Gamesir consistently produces excellent gaming peripherals, and the Gamesir G8 Galileo review discusses another of their products. Unlike their other controllers, which target consoles and PC gaming, this one is more geared towards mobile gaming.
Some excellent mobile games come with complete controller support. With smartphones compatible with PlayStation and Xbox controllers, using proper controllers with your mobile device is as easy as turning on Bluetooth. However, traveling with a full controller can be a hassle, especially when carrying an additional phone holder attachment. Usual mobile controllers, while portable, don’t have comfortable controls, making longer gaming sessions a pain.
The Gamesir G8 Galileo aims to solve the portability and uncomfortable control problems in one go. The Gamesir G8 Galileo review explores how the mobile controller is a step in the right direction and could make mobile gaming more accessible and comfortable.
Package – Gamesir G8 Galileo Review
The Gamesir G8 Galileo comes in a neat package with a stylish outer shell holding the box. The presentation is top-notch here. The controller is securely nested inside the box with a custom-shaped mold to hold it.
I especially liked how the company used small foam doughnuts to hold the analog sticks securely. The additional analog sticks are inside little cutouts and won’t move during transportation.
The package also contains a warranty card, a user manual, and a Gamesir sticker. Overall, it’s a good package to keep the controller from getting damaged.
Design – Gamesir G8 Galileo Review
A controller’s design makes or breaks it; if it’s uncomfortable to hold for hours, it is not for hardcore gamers. Gamesir has plenty of experience making mobile controllers; the company released the officially Xbox-licensed Gamesir X2 Pro controller and a stylish Gamesir X3 in 2022. Both controllers were more portable than the Gamesir G8 Galileo but came with lower-profile analog sticks and shallower trigger buttons.
Gamesir G8 Galileo’s design borrows heavily from the Xbox controller with some additional changes to make the controller feel great. It’s closer to their excellent Gamesir G7, which received an almost perfect rating from us. Think of an Xbox controller sliced in half with your phone nestled securely between them, and you are close to what Gamesir G8 Galileo offers.
The controller also borrows its color scheme from SNES with a dark grey body and purple face buttons; it’s a beautiful-looking accessory. The faceplate is magnetic and can be taken off easily without any tools. You must remove the face plates to change the analog sticks, which only takes seconds.
Size
The Gamesir G8 Galileo review might sound biased, but I prefer full-sized analog sticks and a comfortable grip over portability. It’s doubly true if I don’t plan to travel a lot or want to boot up an Xbox game on the couch. The controller is as big as a standard console controller but has space to place your phone, so carrying it in your pockets is nearly impossible. Carrying it in a bag is also tough but manageable.
Build Quality
The Gamesir G8 Galileo is made with sturdy plastic and quality rubber. It feels solid and premium in the hands. The controller is strong but not heavy, so I had no trouble playing Dead Cells for hours without taking a break. The laser-itched texture on the back provides additional grip.
The smartphone cradle has textured rubber to grip phones securely. The sides also have rubber slits to protect the phone from scratches. I’ve used the phone with and without a standard case and had no trouble playing games. Once placed, the phone is not going anywhere.
Buttons – Gamesir G8 Galileo Review
The button placement on the Gamesir G8 Galileo is a standard Xbox affair. The face buttons are ABXY and feel almost like the ones featured on the Xbox Series controller. That’s not bad; they are responsive and comfortable to use. They are silicone membrane ones with a slight “mushy” feel. Overall, the button and control placement is nothing unusual and will feel instantly familiar to console gamers.
D-Pad
The direction pad is stiffer than what I’m used to. It feels good when playing shooters on the PS Remote Play app, but it is nearly impossible to use in fighting games. I had trouble throwing Hadoukens in Street Fighters or throwing special punches in Tekken with the D-Pad. If you like fighting games, this D-Pad might not be for you. For everything else, it’s pretty solid.
Back Buttons
Gamesir G8 Galileo comes with easily configurable back buttons. You don’t need the software to map them either. Press the Gamesir and back buttons; once the light starts flashing, press the button you want to map. That’s it; you can now use the back button without even quitting a game.
The button mapping feature was on Gamesir G7 as well, and I use it over the standard Xbox controller every day. The MegaModz Custom Xbox controller has this beat with its four back buttons, but that costs significantly more.
Extra Buttons
The controller has extra buttons that add functionality. The Gamesir button works as the Xbox or PS buttons in their respective streaming apps. Press it with the Up or Down direction button to adjust the volume on the phone.
The M button lets you change how the controller works on the fly. Press it with the triggers to turn hair triggers on or off. Press the M and any buttons for two settings to enable turbo, an excellent feature for button-spammy games.
There are View and Menu buttons (Start/Select for older gamers like me), too. They vary in functionality from game to game. Press them together to change controller modes; you can cycle easily from iOS to touch function to Android.
There is also a dedicated screenshot button, which makes taking photos of your games a breeze. It’s a brilliant combination of buttons, which is very satisfactory.
Hall Effect – Gamesir G8 Galileo Review
Normal triggers and analog sticks use electric resistance to measure movement. The conventional method needs components in contact to work accurately; this results in degraded performance over time, leading to stick drift. Hall Effect analogs use magnets and electrical conductors to measure position, movement, and distance, eliminating physical contact. It results in a long-lasting input, nearly immune to traditional stick drift.
