GameSir is a peripheral manufacturer with a mission: to equip every gamer with an appropriately badass accessory to facilitate and enhance their gameplay style, no matter which platform or environment. After iOS 13.4 dropped, GameSir has been pioneering new methods to circumvent Apple's product-breaking update. Fortunately, they came up with a way to re-enable the G-Crux software via the 1.24 update on their site (users under 13.4 didn't need this update to re-enable the feature) utilising the assistive touch feature to mitigate the problem for my much loved G6 Touchroller. Regardless of this, Apple and Android have both now fully engaged the Bluetooth controller community by allowing Dual Shock controllers, Xbox One pads, and more to connect natively on their own stacks, and as a result, GameSir has brought forth a fresh new option to run alongside them: The G4 Pro Controller.

• Model: G4 pro
• In the Box: Gamepad / 2.4G Receiver / Type-C USB Cable 1 Meter
• Working Platform: Wired: PC / 2.4G: PC, Android / Bluetooth: Android, iOS, Switch
• Working Protocol: PC: X-input / Android HID-Gamepad / iOS: Apple Arcade, MFi / Switch: Origin Bluetooth, Gyro Supported
• ABXY Buttons: Magnetic
• Screenshot Button: PC / Android / Nintendo Switch
• Battery Capacity: 800 mAh
• Charging Method: Type-C USB 5V

With a form factor bordering unashamedly close to the Xbox One controller, GameSir has provided us with a controller that can be used on mobile in both native Bluetooth and MFI modes, plus it includes connectivity to gaming systems including the Nintendo Switch and PC. There is a heft to this pad, a solid quality that is normally lacking in third-party peripherals. The plastic is solid, nothing is thin and bendy, nothing is weirdly clicky or spongy, and everything screams premium. The buttons and sticks all click in a satisfying, almost ASMR kind of way, and the stick's range of rotation and dead zoning is as spot-on as you would expect from an Xbox controller. The triggers are positioned ergonomically underneath your fingers, and if I had one niggle it would be that the bumper buttons were a little shorter than I expected, but it is definitely something you get used to very quickly.

The D-Pad is probably the cheapest-feeling region of the otherwise well-endowed controller. Sure, there is an eight-way smooth rocking action directional pad, but the definition or the bevel into the pad doesn't seem to be as chiselled as I feel it needs to be. Don't get me wrong, it works fantastically and it doesn't exhibit any mushiness or weird dead zones. It just doesn't have much tactile definition. The central concave portion of it sits under your thumb succinctly and works for rocking your thumb around in circles very comfortably, but I felt a little like my thumb was constantly in danger of sliding off it and I was using the ball of my thumb more than the tip to control things. Perhaps if the detail on the D-Pad was a little more defined and raised, or even based on the new heavily concaved octagonal designs of the new improved Xbox controllers, this would be a non-issue altogether.

The rubberised grips give you absolute security when using on the move. The textured rubber definitely prevents it slipping out of your hands during play, and this is a great thing especially when you have several hundred-pound phones attached to it. Flipping up the springloaded phone holder, you just stretch it apart and clamp it down, spring-loaded, around your device. There are two positions you can put your phone into once it's seated in securely, one at around 100-degrees to the face buttons, and one around 160-degrees, almost fully recumbent. The pop-up phone holder is super handy in general, but not exactly perfect for larger phones. I have an iPhone 8 Plus and the combination of the phone and the controller is quite a hefty load to manage. The roughly 300g of the controller and the 202g of the iPhone 8 Plus is a monstrous weight to comfortably use portably, but that is no fault of the GameSir G4 Pro. When using my wife's iPhone 6S the combination is perfect. The weight is distributed finely and the flip-up spring-loaded holder easily grips the phone symbiotically into an AIO portable gaming device akin to the Nvidia Shield Portable device. Using my iPhone 8 Plus on it, though, the holder struggled to stay locked into its lower position and constantly fell back into its upper locked position, leaning back for use just fine, but causing the balance to be thrown out when set down on the side to rest between games.

