GameSir Tarantula Pro Wireless Controller for Switch/PC/iOS/Android with Charging Dock, Bluetooth 2.4G Wired Controller

Reviews

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Review AI Summary

Customers appreciate the controller's quality, feel, and build. They find it well-built and solid in the hands. Many appreciate its functionality. However, some have reported issues with the button layout, such as randomly pressing the A button for no reason. There are mixed opinions on responsiveness, software quality, and value for money.

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  Jae Kim

  

  Nov 26, 2024

  This review is for people who aren't super gamers or familiar with technology. When people refer to the word "dongle" they mean the little piece that goes into the USB, which enables the controller to be wireless. There are a ton of complexities with the recent updates to GameSir (company that made the controller) and GameSir connect (app for the controller) so here is my suggestion to have a great controller without trying to navigate the mess of youtube videos that do not address it in simple terms. Go to the GameSir website and click on "Software" then "GameSir Connect Software" near the top. Then scroll down a tiny bit and find (don't click yet) the link where it says "click here" right below the Microsoft Store Download LInk. Turn on your Controller, insert the Dongle and then click on the "click here" and follow the prompts. When you'll have to allow your system to bypass the warning and you'll end up with a gray screen. The update button won't be available to click until you hold the tiny button on the Dongle for 5 seconds. Once you do, you'll be able to update it and you can X out after it hits 100%. If you happen to download the GameSir Connect app onto your PC. Do so from the Microsoft Store link, otherwise your PC will think its a virus and delete the downloaded item immediately. Once you have the App open, DO NOT PATCH THE UPDATE. Leave the update alone. The app is supposed to allow different key layouts and remember them from game to game but it's a mess right now, especially with the new update. So in my opinion, the only useful function is the ability to disable some buttons. I've disabled some of the little buttons near the left side movement gamepad because I have big hands and my thumbs keep accidentally hitting the small buttons near that pad. I play a lot of fighter games and it keeps accidentally opening up the menu during bouts. So I've disabled that side of the controller in the app. If you really wish to utilize the full functionality of the controller, there are some youtube videos online but you have to be a tech saavy person to understand most of them who are thorough because they do not explain it for normal people to understand. Aside from this, it's great controller. Just updating the Dongle itself (which I highly recommend) is enough to have this be one of the best PS style controllers in the market.

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• 

  Colin M.

  

  Nov 25, 2024

  This mops the floor with every first party controller ever made. Don't even think about the xbox elite or nintendo pro controllers. This is in a whole other league. Yes, the ABXY swap is a gimmick. This is worth the price even if you will never use said gimmick beyond setting it initially as your dedicated switch or PC/android/etc controller. I actually do appreciate the ability to swap ABXY for emulation purposes and when I'm between switch and PC. Switching between these devices is super intuitive and fast, as most controllers should be these days. It will wake up your switch when you pull it off the charging dock! The haptic motors are SUPERB, really, really premium feeling and adjustable. You can macro controller inputs on the controller itself, and it has a plethora of very easy to access but won't hit accidentally buttons around the top and the grip buttons are my favorite semi-flush design. setting up the back buttons as L3/R3 took literally two seconds. I even also set up a macro that selected and placed into holding 5 of an item in the menu for tears of the kingdom, also took 2 seconds. The button and stick feel are just phenomenal. The trigger locks are superb, making them go from buttery smooth analog to perfect tactile microswitch. The gulikit king kong pro 3 had the same feature, but both settings felt awful. It also has a hair trigger software mode if you want analog feel but super sensitive response. The gyro is very accurate. I don't like gyro aiming in general, but it worked right away on switch and PC and felt as good as it could. The ABXY buttons are nice rubber membrane with a good balance of travel and responsiveness. And I honestly love the illuminated at the bottom buttons. The D-pad is an absolute standout here. better than anything any other company makes, first party or otherwise. There are nice rubber membrane D pads on some 8bitdo controllers, but none of their dedicated "modern" controllers are good. This is where the playstation style double stick on the bottom design shines - versatility. I personally prefer both sticks down low, they're easy to reach and comfortable, but D-pads down low are a nightmare for retro gaming. This D pad is not only placed better, but the microswitch feel is PHENOMENAL. like seriously, amazing. It's precise as heck, perfect feedback, no accidental diagonals, you can easily hit diagonals when you want, and it's snappy and ultra satisfying. If you are used to rubber membrane D pads it might feel a bit weird at first, but this is really up there with the all time best. The rest of the front buttons are also lovely feeling tactile microswitches. All the microswitches on the controller are perfectly dampened and not loud at all. It has the full range of normal start/select/home, but it also has four more accessory buttons along the lip tied natively to start/select, but you can freely macro them however you want, which I encourage you to try out for repetitive menu tasks or the like. The top piece is also a microswitch hub with I think 3 (L, R, center) switches, center is bound to screenshot by default. Turbo mode is easy and fast to enable. And onto the sticks. This and the pricier PBtails metal crush controller both use TMR sticks - these are similar to hall effect sticks, no moving parts so theoretically no drift ever, but TMR sticks poll at about ten times the rate of regular hall effect sticks, with lower power draw too. Honestly? I can't REALLY feel that much difference over good hall effect sticks on my other controllers. But the sticks themselves are perfect. The PBtails controller's sticks are metal, and when you release them they snap back past center and if you don't increase the deadzone, they will straight up move the cursor in menus, which is really annoying. The tension on the tarantula is perfect, not too firm or too light so they aren't fatiguing to push, snap back to center fast, and don't ever oversnap, with a glassy smooth feel, especially around the edges. The stick caps are good for my hands (a lot of these things are very personal choice, by the way) and don't irritate my thumbs with a lot of game time like the steam deck's thumbsticks or the 8bitdo ultimate sticks do. And the stand is lovely. Nice little acrylic stand that shows it off, charges with simple pogo pins, doesn't make a tiny spark like the 8bitdo and isn't slightly difficult to peel out of the dock like the 8bitdo. I really appreciate controllers that have a stand, it just makes them look much more presentable when sitting on my center entertainment stand. Only the 8bitdo ultimate has had that until now. Overall, I've been hunting for that "perfect" controller. I have the gulikit king kong pro 2,KK pro 3, 8bitdo sn30 pro, pro plus, ultimate, the pbtails metal crush, and the steam controller. For PC games I do generally still prefer the precision of the steam controller's touchpad, but for everything else, especially retro game emulation and switch, this is now the absolute daddy, no contest.

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