GameSir - G8 Plus Officially MFi Certified Phone Controller for iPhone 15/16/17/iPad Mini & Android - USB-C - 2 Pro Back Buttons - Gray

Excellent build quality, The USB-C with the new detachable silicone pads let you use help to use with thick phone cases making it the best controller for mobile of the market right now.

Beats my backbone pro, and half the price. Fits in your hand better, bigger joysticks (with extras included), just feels much more sturdy, and not flimsy like the backbone. I use this with my phone and PC!

New to mobile game controllers, so mapping leys was not as easy as expected. Good build quality and adjustability though. Even came with a sticker

My review will come from a different perspective than you may find elsewhere—I’m a fairly casual gamer who is a first-time controller user. I don’t have the perspective of a long-time gamer evaluating this controller in comparison to many others, so I’ll share my “newbie” views of getting up to speed with this controller. If you’re shopping for a controller for the first time, I hope this will be helpful to you. As I’ve gotten more into gaming, especially arcade-style games on my phone, I’ve increasingly been thinking that a controller would make the experience much better. The market for phone controllers seems to be growing, so there are lots of choices, but too many of them require an ongoing subscription. Perhaps that makes sense if you want to be on the cutting edge, getting the latest features as soon as they’re available, but for me that’s a show-stopper. Since this is my first controller, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I thought it might be fairly cheap-feeling, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that not to be the case at all. The Gamesir G8+ MFi is a solid controller that feels great and is packed with features. Physical options: the controller is ready to go out of the box, but there are a number of adjustments available if needed. This thing is very customizable. The 4 main buttons attach magnetically, allowing you to change their configuration to mimic the Xbox or PlayStation layout. Three extra joysticks are included, so you can use whatever you prefer. They don’t change the way the joysticks function, but they feature different surface textures and sizes, which is nice. You can also swap out the rubber bumpers that grip the phone in the case, to accommodate phones and cases of different thicknesses. Even the faceplates attach magnetically, giving the option to purchase replacements in different colors. Lastly, there’s a panel in the “floor” of the controller (under the phone) that can be removed to provide a little more space for the camera bump. Getting started: An important thing to note about this controller is that it is a USB-C controller, not Bluetooth. It features an innovative movable USB-C connector, so you can move the connector to the proper angle to connect to the phone. Once that’s done, expand it to fit around the phone. The Gamesir logo button lights up to indicate a successful connection. It illuminates in white for iPhones, and blue for Android phones (I tested both). I do wish the controller did a better job of accommodating thicker phones/cases. I have a phone grip attached to my case that is not any thicker than the camera bump, but it is enough to prevent the left side of the phone to line up with the silicone pad on the left side. Taking the case off corrects this, but I wish I didn’t have to do that. It plays just fine with the case on, but it doesn’t feel as secure. Gameplay: As I said above, my experience with controllers is limited, but I was pretty pleased with the G8+. It offers both left and right joysticks and a D-pad, depending on what you prefer and what your game will support, which is pretty standard. I found all the controls to be very responsive, but just like a new pair of shoes doesn’t make me faster, a good controller didn’t make me a better gamer! The controller worked well with sports games, city-builders (yep, even those), and classic arcade games, letting me explore Apple Arcade more deeply. Versatility: The G8+ is designed to be used with a number of different devices: phones, tablets and even your PC. Connecting to a PC is accomplished via an additional USB-C connector on the bottom of the controller. This connector also provides pass-through power to your phone, meaning you never have to stop playing to recharge your phone. Connecting to a tablet seems awkward, but it actually works. Other reviews have dinged the G8+ because of limitations on how wide it can be expanded, but this is mistaken. The included documentation doesn’t mention this, but the controller can actually be separated enough to accommodate a tablet. To do this, pull it to its widest point, then bend it slightly while pulling, and it will separate, revealing a set of 5 springs. Doing this makes you think you’re going to break it, but it’s tough enough to take it. Sure, you’ll have a set of exposed springs behind your tablet, but I think there may be covers available. The G8+ does support rumble, but not when used with an iPhone. That’s because MFi does not support rumble, but hopefully Apple will allow this in future update to the spec. Gamesir app: Gamesir provides an app, which is necessary for things like firmware updates. Mine immediately found a firmware update, but it took a few tries to apply it. A number of settings can only be tweaked in the app, so it’s definitely necessary. I’ve seen people say the app didn’t work for them, but I had no trouble with it, and used it to tweak things like joystick dead zones and enabling the hair triggers. I’m very happy with the G8+, and I’m confident it will help me to enjoy playing mobile games much more than I would have otherwise. It comes at a reasonable price, does not require a subscription, doesn’t need batteries and is very well built. This is a great addition to a crowded market, and it deserves your consideration. For me, it’s a keeper!

