and it feels good in your hand. Additionally, it's rated for a minimum of three million clicks on each button — roughly the same as the Xbox One's controllers and one million more than the Playstation 5's.
We found that it is a wonderful controller for our favorite Apple Arcade titles, and it will work just as well for anyone who subscribes to a cloud gaming service.
Overall
If you're already invested in an all-you-can-play game service like Apple Arcade or Xbox Game Pass, it's a no-brainer. The GameSir X2 is a thoughtfully designed product that makes your iPhone feel like a first-rate handheld console.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Pros
- Rated to last as long or longer than current-generation console controllers
- Wired connection makes the controller truly plug-and-play
- Comfortable design
- Lightning charging port, allowing you to charge your iPhone while playing
Cons
- Users may need to remove an iPhone case before use
Where to buy
You can snag your own GameSir X2 controller from Amazon, where it retails for $69.99
Andrew Orr
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
AppleInsider Staff
4 Comments
Is it weird that there’s no link to purchase nor an A/B comparing to the Backbone One controller?
As Winstoner71 noted, the Backbone one is another popular side-mounted controller option for the iPhone that turns it into a pseudo-Switch. The Razer Kishi is another.
I like the design of the Backbone One hardware, but I hate how its companion app tries to rope you into a subscription to their Backbone+ service, and I hate the text spam that Backbone sends you. They basically damaged a good controller by locking some of its functions behind a subscription, but there is no way I'm going to pay a monthly subscription fee to use a piece of hardware that I supposedly purchased. Backbone+ needs to go away. Maybe Microsoft will acquire Backbone and merge it into Xbox Game Pass or something. Then would make a bit more sense as a subscription service because you'd be getting access to a bunch of Xbox games, and you could use your Xbox gamertag, etc..
The Backbone also has a headphone jack, like the older GameVice controller for iPhone. (GameVice even tried, unsuccessfully, to sue Nintendo for violating patents on the Android-based Wikipad.)
An advantage of the GameSir is that you can potentially find a case that fits into the controller, while the Backbone doesn't seem to fit around a case.
Another potential con: some gamers (hi) hate asymmetrical controls, since we have symmetrical thumbs. Make that an option and we’d look twice at this otherwise nice looking piece of kit.