The GameSir Tarantula 8K controller for PC is so good that it puts the competition firmly on notice

GameSir controllers have been getting quite a bit of attention of late, including the Tarantula 8K. Much of it is unfounded claims of "cheating" when, in truth, a GameSir controller can be customized in much the same way as many competing pro-grade controllers.

But that's not the topic of discussion for today. The focus is firmly on the GameSir Tarantula 8K, a controller that packs the same sort of spec sheet as more established brands with a far more attractive price.

That's not an exaggeration, either. At $70 right now, the GameSir Tarantula 8K is priced in the same ballpark as Microsoft's limited-edition Xbox 25 controller and runs rings around it. There are caveats; for one, this isn't for console, it's a PC controller, and it's wired. But honestly, I opened the box not knowing what to expect, and it didn't take long to be impressed. The GameSir Tarantula 8K is one of the best controllers I've ever used.

GameSir Tarantula 8K specs

A PlayStation-esque design packed with the latest tech

Gamers who outright don't like the side-by-side analog stick design will for sure be disappointed to see it here. But try to look beyond that, because it's not the defining feature. The overall form factor is very reminiscent of a Sony DualShock, but I think it works well. Especially for smaller hands such as my own.

For the basics, it ticks all the right boxes. The rear buttons are exactly in the right spot, everything is reachable without ever feeling like you're stretching, and all the main controls feel glorious. I also love that those rear buttons can be locked, so if you physically don't want them to press, they won't. You have support for multiple profiles on the controller, but if you quickly want to disable the rear buttons, you can.

The face buttons have mouse switches beneath them so you get a positive response and a satisfying click. The triggers, too, when the stops are engaged, are also mouse switches. This type of tech isn't new to me; I've been using Razer's controllers that take a similar approach. But, again, this is an affordable controller.

There are also a frankly absurd number of customizable buttons on the Tarantula 8K. Besides the two on the back, there are four on the face of the controller and an additional two extra bumper controls, as well as the black part that says "GameSir".

These are in addition to the dedicated start, menu, and capture buttons and the GameSir logo button, which will launch the Xbox Game Bar quick switcher to jump in and out of games and launchers quickly.

Then we get to the sticks (there's no time to catch your breath). As you'd hope on a pro-grade controller, the sticks are TMR, so stick drift is no concern, and they're good. They're smooth, and the stock thumbcaps are nice. I typically go for a concave design, which these are not, but they feel like a hybrid. The edges are textured and raised above a convex surface, and I think it's my new favorite design.

As the name implies, too, the Tarantula 8K supports 8,000 Hz polling, with options to restrict it to 250 Hz, 1,000 Hz, and 4,000 Hz. An 8,000 Hz polling rate is still overkill (at least I think), but it's there. Generally I'm running at 4,000 Hz in Call of Duty (which still seems to be all I play), and overall I've not noticed any difference. But importantly, it feels every bit as fast and responsive as my Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K, which is about the best controller I've ever used. High praise for the Tarantula 8K.

Testing that 8,000 Hz claim also bears fruit using the Gamepadla Polling tool to test. It has no problem hitting or getting very close to that magic number connected to a USB 3.2 port on my motherboard.

As when I tested the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K, it's advisable if you have a desktop PC to connect it directly to the motherboard if you're chasing the highest performance. The USB ports on the front of my PC case may say they're USB 3.2, but once again, the controller doesn't report quite the same polling rates connected to these.

A word on the weight, too. It's very light at just 180 g, and that's largely down to an absence of any haptics or rumble motors. If you want vibrations, you have no option at all, but the benefit is that it's an extremely lightweight controller.

As it's targeted at competitive players that typically won't have vibration turned on anyway, I don't see this as a drawback, but if you also dabble in, say, racing games, be aware you won't have any feedback.

Plenty of customization through an easy-to-use app

The software is where the recent talk of "built-in cheats" started coming from, and I've addressed that already in a post. There was a feature originally that interfered with rotational aim assist in Apex Legends, and that has since been removed. And yes, you can get really in the weeds, customize your curves, and extract every last drop of performance from this controller.

But for us average players, it's just nice to have these features, to have customizable profiles, and things we can tweak in an app that doesn't take a degree in computing to understand.

The app is where you set up your customized keybindings; you can tweak how you want the triggers to respond, the lighting, all that jazz. Additionally, if, somehow, there aren't enough buttons on the Tarantula 8K for you, you can use the Shift Layer to add even more.

Importantly, you don't need the app. Once you've set everything up, you can save it to the controller and then use the M button on the rear in conjunction with a direction on the right stick to cycle between your profiles. If you don't want to change anything, you don't ever have to open it once; it'll work right out of the box.

But without using the app, you'll be locked to a 250 Hz polling rate, and you won't be able to update the firmware. So it's worth getting, but it doesn't sit there running in the background or anything. Open it up, make your changes, close it, and go play your games. That simple.

Is there anything not to like about the GameSir Tarantula 8K

The Tarantula 8K is worthy of high praise, but there are still a couple of bits that I'm not so keen on. The first is the grip, because it's not very grippy. It's ever so slightly textured plastic, and it's just enough to get grubby the more you use it, but it doesn't actually feel like it really helps me grip the controller better.

The same applies to the triggers and bumpers. There's the slightest texture, and I don't dislike it, but it also seems like it just gets grubby over providing any real benefit in use.

The extra bumper buttons are also very close to the traditional bumpers. As in close enough to just avoid touching. If you don't want to use these, then you won't see a problem, but for the purposes of testing, I remapped the X button (reload in Call of Duty).

It's a button I typically map to the rear, but since there are only two buttons to use here, I tried the extra right-hand bumper instead. And when I tell you that I've accidentally thrown a grenade instead of reloading my weapon on several occasions, you'll understand why I think they're a little close together.

It's just too easy to press one over the other in the heat of gameplay. Likewise, when I want to throw a grenade, I have on occasion reloaded my weapon instead.

I'd also like an option that isn't orange to choose from for the color. But that's just personal preference.

The GameSir Tarantula 8K puts the industry on notice

When you look at the package GameSir has put together here for $70 it's pretty mindblowing and should put the industry on notice. I'm particularly looking at Xbox here, too, because the standard Xbox controller still sells for a price that is now no longer acceptable for the hardware inside it.

It's inexcusable in 2026 not to at least have Hall Effect sticks in a time when a company like GameSir is pushing out a fully capable professional-grade controller with 8,000 Hz, TMR sticks, mouse switches, and all this goodness, and Xbox is still phoning it in with ancient tech.

I've used GameSir controllers over the years, and the G7 SE was my most recent, and I very much enjoyed it. Once again it was a budget price controller with not-budget specs. The Tarantula 8K is the same story. Right now, there's really nothing more I could expect inside a high-end controller, yet this one is priced like a budget model.

If you're on Xbox, there is a dedicated version of the Tarantula, albeit not exactly the same, and it tops out at 1,000 Hz on PC. Additionally, if you prefer the Xbox-style layout but still want an 8K-capable controller, GameSir has the G7 Pro for you.

GameSir deserves a seat at the table with the likes of Razer and Scuf. The Tarantula 8K is that good, and you should absolutely buy one if you're looking for a competitive controller for PC.

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