I tested the GameSir G8+ Bluetooth across Android and iOS — iPhone users are getting the roughest deal

Recommended (Image credit: &copy Future) TechRadar Verdict The GameSir G8+ Bluetooth trades wired reliability for wireless versatility across iOS, Android, Switch, and PC.

What happened

Recommended (Image credit: &copy Future) TechRadar Verdict The GameSir G8+ Bluetooth trades wired reliability for wireless versatility across iOS, Android, Switch, and PC. The core controller remains excellent, but iPhone users in particular end up being short-changed by the move away from cables. This is still a developing thread, so the useful part is knowing which source signals are hardening and which ones still need caution. With devices, practical impact usually shows up in battery life, heat, stability, and long-term usability rather than in a few flashy headline numbers.

Practical impact for readers

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you're buying the best. Find out more about how we test. With devices, practical impact usually shows up in battery life, heat, stability, and long-term usability rather than in a few flashy headline numbers. The readers who should care most are the ones planning to replace a device, buy an accessory, or upgrade a work setup in the next few months.

Details worth verifying

Jump To: One-minute review Price and availability Specs Design and features Performance Should you buy it? Also consider. How I tested GameSir G8+ Bluetooth: One-minute review The GameSir G8+ Bluetooth is the wireless mobile controller in the G8 family and bolsters compatibility from being simply mobile, to the Nintendo Switch , tablets, and PC. The same full-size grips, Hall effect joysticks and triggers, and programmable back buttons that made the wired versions of the G8 so impressive remain, and at $79. 99 / &pound 79. 99 / AU$129, so does the price.

Who should act or wait

On paper, you’d think it’s a no-brainer to go wireless, particularly with the addition of a six-axis gyroscope adding to that strong core experience, but the wireless freedom you gain comes with meaningful trade-offs. Noticeably, the lack of passthrough charging and the lack of a headphone jack, both obvious casualties of the move to Bluetooth. The next step is to see whether the current signals harden into a durable change or fade as a short-lived experiment. That is why the useful reading move is not to stop at the headline, but to compare the promise, the workflow change, and the likely cost before deciding anything.

What is still unclear

More importantly for iPhone gamers, the GameSir iOS app doesn't recognize the controller, which means the stick calibration, dead zone tuning, hair-trigger configuration, and back button mapping that make the G8 Plus so compelling as an option on other platforms go completely to waste. The Bluetooth connection itself also feels less locked-in than the wired experience on iPhone, with small stick movements occasionally getting lost along the way.

Source notes

TechRadar