I was avidly hoping this device would also fit my Nintendo Switch tablet for on-the-go gaming with its snazzy 6-axis gyroscope built-in too, but unfortunately, the phone holder would not stretch to its 4-inch body width. The description of the device is a little confusing as it states "3.5 to 6-inch phone holder", which I assume is the diagonal, not the actual width, so realistically the maximum phone width is 1.9-inches to just 3.3-inches stretched out, as I measured it to confirm these specs. Had it held the Nintendo Switch tablet I would also assume that the 297g weightiness of the tablet would way overbalance it and make it significantly less stable than it is with smaller phones like the iPhone 6S/7/8/X etc. If your phone happens to slide around in the spring-loaded holder, there is also a nifty adaptor supplied to enhance the lower lipped edge and really hold on to those trickier to grip devices.

Using this controller on consoles is just as simple. Just hold down the Gamesir Rooster (Chicken) button and the A, B, X or Y depending on the console to get the corresponding colour flashing to denote pairing mode is active. For Nintendo Switch you hold Home + Y and the light flashes red, for Generic Bluetooth modes a green light strobes when holding Home + X, and for Mobile its either Home + A with a blue flashing light, or Home + B for MFI compatibility mode and a snazzy purple flashing light. Pairing to each device is as simple as entering into the device's pairing screens and waiting for it to discover. With mobile games, you have to remember that iPhone uses both MFI and Mobile modes depending on the requirements of the game. For example, I could connect to the phone as a generic Xbox controller and run a button test sample, however, this mode wouldn't work in Call of Duty Mobile. For that I had to put the pad into MFI mode pairing and then we were in business. For any PC buffs out there who may say "well I don't have a Bluetooth adaptor on my laptop/PC", fear not! The G4 Pro has a 2.4ghz USB dongle snuggly hidden away inside itself ready for you to play on any format that supports it. This kind of attention to detail is above and beyond what I expected to find included and, in my humble opinion, GameSir really has taken this device to the next level. If you really don't want to use Bluetooth, then just plug it in via the supplied USB to play and charge--though the supplied cable is roughly 1 meter in length, so it's not really adequate for wired TV gaming on a console.

Functionality is also incredibly well fleshed out. Taking screenshots and recording clips is done by tapping or holding the S button and alternate functions, such as system volume control on PC/Android or LED brightness on the pad, is done by holding G button and either of the D-Pad directions. Turbo mode is as simple as holding a button and tapping the turbo button to initiate a flurry of punches or to unload your magazine ever quicker in-game. There is also a battery indicator with four LEDs indicating 25% battery power per light, and an 800mAh battery packing up to an incredible 20hr battery life. Another note I would like to make is that though there are numerous button combinations to initialize the pad in its various different modes, they are all visible on the rear sticker of the device as a handy cheat sheet. Incredible thoughtfulness and forward-thinking: this is the GameSir way!

The G4 Pro controller is yet another high-quality product that comes from a fantastic lineage of peripherals thanks to GameSir's unwavering need to equip us with the best of the best. Their dedication to the cause is incredibly technical and it shows in their feature-packed, gadget-rich offerings that quite literally elevate them well above any third-party controllers out there. GameSir notes that Xbox, PS4, Windows tablet, MacBook, Apple TV, iOS devices are not supported with the G4, so it is no one for all solution to replace every pad you own, but it goes a long way to appease mobile and casual gamers with their portable gaming. Though, in testing on my iPhone, it was identified as an Xbox wireless controller. I could not test the connectivity to an Xbox as I currently don't have one, but it's an interesting detail that it identifies itself this way and paired to my phone as such. Going forward I would love to see GameSir utilising and reimagining other features such as paddles on the rear, a charging dock, haptic feedback and onboard memory for profiles to make an even more elevated, dare I say it, "Elite" version of this controller. However, as the G4 Pro sits before me today, it's a rock-solid product well worth the £49.99 price tag, and more than worthy of joining you on your gaming endeavours.