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Oct 15, 2024

Gamesir Tarantula Pro Controller Review: Solid But Can be Overwhelming

Gaming controllers provide a versatile functionality for all your needs and whether you want to play open-world, racing, or FPS games, there is a controller for every need in today's market. While

Gaming controllers provide a versatile functionality for all your needs and whether you want to play open-world, racing, or FPS games, there is a controller for every need in today's market. While it's true that a controller can't replace a keyboard-mouse combo, it certainly has many advantages over the latter especially if you have a good one.

One of the popular controller manufacturers, Gamesir is back with another gaming controller: The Tarantula Pro. The company has been challenging premium gaming controllers from different brands and already has a variety of gaming controllers in its catalog, which sell like hotcakes on retail websites, such as the G7 SE, an Xbox-certified gaming controller under $50.

The Tarantula Pro is the company's latest offering, which seeks to maximize functionality, improve gameplay, and offer appealing aesthetics for enthusiasts. Today, we will be reviewing the controller in detail, analyzing it in every aspect, and giving our verdict on whether you should buy this $70 controller or not.

The controller is available in 'Standard' as well as 'Charging Station' Editions. I have received the Standard edition, which comes without a charging station but brings a few accessories. These are:

The user manual is really, really large. By large I don't mean it's a thick book but it's like a scroll that is quite big on the desk. This is because Gamesir tried to include the instructions in multiple languages but a small booklet would have been better. Nonetheless, the instructions are pretty helpful in getting started.

From the very first look, you can easily tell that the controller design resembles the Tarantula spider with those eye-like small buttons, positioned like the eyes of a Tarantula spider. There are quite a lot of buttons on the controller, including face buttons, triggers, D-Pad, thumb stick buttons, and several miscellaneous buttons placed all over the controller on the front and at the back. Plus, there is a dedicated panel on top with NFC.

The controller feels a bit heavy due to all the functionality it brings to the table and thankfully the build quality is very solid. It doesn't feel flimsy anywhere. The controller provides textured grips on both sides and isn't very thick, making it comfortable even for small hands. I personally like thinner grips like on this one compared to Xbox-style controllers for the same reason.

At the back, the controller is filled with various options to tweak its functionality. There is an 'M' button for changing various operations and RGB modes plus there are two back paddles, which can be locked with the R4 and L4 switches. There are two more switches at the top, which are for changing the trigger modes. We will talk about the triggers in a moment.

The thumbsticks are short and textured. They are the MAG-RES TMR sticks, which are different than the Hall effect sticks and as per the company, these sticks provide more linear and better precision compared to the potentiometer and Hall effect sticks. Plus, these come with a 1000Hz polling rate, which makes them great for competitive gaming.

The face buttons are mushy as they feature membrane switches. They are completely transparent and you can't see the ABXY marking on the buttons without turning the controller on since they are only visible via RGB lighting. The D-Pad on the left is clicky, unlike the face buttons, and provides tactile feedback. The triggers on top feature dual functionality: Hall Effect Analog and Hair Trigger modes.

The bumpers are also clickly similar to the D-Pad and finally, in the middle, you will find 7 buttons in total, including the 4 additional buttons: C1, C2, C3, and C4. These 4 buttons along with the back paddles and two top panel buttons are all programmable.

Tarantula Pro brings tri-mode connectivity. You can connect it to your PC, console, or mobile device via three types of connections: Wired, 2.4G, and Bluetooth. For wired connection, a Type C port is provided at the top. The controller comes with a long and high-quality Type C to A cable for a wired connection. A wired connection allows continuous gaming without any battery depletion but the 2.4G and Bluetooth modes are more versatile for gaming, particularly from a distance.

A 2.4G receiver is provided with the controller, which has a button for connection reset. Once you turn on the controller via the Home button, the RGB lighting starts to show off its appeal. I loved how the lights appear on the face buttons. Instead of just turning on, they rotate as a motor is attached to its mechanism. We will talk about that later in detail.

For connection with various devices like PC, consoles, and smartphones, you have to learn the button combination as the Bluetooth connection isn't as simple as with other devices. You have to press a particular button combination such as the B+Home button for a few seconds for PC, and so on with other devices. This makes you go back and check the manual, which is annoying to me.

