A great solution to a niche problem

In additional methods than one, we’re within the golden age of gaming controllers. Whether or not you desire a controller on your PC, PS5/Xbox/Swap, emulation system, or want one thing particularly catered to your motor impairments, there’s a controller on the market for you. One factor that hasn’t been accessible, although, is an all-in-one answer to the truth that there are predominantly two forms of face buttons: Western (A on the underside, B on the correct) and Japanese (B on the underside, A on the correct). Up till now, you would wish to mentally “transfer” these buttons to make use of one controller for each conditions, or undergo the arduous means of swapping them round — although that’s not even an choice on most gamepads.

Nonetheless, due to the brand new GameSir Tarantula Professional, that is all now a factor of the previous. The Tarantula Professional has an revolutionary system that bodily strikes the face buttons immediately.

I purchased a Tarantula Professional the second it was accessible as a result of fixing this drawback has been one in every of my white whales. I’m blissful to report that the Tarantula Professional delivers as marketed. It’s not excellent, however I’m glad I purchased it.

The GameSir Tarantula Professional is able to many issues, however I need to dive proper in with the swappable face buttons. That is the plain star characteristic of the product, however for some bonkers motive, GameSir doesn’t do a fantastic job of explaining the way it truly works in any of its promoting.

First, the face buttons on this controller are clear. When the controller is powered down, you possibly can solely barely see the button labels as a result of they lack illumination (see picture above). It’s solely if you energy on the controller that the buttons illuminate, permitting you to see the labels buried someplace deep contained in the controller’s physique.

On the again of the controller is a multi-function button, signified with an “M.” If you maintain down this button after which maintain down the bottom-most face button, the underlying 4 face button labels mechanically transfer. This lets you swap between the Western/Japanese management schemes immediately. The beauty of this method is that the buttons bodily transfer, that means your button presses at the moment are natively swapped. The controller doesn’t must spend treasured milliseconds altering the sign with software program — it’s all occurring in real-time when you play.

GameSir even goes the additional mile by color-coordinating the face button labels to their respective well-liked controllers. When in Western mode, the buttons flip inexperienced, purple, yellow, and blue, lining up with what you’d see on an Xbox controller. In the meantime, in Japanese mode, the buttons undertake a easy black-and-white scheme, which is what you’d discover on a Nintendo Swap Professional controller.

Sadly, these are the one two schemes you possibly can select from on the Tarantula Professional. I’m not certain if area would restrict GameSir including extra layouts on future fashions, but it surely appears it will be fairly simple so as to add a 3rd and even fourth structure, permitting you to even have PlayStation-style face buttons and perhaps even Genesis/Mega Drive buttons along with the 2 ABXY modes. For now, although, the Tarantula Professional solely provides two ABXY layouts.

Moreover, as a result of the labels are buried contained in the controller’s physique, you possibly can’t see them from an off-angle when taking a look at it. As soon as once more, this looks like one thing GameSir may simply enhance with the following era, just by making the clear buttons barely much less deep and bringing the labels greater up within the physique.

Though the swappable face buttons actually separate the Tarantula Professional from the competitors, GameSir didn’t lean on that characteristic and cellphone in the remaining. Due to its huge platform compatibility, customizability, and wealth of additional buttons, the Tarantula Professional can do just about something you need it to.

Exterior of the usual buttons you’d discover on an Xbox Collection controller (D-pad, two sticks, 4 face buttons, Begin, Choose, Share, two bumpers, two triggers, and a Residence button), you’ll additionally discover 4 customized buttons on the entrance (C1, C2, C3, and C4), a clickable “GameSir” button that replicates a DualSense trackpad click on (however with out the precise trackpad performance), two grip buttons on the again (R4/L4), and the aforementioned “M” button. That’s a complete of eight extra buttons, all of which might be personalized utilizing GameSir’s Join software program in your PC. There’s additionally a ninth extra button on the underside, which is simply used for Bluetooth pairing.

