When it comes to mobile gaming controllers, there’s a wide variety to choose from. You can go with a regular-style controller that comes with a mobile phone adaptor or a controller that expands to fit a mobile phone between the two handles, giving it a similar form to that of a Steamdeck, Nintendo Switch, or any of the new generation of streaming or portable PC gaming devices out there. We’ll look at the latter with the new GameSir G8 Galileo, a USB-C wired gaming controller with console-grade features, parts, and ergonomics.
DESIGN
What makes the GameSir G8 Galileo stand out is the design. It’s quite a bit larger than most mobile gaming controllers of this form factor and that’s because the grips are shaped like those you’d find on a console-grade controller. Not only that, you get full-size sticks, buttons, and triggers.
The color scheme on the controller reminds me a bit of the original Super Nintendo, with its grey body and purplish accents. It’s a very good-looking controller and the color scheme looks fantastic on it.
The layout of the controls is similar to an Xbox however, which will be familiar for any console gamer. Aside from that, you’ll love the USB-C connector on this because it’s actually adjustable and can be moved to accommodate different angles and heights. There’s also a USB-C passthrough which allows for charging as well as an audio jack port.
I should note that the controller isn’t self-powered and gets its power from your device.
EXPERIENCE
There’s not much special you need to do to get the GameSir G8 Galileo to work. You just plug your phone into it and that’s it. There are different modes depending on what kind of phone you are using but that’s basically it. You can fit a wide variety of different-sized phones into it, even really large phones like the iPhone Max and Galaxy S23 Ultra. The rubber lining on the inside provides amble grip and cushioning for your phone.
I love the programmable button on the rear of the controller, which is also simple to program. I’ve grown accustomed to these types of buttons for console gaming so I appreciate that they’re here for mobile gaming. I also really love that this is the only mobile gaming controller of this type that I know of that has swappable sticks.
Speaking of which, you also get Hall Effect sticks which is crazy on a mobile controller as well as Hall Effect triggers. While a bit overkill for mobile gaming, this is great if you’re using this to play streaming games from services like Xbox Games Pass, PS Remote Play, Steam Link, NVIDIA GeForce Now, and Amazon Luna.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Of all the mobile gaming controllers I’ve used, the GaemSir G8 Galileo might just be my favorite. The build quality on it is amazing and the use of high-quality parts like the Hall Effect sticks and triggers makes this an absolute must-have. The only negative is that the GameSir G8 Galileo doesn’t have its own power source, but all the pluses outweigh the one missing feature.
While GameSir has other controllers for mobile, this is the best one of this form factor that is strictly for mobile devices. Hall Effect, customizable buttons, and swappable sticks make this an absolute winner in my book.
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