The GameSir X5s is a great and affordable way to upgrade your mobile gaming. Your phone, whichever model you have, slides right in the middle, and suddenly you have console-quality physical controls. It’s lightweight, ideal for traveling, and comes with a simple plastic travel case.
It even works with the Nintendo Switch — its ergonomic grips are far more comfortable than the flat Joy-Cons. There’s also a matching accessory, the FX5 cooler, that adds active cooling to your iPhone. It’s great for high-performance pro gaming over long periods of time.
All in all, the GameSir X5s is a great way to take mobile gaming to the next level, whether you’re playing full 3D games or 40-year-old ROMs in Delta.
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GameSir X5s review: An affordable way to upgrade iPhone gaming
Physical controls are a far superior way to play games. You can hit buttons without looking where they are, you experience tactile feedback, and you can rest your finger on a button until you’re ready to press it. For serious gaming on an iPhone, you should check out a controller accessory.
You can connect any standard console controller, like a PlayStation DualSense or Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, to your iPhone. But it’s a separate device, so you need to prop your phone up on a stand — not ideal for gaming on the go. Attachable controllers are the best for holding your phone in your hand as you play.
I tried out the GameSir X5s, an affordable option at just $49.99, and I came away impressed. Here’s my full review.
GameSir X5s Wireless Mobile Game Controller, a high-performance, multi-platform controller that delivers precision engineering and immersive features for gamers on the go. Tri-mode connectivity — Bluetooth, USB-C wired, and 2.4GHz wireless — lets the controller work with iPhone, Android, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Table of contents: GameSir X5s review
- Design: Ergonomic and lightweight
- Controls: Hall effect joysticks and good buttons
- Customizability: Swap around the buttons
- FX5 cooler keeps your phone at max performance
- Conclusion: A better, affordable way to play mobile games
Design: Ergonomic and lightweight
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
The GameSir X5s has an ergonomic and functional design. Your phone slides into the middle; the controller stretches out to fit any size. It stretches up to 8.4 inches wide, so you could even fit an iPad mini in a case or a Nintendo Switch.
Each half is sculpted to wrap your hands around. The back is lightly textured, which feels nice. The grips don’t extend into your palms like a typical controller does. But this is a portable device; full-size grips would take up much more space. It’s not uncomfortable — I think it strikes a good balance. I also have medium adult-size hands; it’s probably perfect for a younger kid.
The GameSir X5s is made of dark gray plastic all around. It doesn’t feel too premium, but the build is rock-solid. And the controller’s light weight ultimately adds to its portability and comfort.
It charges by USB-C at the bottom of the left side. All the ugly regulatory markings are printed inside the slide-out bridge in the back, so they’re always hidden away. That’s a nice touch.
Controls: Hall effect joysticks and good buttons
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
The GameSir X5s comes with high-quality Hall effect joysticks. Hall effect sticks last longer than others, due to fewer physically moving parts. They’re also more immune to dust and crumb damage. The buttons and D-pad are all right — I prefer a clickier feel. The buttons are a bit small, but very prominently rounded, so they’re still easy to tell apart. The shoulder buttons are excellent.
There’s a GameSir button in the lower right that takes you to the iPhone Games app. You can navigate it using the controls, too, to seamlessly launch your favorite game. Another nice touch!
All controllers these days come with two joysticks, a D-pad, four buttons and two shoulder buttons. The only major differences are whether the left side has the joystick or D-pad on top (all except the PlayStation have the joystick on top) and whether the A button is on the bottom or the right (all except Nintendo have the A button on the bottom).
The GameSir X5s has an Xbox-style layout, which is ideal for 3D games, because your left thumb can comfortably rest on the left joystick.
Customizability: Swap around the button
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
As a lifelong Nintendo fan, the button arrangement threw me off. Luckily, it’s easy to change up the controls.
I’m normally highly resistant to installing apps for specific hardware products, but the GameSir app is super-straightforward, doesn’t do any invasive tracking, and runs as far back as iOS 11. And it’s great for customizing the controller. Just connect the GameSir X5s to your iPhone, open the app, and you’ll see a setting right there to change the controller’s button layout.
You can easily swap the plastic buttons on the controller, too. With a pair of tweezers, just grip the side of the buttons and pull them straight out.
You can also swap out the rubber grips on the inside. It comes with a pair of thick rubber grips for phones with big cameras, thin rubber grips for older phones, and straight rubber grips for the Nintendo Switch 2.
GameSir FX5 cooler
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
The FX5 cooler is an extra accessory for the X5s controller. It clips onto the rail of the controller, and a metal plate touches the back of your phone. Then, a magnetically attaching battery module clips onto the back of that, to provide power.
If you position it just right, under the iPhone Pro’s camera plateau, the FX5 will cool down the hottest part of your phone — right where the processor sits. It’s like adding a desktop computer’s heatsink to your iPhone. It pulls the heat away from the processor and blows it out with a fan. It has three speeds, and of course, each speed lights it up in different colors.
With an active cooling system like this attached, your phone might perform better for longer periods of time. Your phone stays cool and keeps the processor from throttling. The titanium iPhones — the 15 Pro, 16 Pro and the Air — are notorious for running hot. I can notice it when I’m playing advanced 3D games like Asphalt 8 or even just using the Camera app. Not so with the FX5 cooler.
Between the fan, the glowing lights and the added weight, the FX5 is a little obnoxious. But it’s great for long playing sessions with intense games.
Conclusion: GameSir X5s is a great entry-level game controller for iPhone
If you dabble in mobile gaming enough to be annoyed by on-screen controls, the GameSir X5s is a great option. It’s a much better way to play.
It’s perfect for old Nintendo games in the Delta emulator. Platforming games need fast, precise input. Games for the Nintendo 64 simply have too many controls for on-screen buttons to handle. Full 3D games on Apple Arcade absolutely sing with real buttons to press, and tons of them come with built-in support for controllers.
For Nintendo Switch owners, it’s legitimately a more comfortable design than the thin rectangular Joy-Cons. It also costs less than half the price of the Backbone Pro, making it perfect for casual gamers.
★★★★☆
Buy GameSir X5s controller: Amazon
GameSir X5s Wireless Mobile Game Controller, a high-performance, multi-platform controller that delivers precision engineering and immersive features for gamers on the go. Tri-mode connectivity — Bluetooth, USB-C wired, and 2.4GHz wireless — lets the controller work with iPhone, Android, Nintendo Switch and PC.
If you want to take your gaming to the next level, the FX5 cooler will make sure you don’t drop a single frame.
Buy GameSir FX5 cooler: Amazon
Keep your iPhone cool for high-performance games with the FX5 cooler. It attaches to the GameSir X5 and X5s controllers.
D. Griffin Jones is a writer, podcaster and video producer for Cult of Mac. Griffin has been a passionate computer enthusiast since 2002, when he got his first PC — but since getting a Mac in 2008, he hasn’t turned back. His skills in graphic and web design, along with video and podcast editing, are self-taught over 20+ years. Griffin has a bachelor’s degree in computer science and has written several (unpublished) apps for Mac and iOS. His collection of old computers is made up of 40+ desktops, laptops, PDAs and devices, dating back to the early ’80s. He brings all of these creative and technical skills, along with a deep knowledge of Apple history, into his work for Cult of Mac.