GameSir additionally provides {hardware} toggles that change how a few of its buttons work. For instance, you possibly can deactivate the 2 grip buttons by transferring two {hardware} toggles on the again. That is nice for me, as I’ve no use for R4/L4 buttons, and I’d doubtless press them unintentionally so much whereas enjoying. There are additionally two {hardware} switches that let you swap the triggers from analog mode (i.e., like a DualSense or GameCube controller, for if you want flexibility in your presses) to digital mode (i.e., like a Nintendo Swap Professional controller, for if you want velocity). These {hardware} toggles let you shortly and simply leap round from sport to sport with completely different customizations for each, which is terrific.

So far as connectivity, the Tarantula Professional helps wired, Bluetooth, and receiver modes. For receiver mode, you need to use the included USB-A dongle to attach it to a PC with ultra-low latency. For wired mode, you simply want a USB-C cable, though the port on the highest of the controller is deeply recessed, that means you need to use a cable with no huge tip module, which is annoying.

The Tarantula Professional additionally helps 4 completely different channel modes, together with Xinput, DS4, Swap, and HID channels. Xinput is used if you need to replicate an Xbox controller, whereas DS4 replicates a Sony DualShock 4 controller. Swap replicates a Swap Professional, clearly, and HID is a legacy mode that’s finest for Android gadgets (something Android 8.0 Oreo or newer). You’ll be able to hot-swap between any of those modes utilizing button macros (holding down the Residence button and the underside face button, for instance).

Not content material to go away issues there, GameSir additionally introduced TMR (tunneling magnetoresistance) sticks to the Tarantula Professional. It is a newer expertise that makes stick drift nigh unimaginable, giving consumers peace of thoughts that they received’t have drifting points a 12 months in. The controller additionally helps gyro.

Lastly, you additionally get high-definition rumble results, much like what you’d discover on a Swap Professional controller. This isn’t as exact because the rumble results used within the Sony DualSense, however it’s actually a giant step up from a binary “rumble on/rumble off” system.

With swappable face buttons, huge compatibility, a number of modes, and even toggles to change button conduct natively, the GameSir Tarantula Professional greater than earns its standing as a “do all of it” controller. Nonetheless, if you attempt to be every thing to everybody, you do find yourself creating some new issues.

First, the sheer variety of buttons on this controller is solely overwhelming. I’d have been a lot happier with perhaps a handful of additional ones, however eight extra buttons? That’s so much, and if you add within the 4 toggles on the again, all of them make the controller really feel cramped.

The overabundance of buttons, face button illumination, mechanical button motion, and RGB results additionally imply battery life isn’t terrific. Even a Sony DualSense goes to offer you higher battery life than the GameSir Tarantula Professional, to say nothing a few Swap Professional or Xbox Collection controller, each of which appear by no means to die.

The Tarantula Professional additionally lacks the general polish of these gold-standard controllers. It’s not almost as snug as an Xbox Collection controller ($54 at Amazon) and lacks the premium really feel of a DualSense ($69.99 at Amazon). Aesthetically, it additionally appears to be like method too “gamer,” particularly with its lame camouflage design on the entrance.

Actually, although, these points are simple to forgive when you get used to swapping the face buttons. I journey so much, and my laptop computer acts as a gaming PC and an emulation machine. Solely needing to convey one controller with me to play each PC and emulated Nintendo video games is well worth the value of admission alone, so I can simply look previous the controller’s flaws.

Nonetheless, that doesn’t make up for the truth that solely a small fraction of players will actually care concerning the swappable face buttons. This makes the Tarantula Professional a distinct segment product. Should you’re within the area of interest of gamers who hate wanting down on the face buttons and never seeing what will likely be correct in-game, then it is a nice purchase. For everybody else, I’d all the time suggest a DualSense or Xbox Collection controller over this.

Myself, I’m very a lot wanting ahead to GameSir (or opponents) taking the swappable face button thought and working with it. If there have been one controller that would work in actually each potential gaming situation, I’d fortunately pay a excessive premium for it. For me, the Tarantula Professional is a proof of idea greater than the rest. I simply hope a number of different folks purchase it, so GameSir retains on innovating on this area!