I've tested quite a few smartphone gaming controllers, but my favourite so far has been the GameSir X2 - and now there's a new version.
The GameSir X2 Pro landed on Thursday, September 1 and has brought the technology bang up to date, with removable buttons, pass-through charging and a tie-in with Xbox for Android phones.
Priced at £79.99 including a month of free Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for new members, it brings along all the strengths of the previous model, with its low latency, comfortable stretch-to-fit clamp grip and console-style buttons, but with the host of extra features.
Placing the phone in the centre of the game play is certainly my favourite way to hold a controller, unlike some of the rivals which mount the phone on a clamp above. It makes for a neater and more immersive experience.
The array of games you can use the controller with is now better than ever, especially thanks to its customisable button mapping system. There's more than 100 games on the Xbox cloud service, but you can also tap into Stadia, NVIDIA GeForce Now and Amazon Luna.
As with the old version, the buttons and joysticks respond beautifully, and there's now a redesigned GameSir app, making it easier to seek out compatible games.
There was little that needed improving with the original GameSir X2, I was really impressed with it. And the GameSir X2 Pro just moves the game on even further. A great bit of kit.
