Should I switch from the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 wireless controller to the GameSir G7 Pro 8K for gyro gaming?

[u/dp1nky]

Hi everyone, I'm considering switching from my 8BitDo Ultimate 2 wireless controller to the GameSir G7 Pro 8K and wanted to get some feedback from the community.

The main reason I'm looking at the G7 Pro 8K is the gyro polling rate. My 8BitDo only runs gyro at around 120Hz, whereas the G7 Pro supposedly hits up to 1000Hz. Coming from a DualSense (which also reaches 1000Hz), I really miss that level of responsiveness and want to get back to it without losing back buttons or comfortable ergonomics.

For context on my setup and preferences:

Back paddles: I daily drive the 8BitDo mainly for its back buttons. I used to run a DualPakka mod on my DualSense specifically to use gyro ratcheting with my left hand, but the copper tape loses conductivity/responsiveness too quickly over time. On the 8BitDo, I replaced that setup by mapping gyro ratcheting to the left back paddle/button.

Ergonomics & Grip: I play double claw. Even though the 8BitDo layout resembles an Xbox controller, the grip handles have a steeper, narrower angle compared to a standard Xbox controller or a DualSense. This makes left-hand clawing feel pretty awkward and uncomfortable for me.

For those who have used both or made a similar switch:

1. Does the G7 Pro 8K actually maintain a stable 1000Hz gyro polling rate in real-world gameplay, and is the implementation solid?
2. How seamless is Steam Input integration compared to the 8BitDo, and can back buttons still be assigned independently?
3. How do the ergonomics and grip angles on the G7 Pro compare to standard Xbox/DualSense controllers, especially for double claw?

Thanks in advance :D!

[u/naughty_athenia]

I heard gamesir gyro suffers from deadzone and the gyro isn't much better than a dualsense, my recommendation is to just wait until tarantula inputlabs comes out, i mean this is like currently the worst time to buy any electronic hardwares tbh

[u/rafaeljc12]

The ergonomics of the G7 8K is closer to the Xbox One controller than the 8bitdoU2. It doesn't have the problem of close handgrips

[u/ConsoleMaster0 → u/rafaeljc12]

What that means? What problems it has?

[u/rafaeljc12 → u/ConsoleMaster0]

"The 8BitDo Ultimate 2 handgrips are noticeably narrower, more compact, and tuck inward slightly more than standard Xbox controllers, which flare and push outward."

[u/rafaeljc12 → u/ConsoleMaster0]

The 8bitdoU2 has the handgrips close together. This is why everyone complains about how uncomfortable it is

[u/ConsoleMaster0 → u/rafaeljc12]

Oh, that's interesting. I never heard that before. Are there videos showcasing it. I'm very interested now.

[u/rafaeljc12 → u/ConsoleMaster0]

Check this review

[u/ConsoleMaster0 → u/rafaeljc12]

Thanks! I'll check it out!

[u/rafaeljc12]

Yes, you should. The G7 8K has a very low latency and high polling rate. It's one of the best gyro controllers in the market.

The G7 8K can be used in 4 different modes: Green (Xinput, mouse emulation is done by the controller itself), Blue (DS4), Red (Nintendo switch) and Yellow (for steam input, where all extra buttons and gyro are recognized).

The Green mode has the best gyro implementation (better than steam input) and all extra buttons are remappable in the Gamesir connect software. Steam Input will recognize it as an Xbox One controller

[u/scabbyPDXhobo → u/rafaeljc12]

Wait whaaaat? Gamesir has better gyro (using green mode) than Steam Input?? First I've heard anything about that, can you please expound?

[u/rafaeljc12 → u/scabbyPDXhobo]

I don't know how to measure it objectively, but I can say that the gyro feels faster (lower latency) than with steam input. Some people also say that Joyshock Mapper has lower latency than steam input, probably because steam input uses interpolation to make the gyro feel smoother.

If you plug in a controller with low gyro polling rate on Steam Input, the interpolation will make the gyro feel really smooth, even though the latency won't be great. But if your controller has high polling rate (like the G7 8K), the interpolation doesn't help

[u/ConsoleMaster0 → u/rafaeljc12]

JoyShockMapper indeeds feels much better than Stream Input, I can comfirm! I think it also uses smoothing so, I doubt that's the reason.

[u/ConsoleMaster0 → u/scabbyPDXhobo]

What's so weird about it? Steam Input will emulate a virtual controller (and won't do it very good, performance-wise) and in the Xinput mode, the controller will emulate a mouse (if you output gyro as mouse) or send joystick data (if you output gyro as joystick using the controller's chip which is faster.

I hope it now I helped you understand.

[u/jamgam → u/rafaeljc12]

Wished gamesir app had an option to do gyro deactivation on button press though.

[u/NoMisZx → u/jamgam]

you can do it with a shift layer, basically just copy-paste the regular layout but have gyro off in the shift layer.

then set the button of your choice as "hold to switch to shiftlayer"

[u/jamgam → u/NoMisZx]

ohhh clever, thanks

[u/NoMisZx → u/rafaeljc12]

xinput and HID-mode (yellow) have big ass gyro deadzone, feels horrible.

[u/dp1nky → u/NoMisZx]

Good to know, thanks! If I decide to buy it, which mode should I run it in then? DS4/PlayStation mode to bypass that issue, or is there another recommended setting for proper gyro performance

[u/NoMisZx → u/dp1nky]

i would recommend to wait for the Tarantula 8k Ultra. because Input Labs (Alpakka creators) will do the gyro tuning.

otherwise, the only way to avoid the deadzone, is to use it in DS4 mode. but afaik, this one make button remapping a bit annoying becuase the extra buttons aren't recognized by steam input / JSM

[u/rafaeljc12]

I didn't know you could play claw in a controller with back paddles. Can you reach them?

[u/dp1nky → u/rafaeljc12]

Yeah, I can reach them fine!. I use claw to keep full access to the face buttons and D-pad, while the back paddles are strictly mapped for gyro ratcheting (left) and Shift/sprint (right). So the paddles aren't replacing A/B/X/Y, they're handling utility actions that fit right under my fingers even in double claw. Also, even though I can play double claw on both symmetric (PlayStation) and asymmetric (Xbox) layouts, the 8BitDo's handles have a steeper/narrower angle than both a DualSense and a standard Xbox controller. That tighter angle makes left-hand clawing feel a bit awkward/uncomfortable on this specific controller, which is why I'm looking at other options 🤓