It was strange to see one of GameSir's best controllers disappear from the shelves a little after a year from its release, especially when, by all accounts, the GameSir Tarantula Pro had proven popular with critics and customers. But now, it seems it was all for a reason, because the brand had bigger plans for one of its best PC controllers to become a certified Xbox Series X controller.
The GameSir Tarantula Series was announced last week, and it brings three new versions of this pad back from the underworld. Firstly, the GameSir Tarantula Pro for Xbox brings exquisitely comfortable symmetrical design to Microsoft's console; however, a nerf to wired-only play does feel a bit strange. My suspicions are that this was to cement the G7 Pro as the flagship Xbox controller in GameSir's pantheon.
Next, we have two PC-tilted models of the Tarantula Pro. The Tarantula Pro 8K PC will remove the grip motors for a more lightweight Esports feel, but gain an enhanced 8K polling rate. Details overall are sparse about the new Tarantula Series, and right now, I'm not seeing confirmation that the 8K version will have wireless play either.
The Tarantula Ultra 8K PC is slated as "The definitive apex predator. GameSir's New flagship symmetrical controller with top-tier versatility, more details to be revealed this summer." I'd assume that would mean it will sport wireless play, grip motors, and an 8K polling rate, but we'll need to await confirmation.
For the most part, the shape and design of the new Tarantula controllers are fairly unchanged from the original GameSir Tarantula Pro. The Xbox version comes in white, which is a new colorway, however. The 8K PC version will come in a bright orange, while the Ultra looks like a white colorway with more black highlights and accents.
The new Tarantulas gain some additional bumpers thanks to a clever rework of their touchpads, and fairly bog-standard face buttons are being replaced with microswitch ones. TMR thumbsticks come as standard in each Tarantula, but the 8K models are said to feature Gen2 TMR sticks for even more accuracy.
The Tarantula Pro for Xbox and Tarantula Pro 8K PC are both available for pre-order already, and both will set you back the same $69.99 / £52 and the PC variant costing $69.99 / £52 that the original Tarantula Pro controller cost.
I'm a massive fan of the Tarantula Pro controller because of its resemblance to the DualShock 4, which has a unique way of providing a really comfortable hold and symmetrical thumbsticks. Since the Tarantula Pro disappeared from shelves though, a few competitors have arrived. The Hyperkin Competitor (aptly named in this instance) is currently holding the "best symmetrical" title in our leaderboards, but the 8BitDo Pro 3 is also one to consider.
Also see the best PS5 controllers, best Switch 2 controllers, and the best joysticks.
