The GameSir Super Nova didn't do what I wanted, but I can't help but love it anyway

The GameSir Super Nova has been popping up more and more in recent months. Originally launching in spring of 2025, the PC / Nintendo Switch / mobile controller was pitched as a $44.99 / £49.99 budget gamepad for Windows and Ninty users going big on customization without shelling out for a bona fide 'Pro' gamepad. That's a competitive proposition, but it's not what led me to getting the device in hand for myself.

The GameSir Super Nova wore me down. After months of seeing this gamepad at a $30 sale price, while also promising Switch 2 wake functionality, I had to give it a go. My results? Optimistically positive with one hearty disappointment.

Unfortunately, the one feature that had me seeking out the Super Nova in a sea of the best Switch 2 controllers is, at best, obtusely difficult to set up correctly and, at worst, non-functional. No, I never managed to get the GameSir Super Nova to reliably wake the Switch 2 as it promised. What I did find, though, is an impressively detailed gamepad taking on the best PC controllers on the market and waltzing away with value on its side.

Design

Aha, another third-party Xbox clone. The GameSir Super Nova doesn't deviate too far from the playbook in its form and shape. This is a slightly lighter (263g) and slightly more compact Microsoft design complete with asymmetrical thumbsticks, your standard ABXY layout, and chunky, angled grips.

That Nintendo heritage isn't too far away, though. In place of the pause and menu buttons, we have a plus and minus, as well as a home and screenshot pairing just underneath. The face buttons can also be swapped around to get those Xs and Ys in the right place when switching over to Ninty's console as well.

A small 'M' button at the bottom of the device allows for on-the-fly customizations, which we'll get to shortly. Around the rear, you'll find the two back button-paddle hybrids. They're not the magnetic ones found on the Gulikit KK3 Max, but their longer lever design gives them some interesting feel. On the back, you'll also find a connection slider toggling between Bluetooth, wired, and 2.4GHz modes. My only gripe here is that the slider is a little too shallow for super easy use. Flush with the plastic of the casing itself, there's not a lot of purchase when switching between connection methods.

Everything's accounted for here, then, and it's presented in a far more luxurious chassis than I would expect for $45. Hold the GameSir Super Nova side by side with the PowerA Advantage Wired Controller for Switch 2, and you'd have a hard time convincing yourself they were approaching the same price point.

While the former is hollow and flimsy, the Super Nova carries a reassuring heft that belies a far higher price tag. There's a dense quality in the hand that gives every button press just that little bit more oomph while still remaining comfortable during longer sessions. It's a plastic case, but a particularly thick, hard one with no creaking or rattles no matter how animated those motion controls get.

A lot of that luxury comes from the grips. A lightly textured rubberized diamond pattern adorns each side, wrapping all the way around the left and right grips and bleeding slightly over onto the back buttons to the rear.

It's a particularly tactile design, but its shallow design keeps it from feeling tacky or stiff in the hands or adding any undue temperature during warmer sessions. The palms are locked in without feeling claustrophobic or reducing mobility during the odd reaching movement up to the pause or home button.

As for looks, I won't say the GameSir Super Nova is the most impressive aesthetically. It's personal, of course, but the larger legends on the ABXY face buttons feel a little immature given the premium feel elsewhere, and the RGB lighting (while nicely contained and customizable) can sometimes run a little cheap in today's market. The dark blue fade along the top of the main faceplate shines nicely, though, and is swappable via a magnetic system.

Even these magnets feel premium. I've been mainlining the Scuf Omega on PS5, which features a similar swappable topper. I'll say it, though: the magnet strength and faceplate durability on the $45 GameSir Super Nova far exceeds that of the $219.99 PlayStation pro model.

Features

The GameSir Super Nova is compatible across Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PC, and mobile, with a strong set of features to support each platform (wake functionality somewhat aside). It's one of the more collaborative controllers I've seen so far, cross-pollinating common PC offerings with the Switch's main draws to fantastic effect.

Motion controls, for example, perform flawlessly in Ninty's titles but can also be mapped to mouse inputs across PC for an additional layer of control. In practice, this isn't always the best experience. The benefit of being able to wield a cursor with less precision than usual will depend on the game, but for simple navigation it comes in surprisingly handy.

Meanwhile, trigger locks are also up for grabs here, where they're often missed in more casual Switch 2 gamepads. The 8BitDo Pro 3 is one of your few alternatives if you want to swap between full depth and a faster snap, and that'll cost you $69.99 all in.

They're not quite as instantaneous as the mechanical switches found further up the price scale, but they certainly provide a speed benefit in online and singleplayer first-person shooter scenarios.

All that, and the Super Nova doesn't fall behind in its core tech either. Hall effect thumbsticks might not be as sensitive or precise as newer TMR controllers, but they're still leagues beyond the traditional potentiometer sticks previously found in budget options. A Bluetooth connection will poll you at 125Hz, but plug into a PC with the 2.4GHz dongle and you'll get the full 1,000Hz for a more reliable experience.

Those two back paddles are programmable while on the run using the aforementioned 'M' button, but GameSir Connect's PC software can also map them to pretty much any input you like. We're talking mouse clicks and keyboard combos as well as your standard button mapping. In fact, it's this software that really lets the Super Nova rev its engines.