Regarding the lighting, the RGB lighting is present in the LED strip below the NFC panel and is customizable as well. There isn't any other area where you will see any RGB lighting other than these two areas. The Home button does light up but it isn't RGB. It's more of an indicator for different profiles.

Once the controller is connected, only then you will be able to customize RGB lighting or change any configuration. Without any established connection, the four small white LEDs above the Home button keep blinking. Pressing the Home button once turns on the controller but to turn it off, you will have to press and hold for 5 seconds.

Let's start with the pros. Everything from its construction and design to functionality and controls is top-notch. It isn't a regular budget controller, but it is a good one that does it well in almost all areas. The grip is solid, the buttons are many, and the customizations are more than what you can have on regular controllers

I have been using it for a few weeks now and I am yet to use all of its features. However, all the functions, which I have used till now haven't disappointed me. I love its layout where both joysticks are in the same row. This is my personal preference as I love PlayStation controllers' layout. However, the fact that you can change the orientation of the face buttons is appreciated.

It may not be very useful for everybody but it's something the controller flexes. The AB and XY face buttons can be swapped through the combination of M+A buttons. This only works when the controller is connected to your system and it occurs through a motor. The lights, however, change to white LEDs for all the buttons. Nonetheless, you can still customize the RGB LED strip on top.

The joysticks are snappy and they are really pleasant to use. As I have mentioned previously, these use MAG-RES TMR sticks, which are highly responsive. It will still be difficult for most to understand the difference between the two but these TMR sticks feel more accurate. They are surely smaller than most regular joysticks on controllers but they are easier to control.

The controller is a bit heavy to do so many parts used and there are so many features, which may not be useable for everybody. I personally don't know if I will ever use C1, C2, C3, and C4 buttons but looks like they can be helpful in open-world or MMO games where one would require several functions in one place. Also, the top panel with NFC is something that you will forget in a while since it will hardly get used.

The triggers are wonderful with the option to choose between analog and hair trigger modes. Similarly, the two back paddles are handy but can be turned off permanently with the switches if you fear you may press them by accident. Several buttons can be customized and that's why the Tarantula Pro stands out but I would have loved to have customizable RGB lighting on the face buttons, which unfortunately isn't the case here.

The controller is compatible with multiple platforms, including PC, consoles, and mobile devices. I used it for gaming on PC via the 2.4G connection and found the connection to be pretty stable always.

As far as the battery life goes, it varies with the usage and whether you have turned on the rumble or not. I couldn't find any software to track the battery life of Tarantula Pro. Unfortunately, unlike how Windows shows the battery life for Bluetooth-connected devices, this wasn't the case with this controller whether I used Bluetooth or the 2.4G connection, which is weird.

At the time of writing, I played with the controller for over 6 hours and it's still going on. I am continuously tracking the battery life of the controller but it would have been better if Gamesir could have provided software support for easy battery monitoring. I will update the article as soon as I know the exact battery life of this controller.

At first look, the Gamesir Tarantula can be overwhelming for beginners but with time, you will adapt to its controls. I like the tactile feedback of the buttons but it isn't present in the face buttons and the bumpers. The joysticks are really good and so are the triggers that give you the option to choose between the analog and hair-trigger modes.

The RGB lighting is satisfactory but it would have been great if these were customizable on the face buttons. The durability and construction are solid and the programmability is also top-notch. However, one has to learn different button combinations and remember them from time to time. This is true even for establishing connections with different devices and may force you to look at the manual more than once.

One more drawback I felt with the controller is the absence of dedicated software support. Gamesir does have a software called Gamesir Nexus but it isn't compatible with Tarantula Pro. Hopefully, the company can add it soon. Apart from a few flaws, I think the Tarantula Pro passes all the parameters satisfactorily, including functionality, control types, versatility, compatibility, and battery life.

A versatile and a highly functional controller, equipped with plenty of customizations and top-notch controls. The Tarantula Pro offers wide compatibility and effectively caters to individual needs.

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