The Gamesir Galileo G8 is, in all honesty, one of the best controllers I have ever used.

Included in the box is a guide on how to do certain things(e.g changing modes, changing button layout) with the controller in several languages, 3 extra thumbsticks(a grippy one, a taller one for more precision in fps games, and a small nub like one), some more paperwork that you won't need and the controller itself. You can use the controller straight out of the box or do some configuring using the guide they include, but you'll probably want to switch modes anyway.

Using the controller, the dpad is very clicky and responsive, the joysticks are simply incredible and thanks to being hall effect have a very low chance to drift, the buttons sound nice and are again very responsive, the bumpers are very clicky and the triggers are just... good. Good travel time, resistance, etc. You may accidentally press them depending on how you use a controller but that can happen for even the best controllers.

Having a headphone jack is a huge benefit if your phone(aka any flagship that isn't a sony xperia made after 2020) doesn't have one. Speaking of connectivity you can even use a USB C female to male to use it as a regular controller on pretty much anything.

The best way to describe the build quality is if you neutered a dualsense but then made it feel slightly nicer to hold on the back as it has a nice grippy texture. The dpad and right joystick placement takes some getting used to, but all things considered, including how your hands will feel after a long playing session, the galileo g8 is very much a "console quality" controller. Keep in mind that you cannot make the controller any more compact than it already is which may be an issue if your space is limited in a backpack or your pockets aren't deep.

As long as you switch it to Android mode it'll work with every app that has controller support. PS mode is said to work with iPhones but I don't have any iPhone to actually test that with, and it also works with PS Remote Play and xbox gamepass. There's also a G Touch mode but you may be better off just using a third party app to bind touch controls to the controller in android/ps mode and it should just work.

When using pass-through charging, the speed does get slowed down a bit, but considering the fact that we're living in 2024 and it's very easy to have access to a charger even out in the wild thanks to how accessible power banks are and how big phone batteries are, it's not a massive deal breaking issue.

Here's the thing that I actually do have a problem with though,

The absolute horror that is the software.

The software, simply named "gamesir" is one of the worst apps I have ever used. Barring the fact tencent have their hands in it, and the fact that it asks for precise location access...

The customization options aren't even that good! The only one that you can't do with the controller itself appless as far as I know is changing how the triggers work(which is just making them more sensitive).

Some have even complained that even opening the app messes with the controller in varying ways which I fortunately have not encountered after testing it out.

I blocked the app from accessing the internet so I didn't get access to every feature, but I doubt those are any good anyway. I didn't even want to risk a firmware update because of how useless and privacy risking the app was. I mean, you can use it as a game launcher, but third party ones will definitely be better and most phones have a game launcher built in. Please do not download the app on your main phone unless you know how to quarantine it.

Comparing it to controllers like the backbone or razer kishi, unless you really need their software, it's a no brainer to pickup the Galileo G8 for $30 or so dollars less all things considered, especially comfortability wise.