It's a surprisingly robust package considering the price point. Alongside those motion settings, you're covered for dead zones, Hair Trigger, and curve settings across your triggers, with anti-dead zones and trajectory settings thrown in on top for thumbsticks as well. Vibration levels can be tuned via a slider, allowing you to nail the right balance between the left's heavier action and the right's tighter buzz. Add RGB settings, as many keybindings as you can muster, and per-key assignment for up to three combos in a macro, and this is a confident, expansive customization system.

That's why the lack of presets is so confusing. There's nowhere to save different setups for different titles, which means diving into each of these settings every time the game is changed. It's a long process and one that only slightly more expensive gamepads have fixed a long time ago. Hopefully we see something patched in on the PC side at least in the future.

Performance

Let's get the tough bit out of the way. The first thing I wanted to test here was that Switch 2 wake functionality. It's a feature you'll generally only find on more premium offerings like the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 or official Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller. Grabbing it for a mere $29.99 (when on sale) feels too good to be true. Unfortunately, in my experience, it might be just that.

There's a lengthy setup process that involves pairing and re-pairing, then removing the Joy-Con, then changing the grip, then searching for the Joy-Con again before the Super Nova should be able to wake your Switch 2 using the main home button. I went through this process countless times across multiple testing sessions to no avail. The controller's central lights flash as if they should be communicating with the system, but nothing happens.

I reached out to GameSir to verify that the process was correct and that my controller was indeed on the most up-to-date firmware, and they provided a similar walkthrough video that should solve the problem. Using their guidance a few more times and still coming up short, I have requested any further information they have on the issue and will update this review accordingly.

It's frustrating because, this one feature aside, the GameSir Super Nova runs without a hitch. I have never encountered any day-to-day communication errors between Bluetooth and 2.4GHz and have no speed concerns over either connection. Faster movements in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom are picked up beautifully, and the larger face buttons and well-dampened response make longer Pokemon Pokopia building sessions feel like a breeze.

Those thumbsticks maintain their accuracy in both faster spins and slower pans, holding up against more frantic Doom: The Dark Ages moments on PC thanks to their finely tuned tension and snappy return. There's also an impressively smooth glide here, with no snagging at the outer edges of a maneuver or grating against the side of the chassis itself.

The triggers themselves offer a middling level of tension. There's slightly more force pushing against you compared to the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, but a longer draw that requires a more sensitive approach compared to the official Switch Pro 2 Controller. Personally, it's a sweet spot. There's still a sense of texture here, giving Forza Horizon 6 just that little bit more presence, and a full bottom-out is still complemented by a comfortably cushioned stopper as well.

GameSir hasn't outfitted its Super Nova with the same microswitch face buttons you'll find on the slightly more expensive Cyclone 2 model. Instead, we're back to a cheaper membrane action on the ABXY here, but they still feel nicely cushioned under the thumb.

Unfortunately, the D-pad suffers a little more from this cheaper tech. The four-pronged design is simpler itself, but the actuation of these membrane clackers makes it a tad too rigid to truly feel nimble in play.

The back buttons could also prove divisive, depending on your grip type. With my index fingers middling the triggers and bumpers, the length and positioning of these paddles are perfect for fast, reliable hits with my middle finger without impacting other controls.

Shifting that middle finger up to the triggers puts a little too much pressure on the left ring finger, though, often causing a mispress of the left trigger at the same time. That didn't prove to be a problem for me in my natural, relaxed hand position, but it should be noted if you go for a more involved hold.

Should you buy the GameSir Super Nova?

The GameSir Super Nova is competitively positioned, especially when it inevitably goes on sale. At $44.99, it's just a little too pricey to completely cut TMR options like the GameSir Cyclone 2, which can often be found for between $50 and $70. When it's on sale, though, things change dramatically.

I often see this gamepad up for about $30 when it's discounted, and at that price this is no feature set to be arguing with. On the PC side of things, its closest competitor in our testing roster is the EasySMX X10. This is the controller I'd been happy with for years, and it matches the Super Nova's Switch compatibility (though not Switch 2), back buttons, and Hall effect sticks. It's difficult to get your hands on these days, though, and it drops quite a few customization features from its roster.

On the Nintendo side of things, you're going to be choosing between the Super Nova and the PowerA Advantage Wired Controller. The decision shouldn't be a difficult one. PowerA's budget model comes with a wired connection and far lower build quality, while dropping motion controls, easy customization, trigger locks, and rumble. It's cheaper day-to-day, starting off at $39.99, and typically goes on sale for between $17 and $25. For a potential $5 upgrade, though, GameSir's additional features are well worth it.

Of course, if it's that wake functionality that drew you in, you're going to be a little stuck here. I have seen evidence of happy players able to get this connection up and running successfully, but I personally haven't. I can only go off my own experience here, so I wouldn't recommend the Super Nova to those after a cheaper Pro Controller alternative that doesn't require a more complex connection process. If you're happy ignoring that wake functionality from the official spec sheet, though, you'll still find plenty to love here.

How I tested the GameSir Super Nova

I've been running the GameSir Super Nova for all my controller-specific PC play and docked Nintendo Switch 2 sessions. The gamepad has been put through its paces across Doom: The Dark Ages as well as High on Life 2 across Windows. I also tested it across Pokemon Pokopia, Mario Kart World, Dragon Quest 2 HD-2D Remake, and Cyberpunk 2077 on Nintendo Switch 2. For more information on how we test controllers, check out the full GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

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