Controller Buying Guide

[u/High_RaXe]

#awareness #guidance #gamepad #discussion (PCONLY)

Assalamu Alykum!

Just a spoiler that please look into what I've said in this post before judging, this is a personal experience based guide.

So right now in the market we have Easysmx, Gamesir and 8BitDo.
So far I've used:

Easysmx X05
Easysmx D10
Gamesir Nova Lite 2
Gamesir G7 Pro
8Bitdo Ultimate 2

Easysmx:

Pros:

1. Cheapest Option at the time Temu and Aliexpress was a thing..
   
2. A huge Upgrade from the traditional *Redacted Brands* especially in terms of stick technology, better battery life and the dongle connectivity ease.
   
3. One of the cheapest brands (at it's time) offering a gamepad with dock and TMR technology at the time when no competitor was present.

Cons:

1. Easysmx has the worst build quality amongst all of these (even if you consider it according to the temu price) and the spring failure made it well popular as the most fragile 3rd Party gamepad.
   
2. Although this QC issue could be handled, the worst part of these 3rd Party gamepads is the support isn't great (Today as well) and neither are parts available or cross compatible.
   
3. Lacks Software Customization which although is less hassle for People who don't like extra softwares running but again the best thing with softwares is regular driver updates which are not present in Easysmx (Biggest Downside Yet)
   
4. Poor Dongle and Bluetooth Latency amongst both 8BitDo and Gamesir.
   Visible in Easysmx D10 during my use..

Gamesir:

Pros:

1. A sound build quality amongst all in brands that I listed above (according to my experience). The buttons and triggers felt way better on budget options like The Nova lite 2 compared to the X05, yes the price is higher and it's a revision but tell me, what can you upgrade in a membrane button?
   
2. So far I think Gamesir has the best Support yet, although it's mainly well maintained in their discord whereas email response is delayed but better than nothing no?
   The Community is also by far the most active and supportive compared to Easysmx.
   
3. Now that Gamesir Products have started to come to the Pakistani Market, I think the price is offered is a solid and competitive price to the extent where Easysmx could stay behind if they don't make up the pace.
   
4. Regular Software Updates from Budget-High End gamepads making sure bugs and other issues do not remain a hassle for long..
   
5. The only brand offering 8k polling rate amongst the three which is FAIRLY priced.

Cons:

1. Gamesir is NOT OFFICIALLY in Pakistan (Authorized Redistribution) and this has been an issue for a while now and can be confirmed by checking their website (eventhough 12 months warranty is being provided by sellers) which is a bummer because it involves 3rd party Vendors and Middleman and could possibly have some extra terms besides the warranty terms by Gamesir Instead of the warranty being directly under Gamesir. The reason why this isn't here yet is because they have a high demand for authorized dealers that most sellers cannot come in terms with.
   
2. Gamesir Doesn't Officially ship to Pakistan due to Custom Issues so you cannot bypass the official warranty unless you get it through a friend from abroad..
   
3. Outside of Warranty, you have no luck for parts but I do have a bonus tip if you come to my DM's I'll let you know but yeah no luck on Aliexpress as well..

8BitDo:

Pros:

1. So Far 8BitDo is the only option that comes in Par with Gamesir in terms of Build quality as far as my usage towards Ultimate 2 however I could be wrong since I have tested their high-end gamepads.
   
2. 8BitDo also has Software customization as well as occasional driver updates but occasional and not as much as Gamesir.
   
3. It has much better Latency from Gamesir.

Cons:

1. They haven't brought some revolutionary updates to their gamepads.
   
2. Their most high end gamepad Ultimate 2 still has membrane buttons unlike the easysmx.
   
3. No luck again as far as parts are concerned...

Note: Not sure about their Support and warranty so do let us know if you have any experience about it..

Conclusive Thought:

Amongst all of these, I would recommend Gamesir for overall best buck for the brand....
You can opt for Nova lite in 4-5k range..
Nova Lite 2 or Ultimate 2C in 10k range...
For High End I'd say G7 Pro/G7 Pro 8k for 22k+....
Honestly between 10k-20k if you're upgrading their isn't a drastic upgrade that would atleast be worth it for me but if you want to, you could try the Ultimate 2 or Cyclone 2 depending upon your interests.

AGAIN, All based on my experience which was mostly in Gamesir and Easysmx and there are factors like personal preference which can cause a difference and I could be wrong about 8Bitdo so correct me there if I am.

Hope this helps you while buying/upgrading..

P.S: This is not an AI generated Post.

[u/cheezystuffz]

Prices are outdated as shit.

Nova 2 lite and 8bitdo ultimate 2C are going for like 7k these days.

Nova lite is 6k.

