Everyone’s always searching for an edge while gaming, whether that’s higher frame rates, headsets that pick out the sound of other player’s footsteps, or cat ears on their head bands. OK, maybe not that last one, but still, if you’re talking gaming enhancements a good-quality controller should be high up the list. GameSir, a Chinese manufacturer who’ve been building a solid catalogue over the past few years, have arrived with the G7 SE, a wired Xbox controller that boasts extra inputs, and, most importantly, Hall Effect analog sticks, meaning that this is a controller that will never, ever, develop stick drift. Sounds pretty good, huh?
Stick drift has become the bane of manufacturers everywhere, with Nintendo’s Joy-con and Sony’s DualSense turning out to be particularly susceptible to it. What it means is that your controller starts firing out inputs when you aren’t making any, permanently sending Mario’s kart off course, or making aiming in Call of Duty an absolute nightmare. Hall Effect sticks literally can’t wear out as they utilise magnetic technology in which the components never touch, meaning that this is the technology everyone wants in their controllers.
The G7 SE has this technology in place, and there certainly hasn’t been any sign of drift or ghost inputs from the sticks during our review period, not that I’d expect to see it within a month of testing. Still, the sticks feel excellent under your thumb, with a pleasing level of responsiveness. The tops aren’t quite as indented as the official Xbox controller, feeling closer to Sony’s Dualsense, meaning they don’t feel quite as grippy as I’d like, but it’s not a major issue.
So, drift-free sticks that feel good? We’re immediately onto a winner, but GameSir follow it up with an all-round solid build that feels as though it’ll last through many hours of gaming. As a wired controller, they lack the batteries of the official offering, meaning the G7 SE is slightly lighter, which has meant it’s been comfortable through hours of Madden 24 and Overwatch 2. The face buttons are reassuringly precise, and the cross-shaped D-pad is firm and responsive, though I’m not sure how much I’d want to use it for 2D fighters like the upcoming Mortal Kombat 1.
The triggers also utilise the Hall Effect as well, and the company boasts that this allows accuracy of up to 0.1mm. In action, it felt as though I had more incremental control over my vehicle in Forza Motorsport 7, and that granular level of motion is incredible for serious racers, and helpful elsewhere.
The G7 SE boasts another feature that might give you a further edge, with two programmable buttons sitting beneath each grip. You can easily programme these on the fly, holding the M button and then the corresponding face button before selecting the trigger to map it to, giving you an array of tactical options like letting you swap weaponry or reload without taking a finger off those drift-free sticks. If you’re not interested in using them though there’s two lockout buttons to ensure you don’t accidentally press them in the heat of the moment.
There’s a 3.5mm headphone socket, but unlike the official controller there’s actually a batch of audio controls to use as well, letting you mute your microphone, alter the game/chat mix, and increase or decrease the volume. It’s great to have the extra control in your hand without having to hop into a menu, and it’s something that Microsoft and Sony should certainly consider in the future.