GameSir G7 HE Wired Xbox Controller, Officially Licensed Controller for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10|11, PC, Video Game Controller with Hall Effect Sticks (Black)

So I’m a few hours of gaming in and here are my general impressions:Firstly it was packaged very nicely, not too many frills but the box is still nice enough to display if that’s your thing. It felt slightly smaller and lighter in my hands in comparison with the oem Xbox controller but negligibly so, maybe by a couple of mm and an ounce or so. The buttons are also smaller, my thumb can cover all four at once whereas with the Xbox controller you can still see the edges of the buttons, which was jarring visually but over time I noticed that the smaller buttons actually made my inputs faster because there is virtually no travel time between buttons. Tacitly they feel nice and clickey, like a computer mouse button. Same goes for the d-pad, slight smaller, yet slightly more responsive. That said it’s a standard cross style pad and not the circular one like what’s on the Xbox controller so diagonal inputs take a little getting used to but not annoying so. The thumbsticks feel great and are located exactly where they should be. The triggers and bumpers are very comfortable and responsive. The paddle buttons are right where your middle fingers rest on the controller. Not too big to be distracting but not so small so that you’re not thinking about where they are when you need to use them. They aren’t necessary but it’s a nice addition and honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft does something similar with future controllers because their placement and usage doesn’t alter your grip or feel on the controller at all. The menu and view buttons are slightly different from where they are on the oem controller but it’s not that bad and tbh, you could remap them to the paddles which actually would be an improvement over the oem. It was plug and play right out of the box, no configurations or updates needed. If there is one nitpick I have it’s that the slot for the usb-C is slightly narrower than the oem Xbox cable and it won’t fit so you have to use the cable that’s included with the Gamesir controller. It’s a nice, long braided cable so quality-wise that’s cool, but it was slightly annoying that I couldn’t used the cable I already had plugged in. The app was right there in the Microsoft Store to download and was very simple to navigate and play with the settings and set up your custom configurations of which you can store 3 plus the default configuration. The vibration is great out of the box in my opinion but you can customize it to your liking in the app and dial it up or down exactly how you prefer. The digital hair trigger works great. Obviously you can’t feel any difference in the triggers but when it’s activated even the slightest pressure on which ever trigger you designate registers as a full pull. There’s no direct way to turn the hair triggers on/off on the controller itself which would’ve been perfect but you can make a configuration profile with the hair trigger on and just switch back and forth as needed by holding the M button at the bottom middle of the controller and pressing either X, A or B depending on which profile you set up and then M and the Y button to go back to the stock configuration.Overall this is a great controller at a great price point, it’s not an exact fit and feel match to the oem controller but in many ways it’s just as good if not better. One final note, included in the box was a code for a month of Gamepass Ultimate. If you are already a monthly subscriber then essentially that saves you $20 that you were going to spend anyway so with this in mind that makes this controller even better value than it already is.TL;DR Buy it!

I’ve been using the GameSir G7 HE for a couple hours now, and it’s hands down one of the best wired controllers for Xbox and PC. I previously owned the G7 SE, which was already great, but the G7 HE takes things to the next level with some key improvements.What Makes the G7 HE Better?Hall Effect Triggers & Sticks – Just like the SE, the HE has drift-free Hall Effect sticks, but now the triggers get the same upgrade! This means smoother and more precise trigger control, perfect for racing games and shooters.Improved Buttons – The face buttons feel more tactile and responsive compared to the softer press of the SE.More Refined Build Quality – The HE feels slightly sturdier and more premium in hand, though the SE was already solid.Still Great Customization – Just like the SE, you get swappable faceplates and full remapping options via GameSir’s software.Why Choose the HE Over the SE?If you loved the G7 SE but wanted better triggers, the G7 HE is a no-brainer.If you’re new to GameSir controllers, this is the best one yet, offering excellent performance at a great price.The GameSir G7 HE is an absolute steal for anyone looking for a high-quality, wired Xbox/PC controller. The Hall Effect upgrades make a real difference, and it’s easily one of the best alternatives to first-party controllers. Highly recommended!

I have been using this controller on my Windows 11 PC to play Steam games for almost two weeks now and so far I'm satisfied. To me it works very well, has the extra paddles that are a lifesaver, and comes at a somewhat reasonable price.Pros:Hall Effect sticks - Basically the parts that are used to determine where the sticks are located use magnets instead of physical contact so they shouldn't wear out as quickly. The reason I ordered this controller is because I wore out my last controller's left stick in just two years. I hope this one lasts longer.Clickity Click Buttons - These buttons use actual switches instead of membranes to give you a tactile feedback similar to a mechanical keyboard. This gives them a solid feel instead of the mushy feeling of a membrane switch.Paddles that can be mapped - The back paddles are the real deal and make me very happy. So many games require you to press either Left Stick (LS) or Right Stick (RS) repeatedly for things like running or zooming in and it makes my hands hurt. The ability to add a mapping to one of these paddles as an alternate is huge!Quick Change Profiles - Should you need a profile for something special in game you can switch between profiles instantly. Are the paddle mappings getting activated when you don't want them to? Just switch to the default profile until you need them, then switch it back as needed. It's pretty seamless.Cons:Size/shape - For some reason the size and shape of this controller feels off. This causes me some issues when switching back and forth between this controller and the OEM. To me this controller feels a bit small and I don't even have large hands, but this part is not as big of a deal as the next con.Button Placement - The Menu and View buttons are too high up on the controller and cause fumbling when trying to locate them in game. On the OEM controller I can reach these buttons without moving my thumbs up from their natural position, but they are above the tips of my thumbs on this controller so I have to reposition to reach them. Once you get used to them and try playing with an OEM controller you have the issues in the other direction. For the next iteration they should consider only moving these buttons up about 1 or 2 millimeters from the OEM at most, but only if required. Otherwise, make it as close to the OEM as possible to avoid this issue.Cable Port - The Cable port is designed such that the USB cable end gets recessed into the front of the controller. While this limits the amount of connector protruding from the front of your controller and helps to prevent breakage, it also limits interchangeability of cables. The cable that came with my Xbox Series X plugged right in, but the one that came with my Xbox Wireless Controller + Wireless Adapter for Windows 10 did not. Don't break that cable, else finding a replacement might prove troubling.Wired or Wireless: Due to the setup differences between my computer desk and the location of my Xbox Series X, this wired controller works on one, but not the other. It works out really well on my computer, but I can't deal with the wires when playing on console. This kind of forces me to switch back and forth between controller types and the slight differences between them causes some frustration/annoyance.Overall, I feel like this is a very good controller so far and I haven't found any reliability or function issues yet. I also downloaded the App to my Xbox Series X and easily configured the controller before attaching it to my PC. I didn't want to install the App on my PC because I already have too many other things installed and it's getting bloated. Even so, the controller functions perfectly without the App installed and that is a huge plus!*Note: The included Game Pass code is only redeemable if you don't already have Game Pass. I do not appreciate this tactic and strongly feel like I am being cheated when I cannot redeem the code included with a product. I mean, I paid the same price for this controller as someone who didn't already have Game Pass. I am not holding GameSir accountable for this though. It's squarely on Microsoft for limiting this code's use.