Review: The Tarantula Pro controller sacrifices practicality for tactile fun
by Jon Gilbert · Android PoliceWe've reviewed a lot of GameSir's controllers at Android Police, but the Tarantula Pro was the first one I felt compelled to show off before I wrote my review. It's a fun, versatile, and high-quality controller, but the overwhelming number of features aren't necessary for most people.
The GameSir Tarantula Pro will set you back $70 and, for that price, you get a fun controller that competes with the best Bluetooth controllers around. However, by this point, I believe that GameSir is at its best when it focuses on simplicity, and the Tarantula Pro deviates too far from this simple rule to become the pinnacle of GameSir's controllers.
GameSir Tarantula Pro
7 / 10
The GameSir Tarantula Pro offers nine programmable buttons, an NFC reader, three trigger modes, customizable RGB effects, and face buttons that switch layouts with a button press. For $70, it's a lot of bang for your buck, but there's too much going on here for casual gamers.
Pros
- Switching face buttons is useful and fun
- Tons of customization options
- Snappy joysticks
Cons
- Too many features you won't use
- No PlayStation face buttons
Price, availability, and specs
The GameSir Tarantula Pro is available for $70 through GameSir's official website, and you can add a transparent charging stand for an extra $10.
Specifications
Platform
PC, Switch, iOS, Android
Wired/Wireless
Wired or Wireless
Connectivity
2.4Ghz Bluetooth
Programmable
9 programmable buttons
Extra Buttons
Yes (9)
Colors
Black
Battery
1200mAh
Weight
325g
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What's good about the GameSir Tarantula Pro?
Premium joysticks and plenty of room for customization
Many controllers offer an option to switch between Nintendo-style ABXY and Xbox-style AXYB inputs, but since their face buttons can't be physically swapped, there is a discrepancy between the button you press and the actual input. While this isn't a problem for people who know controller layouts like the back of their hand, the visual disconnect causes plenty of opportunity for unintended inputs.
GameSir solves this problem by setting each face button on a mechanical wheel so that the face buttons will physically switch places with the press of a button. The process is entirely mechanical, and the switch is accompanied by a satisfying whirring sound as the buttons move.
Four switches are on the controller's rear. Two lock the extra back buttons on the controller to avoid accidental inputs, while the other two toggle the triggers between Hall Effect and Micro Switch modes, giving them the feel of buttons rather than triggers. It's a neat alternative to hair trigger modes (which this controller also has), as the physical sensation better matches the digital input.
All these features help the Tarantula Pro stand out among the best mobile-friendly controllers. While programmable buttons and multiple trigger modes are nothing new, the Tarantula Pro provides an extra level of physical feedback that is genuinely useful when switching between games and genres. But it's not just about the customization and tactile feel of the controller that make it great to use.
Rather than Hall Effect joysticks, GameSir uses its own Mag-Res TMR technology (TMR here stands for Trailblazing, Mighty, Robust). GameSir has a lot of numbers to claim this is a step up from Hall Effect joysticks (e.g. 1000Hz polling rate and a 4096 sampling resolution), but I can tell you that these are some of the best joysticks I've ever used. They offer incredible response times and the ideal amount of resistance.
The GameSir Tarantula Pro is a controller nerd's dream, as it combines fun tricks like swappable face buttons with quality features like the Mag-Res joystick. However, for occasional gamers, many features will largely go unused.
What's bad about the GameSir Tarantula Pro?
Too many buttons and I'm worried about durability
All GameSir's controllers make compromises, and in its quest to make the Tarantula Pro its most innovative controller yet, it's lost the simple quality that made previous controllers some of our favorites. The huge button and switch array is impressive at first glance, but after two weeks of gaming on my Switch, PC, and Android phone, I found I barely used them. I've been using the GameSir T4 Cyclone Pro as my go-to controller for months, and it has a fraction of the buttons found on the Tarantula Pro, but I use them all.
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The swappable face buttons are a clear example of this over-engineering. While this is an incredibly fun feature to play with and something you would want to show off to your friends, I'm worried about the amount of moving parts involved in a device that is regularly dropped, thrown, or knocked off surfaces. Time will tell if the Tarantula Pro's moving parts will hold up, but in the meantime, I recommend treating the controller with the same care as a phone without a case.
During my time with the Tarantula Pro, I noticed that a few games read the controller as a PlayStation controller and thus displayed appropriate symbols in menus and interactions. This rendered the swappable face buttons completely irrelevant, and while this seems to be a problem with the games rather than the controller, it also causes problems with the PS Remote Play app.
The controller is compatible with Android and iOS devices, but it's incompatible with phone clips, so it's not a good choice for gaming on a phone. This incompatibility is caused by the extra buttons. While this is a reasonable sacrifice to make, I can't help but think the controller would be just as good with a fraction of these buttons and would be cheaper overall. A solution involving changing LEDs behind the face buttons might be less satisfying but would be more durable; it should also involve less cost. At this point, you might as well just sync your existing controller with your Android phone.
Should you buy it?
There's a lot to enjoy about the GameSir Tarantula Pro but many of its features go unused. I'm a huge fan of the Mag-Res TMR joysticks, micro switch triggers, and mappable keys, but features like the moving face buttons, NFC reader, and six extra face buttons seem like gimmicks you'll forget about within a few weeks.
I recommend the Tarantula Pro to anyone who regularly uses multiple platforms and games and needs a controller that can switch between them with ease. However, for those who stick to PC or Android, many of the best Android controllers offer all the features you need for a lower price.
GameSir Tarantula Pro
7 / 10
For versatility and tactile satisfaction, the Tarantula Pro can't be matched, but there's too much going on here to recommend it for casual gamers.
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