GameSir Cyclone 2 Review – Niche Gamer

Today we are taking a look at the Cyclone 2, GameSir’s newest multiplatform controller with universal compatibility.

GameSir is mostly known for their work on a series of backbone mobile controllers, as well as for their partnership with Microsoft, which has resulted in some great high quality licensed pads, but today we are taking a look at a more multipurpose controller.

The Cyclone 2 is GameSir’s newest endeavor, describing itself as a “pro for everyone” controller, not only due to its versatility but also because of its high quality and long list of features.

GameSir Cyclone 2
Manufacturer: GameSir
Price: $55.99 (Charging Station Edition) $49.99 (Standard Edition)

Starting off with its appearance, the Cyclone 2 is an Xbox-style gamepad, featuring asymmetrical joysticks and the ABXY layout. Frequent readers are familiar with my appreciation for this layout and shape, as to me it feels much better than the Sony standard.

The controller’s front shell features a smooth matte texture towards the middle, which becomes slightly transparent and changes into grips as it spreads outwards. The front shell also features different markings around the joysticks and buttons, which are purely cosmetic but help give the controller a futuristic look.

One great stylistic choice is how the controller’s LEDs are positioned right as the matte texture ends and the transparent parts begin, giving it a very unique appearance. The lights seem to be much more noticeable on the shadow black model, so I recommend going with that one if you plan on customizing the RGB patterns.

When it comes to its specs, the Cyclone 2 features 1000hz polling rate, to ensure none of your inputs are dropped, somehow both hall effect and micro switch triggers, which we’ll go over in a second, and GameSir’s TMR Mag-Res joysticks, which are better than hall effect and ensure you don’t have to deal with stick drift.

As mentioned previously, one of the controller’s craziest features is being able to switch between hall effect and micro switch triggers on the go, simply by sliding a lock found under each trigger. This is something I have personally never seen before and it absolutely blew my mind. Both modes have their own niches, so it’s very nice to be able to switch whenever you feel like it.

The micro switch face buttons also have a super interesting tactile feel to them, with their switches feeling very close to the ones used in arcade controllers. This give the Cyclone 2 an incredibly unique tactile feel, as well as a lot of personality.

The Cyclone 2 has a big emphasis on customization, letting players fully decide how the controller behaves. This ranges from basic features like RGB and joystick deadzones to having multiple profiles built into the controller, as well as full button remapping which includes macros and even mouse and keyboard shortcuts.

A good chunk of the customization can be done through the preprogrammed button combinations that already come baked into the controller, but PC users can also download the GameSir Connect software, which features a user interface for people like me who can’t memorize all of the shortcuts.

I was initially dreading having to download the GameSir connect app, as I haven’t had good experiences with the company’s software in the past, but I’m happy to report that Connect is painless to download, install, and use, featuring a pretty simple UI that doesn’t really get in the way of what you are trying to do.

The Cyclone 2 is marketed as a multiplatform controller with universal compatibility, and it definitely backs that up with its four different modes. By holding the home button plus one of the face buttons the controller cycles between Xinput, DS4, Nintendo Switch and HID for Android.

One slightly annoying thing is that the controller can only do Xinput through its receiver, with all other modes locked behind Bluetooth. Bluetooth is weirdly enough still not a default inclusion on most PC motherboards, meaning that the average user will be unable to use Dinput and gyro controls unless they purchase a Bluetooth adapter.

I’ve had quite a bit of trouble getting the gyro controls to work on PC through the DS4 mode, as it would usually crash whatever application I was trying to use. The Nintendo Switch mode manages to deliver both Dinput and gyro controls flawlessly, however, so it’s not that big of a deal unless you specifically need the controller to be recognized as a Dualshock 4.

The Cyclone 2 also features a charging station edition, which comes with its own charging base that doubles as a receiver holder. The base has a USB-C port in the back, which connects into the computer, and a USB-A port in the front, which lets you plug in the controller’s dongle.

I am personally a big fan of controllers that come with their own charging bases, not only because it is aesthetically pleasing to have your controller standing upright on your desk, but also because they are a foolproof way of making sure you never run out of battery.

The Cyclone 2‘s base matches the controller quite well, adding to its futuristic look with its X-shaped metal frame, although it is a bit of a missed opportunity that it doesn’t include RGB. The two acrylic parts where the controller’s grips rest would be the perfect place to have some extra lights, but maybe we’ll see that in the future with the Cyclone 3.

Overall, the Cyclone 2 is beyond technically impressive, featuring pretty much every commodity you would expect a pro controller to have while also throwing in a few stylish extras like the RGB customization, support for multiple platforms, programmable back buttons and the trigger switches.

It’s difficult to think of any missing features, as it seems like GameSir put a lot of work into covering every possible use case, ranging from PC with emulation to IOS/Android on mobile and even serving as a pretty solid Nintendo Switch controller.

If you are looking for a daily driver then look no further, this is a stylish and durable controller with about every function you could expect and more, all for a pretty reasonable price considering its long list of features. You can find the GameSir Cyclone 2 controller on GameSir’s online store.

The GameSir Cyclone 2 Controller was reviewed using a unit provided by 8BitDo. You can find additional information about Niche Gamer’s review/ethics policy here.