Why it matters: Playing PC games with a Nintendo Switch controller is often challenging because most games don’t support prompts matching Nintendo’s button layout. GameSir’s new Tarantula Pro controller addresses the problem by allowing users to alter the face button orientation. It also offers other features that make it a versatile multiplatform controller.
GameSir recently began shipping the Tarantula Pro, a high-end controller targeting PC, iOS, Android, and Nintendo Switch users. The gamepad’s connectivity, face buttons, and trigger options aim to provide an ideal experience for multiple game types.
The Tarantula Pro’s most striking feature is a switch that repositions the glyphs on the A, B, X, and Y buttons to ensure smooth cross-compatibility between PC and Nintendo Switch. When users simultaneously hold down the M button on the rear and the bottom face button, an internal gear rotates the buttons between Microsoft’s and Nintendo’s slightly different orientations.
Steam has offered a software-based solution for using Nintendo controllers on PCs for some time, which alters how games interpret controller inputs. However, GameSir’s approach would also support non-Steam games.
Furthermore, the M button can switch the triggers between a hair trigger mode for first-person shooters, a micro switch setting, and an analog mode suited to racing games. The hair trigger and analog modes use hall effect switches.
Meanwhile, the sticks employ mag-res TMR technology to balance the precision of potentiometer sticks with the superior durability of hall effect sticks. With a 1,000Hz polling rate and a 12-bit ADC chip, the sticks aim to provide better accuracy than traditional hall effect sticks while avoiding the drift problem that occurs when the sticks in official Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo controllers wear out.
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Additionally, the Tarantula Pro supports all of the official Nintendo Switch Pro controller features, including one-touch wake-up, NFC, HD rumble, and six-axis gyro controls. It also has RGB lighting, a 1,200mAh battery, and nine extra configurable buttons, including two retractable back paddles. USB, Bluetooth, and 2.4GHz connections are supported, too.
The Tarantula Pro is available at Amazon, Walmart, Newegg, and eBay for $69.99. A $79.99 bundle includes a smart charging station. The controller automatically begins charging when placed in the station and re-syncs when removed. GameSir also offers configuration apps for Windows, Android, and iOS, which likely enable further customization of the Tarantula Pro.