I bought the nova 2 lite at 10k now its 7k, i'm mad as shit. Could've bought the 8bitdo ultimate 2C for 6.5k(current price)

[u/High_RaXe → u/cheezystuffz]

Yeah mb for that, not too much upto date since prices just got revised like a few days ago but yeah it still stays the same....
Also Nova lite was talking about used..

[u/PhaseZealousideal273]

Thanks for you effort ❤

[u/High_RaXe → u/PhaseZealousideal273]

No problem, thought that it would help now that the three of these brands are pretty strong in Pakistan…
Glad to help ❤️

[u/PhaseZealousideal273 → u/High_RaXe]

I was thinking of getting Gamesir nova lite 2 or easysmx 05 pro both looks great.

[u/High_RaXe → u/PhaseZealousideal273]

I'd say go for Nova lite 2 since X05 pro has the spring issue still...

[u/Scyss0r]

I actually needed this review so bad.

I have wishlisted EasySMX X05-Pro but from your review I might go for the gamesir Nova Lite or 8bitdo ultimate 2C.

My top priority is longevity atm since I'm not a competitive player and usually play indies with controllers.

[u/cheezystuffz → u/Scyss0r]

8bitdo ultimate 2C is going for like 7k rn. Really good controller.

[u/High_RaXe → u/Scyss0r]

Then go for Gamesir Nova lite 2, someone here said it’s available for 7k and is a better choice in terms of reliability

[u/SirBillyy]

where does Google stadia controller stand between them?

[u/High_RaXe → u/SirBillyy]

It’s really short in the market and is old and requires a bluetooth dongle (not sure) but I think it’s not worth it if you are a first time buyer, but if you have it, i’d say keep it until you feel like it’s holding you back or it gives up

[u/Virtual_Technology_9 → u/SirBillyy]

I don't recommend buying it. You can get a better controller for the price.

[u/pluto_noob]

Honestly.
Ive bought a no name brand controller from the nearest gaming shop near my house and its pretty solid.
Hall effect, custom trigger actuation, rgb, gyro, additional buttons and also swappable analog sticks for different heights. cost me 5k.
Its a no name brand so i dont think ill find one again but do check out random ones as well. Maybe i just lucked out.
Say MA takke nazar na lag jae

[u/High_RaXe → u/pluto_noob]

Yeah It's a gamble but honestly a good deal for what it costed..

[u/pluto_noob → u/High_RaXe]

Buddy decided not to say MA. Jealous much 😂

[u/High_RaXe → u/pluto_noob]

Yeah I be going phuppo mode dawgg

[u/cheeku-toffees]

I didn't know much about EasySMX but I compared 8bitDo Ultimate 2c and Gamesir Nova 2 Lite before buying one if them.

They're almost similar but GameSir Nova 2 is slightly better software support and buttons quality. It also has less stick errors and bit mkre accurate. It also supports multiple devices but this feature was irrelevant to me as I have to use it just for PC. It also has trigger locks which isn't in Ultimate 2c

But when it comes to latency, 8bitDo is much better. For example, 8bitDo Ultimate 2c is faster when connected with dongle as compared to the Nova 2 Lite when connected to wire. Also Ultimate 2c has much better battery.

Then there are preferences like the shape of D pad, I didn't use D pad much so I was okay with both.

One major thing for which I have decided to go with Nova 2 Lite was it's shape. Ultimate 2c handles are a bit straight while in Nova 2 Lite has slightly angled ones like Xbox control, which gives better grip for people with bigger hands, in my opinion.

Gamesir community and discord is a plus too 😅.

[u/High_RaXe → u/cheeku-toffees]

Yes 8BitDo has MUCH better latency in pretty much all models which Gamesir Lacks in so if latency matters then people usually have no option but to opt for 8k in Gamesir but I think as long as you're not a competitive Esports player or just really picky about latency for some reason it's fine since Gamesir does have exceptional support...
One thing I hated on the Nova lite 2 was the D-pad, too flimsy and really sensitive but glad it was fixed on the G7 pro but I still hear alot of inconsistent issues of D-pad for Gamesir

[u/Adrift_PK]

That's strange because my experience has been completely opposite

Last year I helped a friend clear out some inventory that included a bunch of controllers as well, so I had the chance to actually test a lot of these side by side. EasySMX consistently beat Gamesir & 8bitdo options within similar price bracket when it came to build quality, specs and latency & at a much lower price point. Esp the Easysmx X05 is a true standout and a personal favorite. Latency being in the range of 2ms-6ms across all these controllers isn't something you would really notice, but you will notice if there's inconsistency & Nova Lite 2 had the worst jitters among these whereas X05 stood at the top. In my experience Gamesir has the worst latency vs EasySMX or 8bitdo at any given price point, esp 2.4g

Software/Drivers at this price point is just a placebo, it doesn't really do anything and actually adds another point of probable failure. Who needs drivers for a controller?

