Verdict
If not for some fiddly methods for changing between its many utilitarian modes , the GameSir Nova Lite would have been the just bang for your buck controller out there . It ’s still great , but it ’s not the ideal gift it could have been .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
We ’re spoil for choice when it comes to game controllers these twenty-four hours . When even the stock pad that ships with your favourite console is plump for elsewhere via Bluetooth , the need for specific PC / Mobile - focused joystick can be a hard sell .
Still , the GameSir Nova Light control has its position . It ’s far from themost bounty controlleron the marketplace , but it does n’t aim to be . It ’s a very affordable double wireless controller that ’ll get the caper done . And sometimes ; that ’s all you ’re uncoerced to pay for .
Design
embark to me in a Stellar White colourway , the GameSir Nova Lite appears crisp and clean . Orange accent in the black-market - topped joysticks give it center - catching panache , while the rest of it is resonant of the now - forgotten Google Stadia controller .
The joysticks stick with the off - axis of rotation Xbox / Nintendo style over what Sony does with the PlayStation pads , but the bonus buttons for Start , Select , Share , Menu , and whatever else we have these days are largely repose out beneath the main controller button .
Right at the very bottom is a tiny thou button for macro , enable Turbo and a couple of other commands you ’re likely to forget in the moment .
Coming in a very barebones brown cardboard box with very minimal impression , it ’s clear GameSir is eyeing up environmental wins with this one .
The controller slips straight out of the box , efficiently protected by its included duck soup - back hard credit card face . It ’s almost military - corresponding in its intro , but likely just three-D publish and recycled .
Do n’t lease it put you off , though : it ’s a sturdy pad , with nearly no flex or creaking when you squeeze and twist it .
Performance
The GameSir Nova Lite is about as good as you could expect at this damage compass point . It does n’t feature any rearward paddles or programmable release of its agiotage brethren . What ’s bewildering , though , is how unmanageable it is to learn its intricacies .
Being a multi - platform pad with an regalia of connectivity option , the deletion of a manual of arms is confounding . Not only did I have to find one to calculate out how to shift it from its line Android stimulus communications protocol to Xinput for my laptop , but I even had to refer to it to trigger Bluetooth pairing , which did n’t even work .
Switching the face release mapping from Nintendo ’s A / B to the more mainstream B / A uses the consecrate M button . Any other pinch , like switching input signal or connectivity options , does not . There ’s no consistency to it . It ’s maddening and wholly unintuitive .
It ’s not clear whether the listed button combination is wrong , if the controller is defective , or if there ’s some other conjuring trick I ’m neglect : I just could n’t test the advertised Bluetooth feature article .
To make matters worse , it does n’t even occur with a USB - ascorbic acid cable . That made try out it on a USB - C - equipped machine tricky and consign even more so . I get why there is n’t one included . It keep monetary value low . GameSir likely understands that the average drug user has a cable television service spare already . But for a controller priding itself on versatility , it ’s an odd look .
Still , once it ’s up and running decent , the GameSir Nova Light is just hunky-dory . Input latency is entirely satisfactory : which is what matters most .
The face buttons and d - inkpad are a little mushy , which wo n’t be to everyone ’s liking ; it feels like moving through mud if you ’re used to more exchange premium pads . But the protruding triggers have a dear level of change of location and squeeze , and it all feel near in the hand .
The GameSir Nova Lite packs a rechargeable , non - obliterable 600mAh electric battery . It ’s good for around 10 hour of life according to the ship’s company , a title that cut through with our three - day sprint across games like Dead Cells , Final Fantasy XIV , and Halo : Infinite across 2.4Ghz and , if you may manage it , Bluetooth connections .
The two - hour charge time feels like a batch for the time you get with a full tank , but hold it ’s well-situated enough to play while you excite in most berth , it ’s not the end of the globe .
It hardly competes with the top - tier runtime of controllers like theTurtle Beach Stealth Ultra , or the flaky power of theNintendo Switch Pro Controller , but it still scoop the breed pads that transport with this generation ’s more expensive console .
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Should you buy it?
At around £ 30 , you ca n’t complain about what the GameSir Nova Lite offers . The battery could be better , and the configuration controls can get annoying , but it ’s capable and , best of all , competitory at this price point .
The GameSir Nova Lite can almost do it all . Easily forgettable configuration command set it back , and a lack of advanced feature like audio output and bonus programmable button would have been nice .
Final Thoughts
clumsy firmware controls hamper what could have been a fantastic alternate controller . It ’s the type to land you on technical school support duty if given to a technical school - adverse gamer .
If you’re able to subdue its complications , it ’s a cheap and relatively cheerful digs that ’ll serve you well across platforms . Look to theHyperX Clutch Gladiate RGBif you think the supernumerary buttons are worth dropping multi - machine support over , or theGameSir G8 Galileoif you ’re look for a mobile controller for large hands .
Had the GameSir Nova Lite shipped with a charge cable , hardware toggles for connectivity and modes , and perhaps a 2.4GHz receiving system with USB - A and USB - snow to fix political platform fluidity , it could have been a no - brainer .
Trusted Score
How we test
We habituate every game controller we test for at least a week . During that time , we ’ll check it for ease of use and put it through its paces by playing a kind of dissimilar genres .
We also hold the controller ’s software support and battery life if applicable .
FAQs
Yes , there ’s a push button compounding that invert the A and bacillus input to suit gaming on Nintendo Switch or other platforms .
Yes . So long as you swap the input method , you will be able-bodied to get a Mac to recognize it just o.k. .
