Review: Gamesir X2 Lightning Mobile Game Controller

Gaming on a mobile device can be amazing and fun, but can also be frustrating at the same time. How many of us would love to play fast paced games specifically on our iPhones, but instead of using touch gestures, use actual buttons and controls? So many people have searched for a product that gives us the same gaming experience as something like the Nintendo Switch. Well, the wait is over! The Gamesir X2 Lightning Mobile Game Controller is exactly what you are looking for! It’s lightweight, easy to setup and fun to use. Let’s get into it!

The Enjoyment of Mobile Gaming

People love playing games like Call of Duty Mobile, Asphalt 9, X-Plane or even Mobile MineCraft on their iPhones, but quickly begin to lose enjoyment because they’re having to touch all over their screens. This leads to accidental button tapping and truly starts to weigh down on our patience. Personally, gaming on my mobile device seemed to be enjoyable only if it was something super easy and didn’t cause me to block the screen with my thumbs and fingers, such as Pokemon Go. However, finding a product that gives a better gaming experience without the use of touch controls, and allows that first or third person camera angle is always welcomed. I’ve used other mobile gaming controllers in the past that connect over bluetooth which do alright, but the X2 raises the bar. It directly connects to the iPhone through the lightning port and is not using a wireless bluetooth connection. This may not seem like much, but having fractions of a second faster response time can make a huge difference when playing online games against other real players. The latency between your iPhone and the Gamesir X2 Lightning seems to be absent. Having this low latency makes the performance feel 100% better all around, especially when playing cloud based games. For those of us that play continuously for hours will also like to know that Gamesir has included a lightning port for charging on the device directly. This means that users can play all day long while keeping their iPhones fully charged at the same time.

The Gamesir X2 Lightning Mobile Game Controller feels very comfortable in your hands and can be semi-comparable to the Nintendo Switch Lite. It has the same basic layout as the previous model, but Gamesir has repurposed the button above the left analog stick to function as the home button. The X2 has black rubber grips on both sides of the back for comfort. It also comes with four press on thumb grips to give two different types of height adjustments for the analog sticks. All of the buttons click firmly when pressed in and feel very sturdy, giving it a great build quality and craftsmanship. Other generic controllers sometimes feel pretty flimsy and the buttons appear to be partially compressed before they’ve ever been used. This device feels like it will survive years of gaming abuse.

IOS Games that work with controller support will run smoothly and will need no special setup. Asphalt 9 and Call of Duty Mobile loaded as expected on the iPhone 13 Pro and played perfectly without a hiccup. Users can attach their iPhone to the X2 by tilting the lightning jack up at an angle and pressing the phone firmly to get a good connection. The lightning jack on the controller flexes on purpose to easily connect to your iPhone. Then gently pull the right side of the controller to extend it out, so your iPhone can lay down flush against both inside bumpers. Some slim cases can possibly be used, but I have found it to be much easier and faster to connect if the iPhone was out of its case. 

The Gamesir X2 Lightning Controller comes with a black and red hard zipper case for carrying and storing the device. This was a great add-on by Gamesir since the previous model had no accessory. The black and white overall theme of the device itself goes with any iPhone color and supports older and smaller iPhones all the way up to the larger Max sizes as well. This model doesn’t need an IOS app to setup or use, so anyone that would like to enjoy it can just plug it in and load a game. 

Final Thoughts

The Gamesir X2 Lightning Mobile Game Controller is one of the best iPhone gaming controllers that simply works. Whether you play a few minutes a week or daily for hours, you will definitely enjoy having real controls that connect instantly. Also because it is directly connected to your iPhone, users will not experience any latency while playing games. IOS Games, Stadia, Xbox Cloud Gaming and Apple Arcade all work smoothly with the GameSir X2 Controller. It may seem a little pricey at retail price of $79, but when you factor in the build quality compared to other no name brands, it gives us confidence that they know what they’re doing. Plus, the company Gamesir has withstood the test of time since they were founded in 2010. If you are looking for a lightning jack controller specifically for your iPhone, the X2 might be the one to go with. As of today November 26, 2021 The price is on sale during Black Friday and Cyber Monday for $69 and can be found HERE and on Amazon. Gamesir also has the same type of controller for USB-Type C and a Bluetooth model as well.