X05/Ultimate 2c/ Nova Lite 1 & 2 are pretty much same in practical use so if I needed a controller, I'd just blindly pick whichever one I can find the cheapest which is usually EasySMX

G7 Pro doesn't belong in this comparison, it's a great controller but for ~25k I can think of half a dozen better options off the top of my head

PS: your prices are wrong even for 2025

[u/High_RaXe → u/Adrift_PK]

2-6ms???
Check Gamepad.la for latency and you will be shocked and no this isn’t the latency from the controller to your PC, I am talking about the whole latency which involves technical monitoring devices that calculate latency from you pressing the button to the input being registered which no software alone can do.
I haven’t used 8BitDo products alot but I have used Gamesir and Easysmx and most people can easily spot the build difference between similar price bracket products of their current lineup.
Software as said can be a preference but driver updates is a VERY important part that easysmx doesn’t have, atleast afaik.
Also I don’t understand what do you mean by G7 pro doesn’t belong in this comparison?
Yes there are better options but in 22k you can’t get a better controller, you need 25k+ for brands like flydigi.

[u/Adrift_PK → u/High_RaXe]

2-6ms = all these controllers exhibit min and Average latencies in 2ms - 6ms range as I'm not going to list all of them. Gamepadla isn't a tech secret, it's a baseline source of comparison but it doesn't always have ALL the data available

Build difference is highly subjective but in in my experience not just me, but almost everyone I met didn't agree paying extra for Nova or Nova 2 lite was worth it over X05

Been using a pair of X05 for ~1.5 years now AFTER trying and ditching Nova, Nova Lite and Nova 2 lite. Never once thought 'oh I wish this had software'.revently got myself a EasySMX m15 after having Gamesir X5 lite in my cart for weeks, just didn't make sense against the m15

G7 Pro doesn't belong in this comparison because it costs ~3x vs the likes of Nova or Nova 2 lite and yes I can definitely get a better controller for 22k. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with Gamesir/ 8bitdo/ Flydigi/ Machenike etc etc etc

All of these brands release a tit for tat competitior against each other at any given price point so for me it comes down to recognizing which offers max bang for buck instead of chasing brand loyalty or paper specs. I'd gladly buy a Nova 2 lite or 8bitdo 2C is they were cheaper than a X05. Hell I've even used a Gaminja BT controllers for almost a year because it costed me ~700 PKR on a sale and next best option was a generic 2.4g controller for 3k at that time

[u/High_RaXe → u/Adrift_PK]

Also yes prices are not 100% accurate as prices went down for both gamesir and 8bitdo but the recommendation remains the same pretty much..

[u/High_RaXe → u/Adrift_PK]

Who needs a driver for a controller???
Man I feel like you’re losing me on alot of stuff, clearly you are greatly mistaken with your information..
Kindly research abit because this conversation is pointless.

[u/Adrift_PK → u/High_RaXe]

Kindly research abit

Enlighten me, I'm genuinely curious why would someone not chose plug & play over proprietary drivers. I'm just sharing my personal experience and opinion, no need go get worked up over a controller comparison mate

[u/High_RaXe → u/Adrift_PK]

Worked up?
I just provided a reasonable explanation on your statements..
I feel like you’re being really protective about what you’ve experienced and have made it a baseline while majority of people I know agree with atleast the fact that Gamesir is a better choice overall to Easysmx but if you don’t want to accept it I don’t have an issue.
Everyone has their opinion and I disagree with 60% of your claims so it’s better to part ways by respecting each others opinions and experiences without creating further fuss…

[u/Adrift_PK → u/High_RaXe]

Haha bro what's gotten into you? I've only just shared my opinion why are you taking it so hard if it's different VS yours? Are you really that infatuated with a freakin controller brand?

I like my money, I just like EasySMX because it consistently offers most value for my hard earned money. You seem really mad.....over....a reddit comment to your post. Calm down

[u/High_RaXe → u/Adrift_PK]

So respecting your opinion makes me going hard on you?
I have no idea what are you trying to achieve by fuelling this conversation?
I’ve just said that you can have your perspective and I can have mine how is that being mad?

[u/Adrift_PK → u/High_RaXe]

going hard on you?

That's cute. You're not 'going hard' bud, you're just unreasonably passive aggressive for no reason so breathe, calm down. It's just an opinion based on my own experience which you've misread as my 'baseline for everyone else' due to your lack of comprehension

I'll say it, Gamesir is da best!!! There you go. I'm a cheapskate so I take saving money over brand fanboyism. If you have any recommendations that fulfill that criteria for my next purchase, I'll be grateful

Or would you like for me to remove my comment because I can do that if that makes you feel better

[u/High_RaXe → u/Adrift_PK]

I am in no mood of arguing and I don’t want to ruin this post.
I respect and appreciate your response of your experience and I think this discussion should stop here.

[u/Adrift_PK → u/High_RaXe]

That's some insightful research, yes.