Triggers
The Gamesir G8 Galileo uses accurate Hall Effect triggers that can measure minute changes in pressure. The companion app shows how hard you press the triggers and can get exact measurements.
The triggers are also standard Xbox controller ones, not shallow ones featured on small form factor mobile controllers. The bumper buttons also have good travel, like their console counterpart. I like the textured bumpers and triggers in the controller; they provide extra grip during long gaming sessions.
Analog Sticks
The analog sticks on the Gamesir G8 Galileo are a highlight. Usually, mobile controls cut the analog stick’s length to be more portable; Galileo makes no such changes. The full-length analog stick feels amazing when playing Call of Duty Mobile or a game like Diablo. The sticks are comfortable, easy to use, and fully functional, including the L3 and R3 buttons.
The controller also comes with three different analog sticks. Take the face plate off and pull the analog sticks out. After that, place any stick on any side, and you are ready to play. Gamesir missed the chance to include different-length sticks here. I would’ve loved a longer right stick for better aiming. Perhaps the company will start selling custom sticks as well. However, that remains to be seen.
Compatibility – Gamesir G8 Galileo Review
The Gamesir G8 Galileo review needs to discuss the biggest problem plaguing mobile controllers: compatibility. I’m happy to announce that the Gamesir G8 Galileo works perfectly with Android devices with a USB C port. It also worked flawlessly in the new iPhone 15 with a Type C port.
The only issue is the cases. While the controller has a moveable/adjustable Type C head that can fit any phone, it’s not super long or flexible. So, if you are using a heavy-duty case, the Type C plug might not reach the port on your phone. However, I recommend using the phone without the case to avoid any heating, especially if you want to keep it plugged in (charging) during gameplay.
Ports
The Gamesir G8 Galileo has a USB Type C port that works on almost all new Android devices and iPhone 15. It’s a good quality port that makes inerting phones easy.
There is also a pass-through port that lets you charge your device during gameplay. It fast charges and makes 5-hour-long Genshin Impact play sessions possible. A 3.5 mm headphone jack at the bottom lets you use lag-free wired earphones. Even if your smartphone doesn’t have a headphone jack, the Gamesir G8 Galileo lets us plug wired earphones in.
Remote Play/Streaming
The Gamesir G8 is compatible with Xbox and PlayStation remote-play apps. I played some Lies of P on my XBox via remote play, and it worked flawlessly. I couldn’t test any cloud streaming as my internet is not great, but Galileo is a perfect device for remote play.
Of course, your internet speed and router are the key factors here; the Gamesir G8 Galileo is not doing the streaming itself. But the controls are perfectly mapped, and you can use the back buttons; this makes it a great option for gamers unsatisfied with the Backbone controller.
Software – Gamesir G8 Galileo Review
Most of the basic functions can be performed without running any software on the controller. Back button mapping, turbo buttons, changing modes, and adjusting volume are done using button combos.
You’ll need the Gamesir companion app for Android and iOS for some advanced features. The app is also used to update the firmware of the controller. It’s a painless process that takes around a minute.
Companion App
The companion app is a hub to launch games, adjust controls, and see which games are trending. It’s a small download and won’t take up a lot of space on your device.
Keymapping
Some games like Genshin Impact don’t have native controller support on Android. You can easily assign virtual buttons to physical ones with the companion app.
I placed the virtual left stick on the left side of the screen and could easily play Moonlighter with the controller. The same went with placing face buttons on the screen and using them during gameplay. It’s a simple process that requires the system’s permission to work.
The bubble setup button hides neatly but is handy for on-the-fly adjustments. It might take some time, but anyone using a mobile device controller before will be right at home. The system is similar to the one I used on the Pimax Portal Android handheld, so I had the game running in 2 minutes.
Control Calibration
There is a system-level control calibration feature baked into the companion app. This feature lets you adjust the Hall Effect triggers and make them hair triggers with a simple button toggle.
The feature also lets you calibrate the analog sticks. Out of the box, the left analog stick on my Gamesir G8 Galileo had some downward “drift”. It was immediately solved when I ran the calibration setup.
Price – Gamesir G8 Galileo Review
The controller is priced at $80/ £80/ €90; the price is lower than that of both Backbone and Razer Kishi V2 controllers. For what you are getting, it’s a fair price as well. You can also get it at a discount on the official store (10% off code: G8CREATOR) and Amazon (15% off code: 15G8Galileo), making it an even better choice.
Is Gamesir G8 Galileo For you?
The Gamesir G8 Galileo is for you if you hate tiny analog sticks featured on most mobile controllers and handhelds. It’s also for you if you love to have a comfortable controller to hold while gaming on your smartphone.
It has no vibration features, but it makes up for it with great design, sturdy build quality, and good compatibility. The controller is big, especially compared to other mobile controllers, so if you need portability, you might like something else.
Conclusion:
The Gamesir G8 Galileo is a well-made full console-sized controller for smartphones and some smaller tablets. It’s easy to use and even easier to play, with plenty of quality-of-life features to make your mobile gaming experience a breeze.