I’m not a big mobile gamer probably because touchscreen interfaces on most platformers or action games annoy me. I’ve also never had a dedicated controller for my phone but I really like the GameSir G8, as it basically turns my phone into a portable game console. The controller has a standard controller design but will stretch so that you can place your phone inside. It’s made of plastic but feels sturdy and well-built. It's a little smaller than a standard controller but wider when you put the phone inside. There is a moveable USB-C connector that can fit a variety of phone positions and cases. The controller also comes with 3 different sizes of magnetic bumper pads that provide grip for the phone. It comes with three additional sticks that are easily swapped out by popping the front faceplate off. You can even rearrange the ABXY buttons if you prefer a Switch layout. The controller is There is a USB port on the bottom of the controller that is used to charge your phone, not the controller. The controller draws power from your phone’s USB-C port and as you’ll be gaming you can expect your phone battery to drain much faster than normal so having the passthrough charging is a welcome feature. There’s also a headphone jack which is pretty cool as phones no longer come with them. I used this with my iPhone 17 Pro mostly but my son also tested it with his regular iPhone 17. Both have plastic cases on which was not a problem. However, on the Pro, the camera bump is so large that the phone does not sit parallel with the controller. Not a big deal just a minor gripe if you have OCD like me. It looks unbalanced but doesn’t affect gameplay. My wife’s larger iPhone 16 Pro had no problem and fit flush. As mentioned above, I’m not a big mobile gamer, but the fact that you can play Xbox Cloud games with Gamepass turns my phone + this controller into a mini Xbox. Everything was smooth with the controller while playing cloud games. I could not detect any latency from the controller at all as I was able to still land tricks in games like Tony Hawks Pro Skater. The Hall Effect sticks performed smoothly and will have a much lower risk of stick-drift over time. To sum it up the controller performed just as well as if I was using my ROG Xbox Ally for cloud gaming. Neither my son nor I had any problems with games recognizing the controller if they supported controllers. They all were plug and play. The fact that no Bluetooth pairing or charging is necessary makes it very easy for both him and I to share the controller and quickly get into gaming. He also did not install the GameSir app on his phone so it’s not necessary at least on iOS. The only problem I had with the controller is the passthrough charging. It is very finicky. It doesn’t work with all chargers or cables. For instance, it wouldn’t work with my iPad or Mac charger (which are PD) but would work with a basic USB-A charging block and a USB-A to USB-C cable. Pros: - Wired connection – no Bluetooth lag/interference - Xbox-like design and controller layout - Hall Effect sticks and triggers - Hair-trigger mode - Fits iPhone with USB-C, Android or even iPad Mini - Fits with most slim silicone or plastic cases. - Passthrough charging and headphone Jack - Plug and Play - MFi certified for iPhone - Easily can be thrown into a bag. - Includes a variety of sticks for customization - Also works as a wired controller for PC Cons: - Passthrough charging doesn't work with all chargers - Some phones with big camera bumps or cases may not fit. - Smaller design may feel cramped in adult hands Overall – this is an excellent controller for mobile phone gamers. I love that it’s plug and play, never has to be charged, includes a headphone jack, and can charge my iPhone at the same time.