Gamesir Tarantula Pro Controller Review

thesixthaxis.com:

In this modern world of £700 consoles and iterative updates it’s easy to forget the extra expenses involved in gaming – especially when it comes to controllers. When even basic controllers cost upwards of £50 apiece, any kind of local multiplayer becomes extra expensive. Multiply those costs by the various competing consoles and you have a wallet-busting experience. Gamesir have become increasingly engaged in the console and PC accessory space in recent years and their latest controller promises to solve the dilemma of multiple expensive controllers by offering one that works across PC, Switch, and mobile gaming, at an accessible pricepoint.

Multi-format controllers are not a new idea. My 8Bit-Do Pro is my go-to for Switch and emulation but the Tarantula offers a few new tricks and has swiftly become my main choice for PC gaming. Opting for a Playstation layout with two parallel analogue sticks at the bottom of the controller, the Tarantula feels immediately familiar and comfortable in the hand. The sticks themselves are TMR (tunnelling magnetoresistance) – an even more precise magnetic system than Hall Effect – rather than the more widely used potentiometer system and feel far smoother and more responsive than the main console competitors. The huge advantage TMR has over traditional controllers is the lack of moving parts subject to drift – a factor that is a real blight on both Xbox and Playstation pads. Alongside the sticks we have a mechanical D-pad that feels satisfying to use.

The default button layout for the Tarantula echoes the Xbox standard and even shares the colour coding system. However, one of the coolest options here is the ability to switch between controller profiles and adjust the button layout accordingly. Holding the mode button and the requisite face button operates the mechanism that changes the button layout to the alternative Switch standard. This mechanism is visible through a transparent section and is the kind of satisfying design that would