When it comes to my time looking into controllers, there’s been one constant. Always releasing more and more and more controllers into the market to the point you worry about overlap. And that’s GameSir. From the T4 and T7 to the G8 and Cyclone lines, they’re trying to fill every need you could ask for. And this time around, it’s the highest point in their Nova line, the GameSir Super Nova.
Is it worth the higher cost compared to its contemporaries? Or have they filled in this slot already with its alternatives? Now’s the time to figure out if the GameSir Super Nova is worth its spot on your shelf.
GameSir Super Nova Specs
Right off the bat, the GameSir Super Nova is a $50 controller both on its own website and on Amazon, but you can also get additional face plates for $10, and new Anti-Friction replacement rings for $13. With that being said, the specs you’re looking for can be found here.
- Sticks and Triggers: Hall-Effect
- Face Buttons and D-Pad: Membrane
- Extra Features: L4/R4, Trigger Stops, Swappable Face Buttons, Charging Dock, Gyro and Rumble, GameSir Connect App
- Battery: 1000mAh
- Polling: “Up to 1000 Hz”
- Connectivity: Wired, 2.4ghz, Bluetooth
- Platform Support: PC, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
- Weight: 260g
What I Like
Swappability
One thing that’s immediately worth recognizing is how swappable things are on the Super Nova. While it isn’t “swap the type of buttons” customizable, you can change out your stick caps, your faceplate, as well as the positions of your face buttons, as needed. This gives you the option to really make the controller your own if the default Pink/White and Black/Blue color options aren’t quite your jam. Personally, I prefer the White/Green faceplate, but I just need to get it.
And as an extra note, you can only swap around A/B and X/Y. Unfortunately, you can’t be a freak who puts A in the Y position even if you can map it in their software.
Controls
If you’re a person who prefers classic membrane controllers, this is going to be a really solid controller for you. The membranes have that classic thump you’d expect nowadays without getting loud and clacky like something in a Retroid Pocket handheld. In my Celeste runs, every face button was responsive, and while the d-pad had slightly less pivot than what I’m used to, within a couple of runs, I was back to where I normally expect to be. “3 minutes or less with under 10 deaths”.
As for the sticks, they run completely smooth, making racing games a breeze to play. And best of all, the triggers on the Super Nova don’t seem to have the small point to them that other controllers in the line have, making them more of a paddle that’s comfortable for those with fat fingers like me to hold.
The Super Nova does a lot right, and luckily, the things it doesn’t are more nitpicks than anything.
What I Don’t
The Grips
Only one of these is Rubber… (It’s the bottom left)
It’s a minor thing, but I’ve always mentioned not being a fan of soft-touch materials. And while this one has high-quality feeling, rubbery grips, being in the main sweaty, greasy part of your hand for long enough will likely have an impact on the grips themselves.
In this case, I prefer harder plastics with texture purely so that it becomes easier to wash off. However, if you’re someone who rotates controllers faster than Stubbs can rotate his e-waste collection, this might not be a problem.
The Trigger Stops
The other minor annoyance comes from the hair-trigger stops that are present on the controller. In one mode, they work just like analog triggers and go all the way down. Flip the switch and they’ll stop way shorter.
The issue is that even when activated, not only is there still play before hitting those stops, but it doesn’t seem to take a lot of force to push it even further. While not a dealbreaker, it’s something I became well aware of while using the Super Nova in games that only required digital triggers.
Software
When it comes to software, you’ve got the GameSir Connect App on PC and mobile. For the purposes of this review, I stuck to the desktop app, and man, it lets you do a lot. From adjusting RGB and Gyro controls to changing your triggers and stick deadzones, you can adjust the uses of the Super Nova in any way that you need.
This includes being able to map continuous triggers, turbo, and setting your L4 and R4 buttons to function as an Alt and F4 button if you so wish. Trust me, try it in your next big game. I’m not usually a big fan of additional software, but GameSir packs so much into it that it actually seems worth using if you’re going to stick to Windows only for your use case with this one.
Final Thoughts
The Super Nova lands in a crowded landscape of controllers. At $50, you’re basically fighting everyone from 8BitDo, EasySMX, and even GameSir themselves with the Cyclone 2. What does this mean for you? You’ve got a lot of choices to pick from. What does that mean FOR you? You need to decide what you want.
For the most part, I’ll recommend the Cyclone 2 over the Super Nova purely due to the extra functions in software, as well as my preference for the grip of the Cyclone 2 and the clicky buttons in it. However, if you’re purely in it for “membrane all the things”, this is going to be your biggest option against something like the EasySMX D05. And for $5 more than that, you’re getting something with more features, more RGB, and a better dock.
The GameSir Super Nova is absolutely a good controller, but competition in the market is fiercer than ever before, and it just doesn’t stand out anymore. Plus I’m sure GameSir has like 12 more controllers incoming. I swear they’re the Anbernic of controllers.
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