The GameSir G7 SE Is a Great Cheap Controller

GameSir may not be a household name in tech, but when I was working on an update for our favorite Xbox accessories, I kept seeing it pop up. People seemed eager to recommend a budget-friendly controller from a relatively unknown brand.

The appeal isn’t hard to see. It offers Hall Effect sensors, a 1,000-Hz polling rate, and two rear bumpers, all for less than a first-party controller. The catch? It’s only available in a wired version. I think that’s a tradeoff most PC gamers will be happy to live with, but it may be less appealing if you intend to sit in front of a TV.

If that isn’t a deal-breaker, you may find the G7 SE is just the ticket for occasional controller gaming, with extensive customization options, the latest tech, and a very wallet-friendly price point. If you’re looking for a new controller and are on budget, this might be the one.

Sticks and Buttons

Hall Effect sticks are all the rage lately, and they have been slowly replacing classic membrane joysticks over the last few years. While those can wear out with time, creating dreaded stick drift, magnetic Hall Effect sensors should have a much longer lifetime, more precise readings, and customizable options. We have a great article explaining their benefits if you want to learn more. The trade-off is typically that they cost more, but not in the G7 SE’s case!

Hall Effect sticks feel mostly like normal joysticks; they have a snappy centering action with a light recoil, and glide very smoothly, especially around the outside edge. They require a slightly heavy press for the button effect, but that at least will prevent accidentally bumping them.

Photograph: Brad Bourque