I’ve both purchased and reviewed quite a few mobile controllers over the years with the sole intent of using them to play emulated titles or games streamed from either a console or PC. The Gamesir G8 Galileo stands out, as it is not only an exceptional controller for mobile games but one that truly shines when used to play games that call for or require a traditional controller over a touchscreen.
In other words, the Gamesir G8 Galileo feels like a controller you’d find on a console that just so happens to be a telescopic grip-styled controller made for your phone. Featuring dual hall-effect analogue sticks with interchangeable caps, a solid d-pad, Xbox-styled face buttons and triggers, macro switches, and a dedicated capture and home button, the Gamesir G8 Galileo has you covered for whatever you throw at it.
Crucially, the G8 Galileo also features three modes, which, outside of Android, include an iOS mode for iPhone use and a PlayStation mode, granting the ability to function with Sony’s official remote play app. Mobile games that only have touchscreen input can also be mapped to work with the G8 Galileo using Gamesir’s official app, which can be found on the Google Play Store.
Profiles made for touchscreen-only titles can be downloaded on the Gamesir app. You won’t even have to worry about mapping a game that might not have controller support right out of the box, including popular games like Genshin Impact, as they will likely already be available for download through the app.
Unfortunately, on the topic of the Gamesir app, things stumble somewhat. Paired with my Google Pixel 6, I experienced constant crashing messages regardless of whether the Galileo G8 was connected and in use. Using the app itself was also a mixed bag—while touch controls and performance as a standard phone app were fine, things felt a bit clunky when using the controller to navigate, primarily due to the highlighted selections being hard to discern as they tended to blend in with the white background of the Gamesir app. Thankfully, despite these issues, the Gamesir Galileo G8 controller itself never faltered when switching between profiles and games.
“…the Gamesir G8 Galileo feels like a controller you’d find on a console that just so happens to be a telescopic grip-styled controller made for your phone.”
Putting my Netflix subscription to use, I booted up the recently launched Grand Theft Auto Vice City Definitive Edition game, which immediately recognised the Gamesir G8 Galileo and let me enjoy the game just like I remember it back when I played it on the PlayStation 2, at least, as far as controls were concerned.
Now, I’m not the biggest mobile game enthusiast, so the Gamesir G8 Galileo truly shined for me when I played some games over Steam Link and Remote Play. Starting with Remote Play on the PlayStation 5, typically, I use a third-party remote play app that allows the use of third-party controllers, but thanks to the G8 Galileo featuring a dedicated PlayStation mode, I could use Sony’s official app without any issues.
Playing games like The Last of Us Part 1, Spider-Man 2 and Lies of P all felt good, almost akin to using a Dualsense controller, minus the haptics. In fact, outside of something like the PlayStation Portal, I’d go as far as to say that the Gamesir G8 Galileo is the best way to experience PlayStation 5 remote play on a mobile phone.
I tend to use Steam Link to play a lot of my emulated games, particularly Nintendo Switch titles that not only look better but play better as well, thanks to the power of emulation. Now, thanks to the Gamesir G8 Galileo, I can now enjoy them on my phone with a controller that feels closer to the Nintendo Switch Pro controller, making it feel like the ultimate handheld experience, eclipsing my desire to ever use my actual Switch hardware.
“What makes the Gamesir G8 Galileo great is that it doesn’t feel like a mobile controller.”
Outside of emulation, I tested the G8 Gaelileo on games like Halo Infinite and the Masterchief Collection, FPS titles which I wouldn’t normally play with a mobile-focused peripheral, but thanks to its Xbox-feeling design, I felt right at home, getting headshots and parkouring over rooftops with ease.
What makes the Gamesir G8 Galileo great is that it doesn’t feel like a mobile controller. Instead, both the left and right halves of the telescopic gamepad feel hefty, particularly the triggers and sticks, which feel like they belong on a console. If, for whatever reason, you do prefer the feel of a smaller stick, something reminiscent of a Switch Joy-Con, then Gamesir has your back, as the G8 Galileo ships with additional sticks, including an OEM-feeling Joy-Con styled stick and a larger Nintendo Gamecube-styled offering.
Swapping between stick styles is as easy as plugging in the USB-C powered controller to your phone. The Gamesir G8 Galileo features magnetic faceplates on both halves of the controller, which can be pried open to pull and hot swap out.
Interestingly, the G8 Galileo goes for a North American SNES or Super Nintendo-inspired aesthetic, which looks cool but makes me desperately wish Gamesir adopted a feature from the Gamesir X2, which I reviewed a little while back, that being the magnetically attached face buttons, which on that controller, could be removed and rearranged to suit both the Nintendo and Xbox-style orientations. This is something that would be perfect for the G8 Galileo, as the controller, despite being Nintendo-themed, uses the Xbox layout for its face buttons.
Overall, as far as my handled gaming time is concerned, the Gamesir G8 Galileo paired with my Google Pixel 6 has become my go-to controller for when I just want to laze about and casually game or even play more robust experiences thanks to the console-quality triggers and sticks at my disposal.
