Summary

• The GameSir X4 Aileron is a game-changer for Android gaming, offering premium features like hall-effect sticks for $100.
• Its unique design allows for swappable buttons, V-touch input, and Joy-Con-like functionality, making it highly customizable and versatile.
• The controller's companion app is surprisingly competent, offering a clean UI and extensive customization options for a seamless gaming experience.

Unlike the PC gaming landscape, which is teeming with amazing controllers, things are a lot more grim on the Android side of things. Besides the Razer Kishi lineup, you might have a hard time naming a semi-decent controller designed specifically for Android devices.

However, GameSir’s newest controller could very well change that notion. Released just a few weeks ago, the GameSir X4 Aileron is quite different from the company’s other hit-or-miss gamepads. Although it's marketed toward low-latency cloud gaming via Xbox Game Pass (Ultimate), the controller has it all: cool design, swappable buttons, (surprisingly) useful companion app, and best of all, hall-effect sticks and triggers. Having spent a few days with the X4 Aileron, I’m quite impressed with its unique features, and I can easily call it the best controller for Android gamers.

About this review: GameSir provided me with a sample of the X4 Aileron gamepad, but the company had no input into the contents of the article.

Pricing and availability

GameSir launched the X4 Aileron on May 15, and you can order it from Amazon and GameSir’s website for $100. Its price tag is rather high for a controller designed for Android devices, but it comes with enough premium features to justify the pricing.

Specs

What I like about the GameSir X4 Aileron

Unique design and swappable buttons

Typically, Android controllers either possess an extendable bridge or a single retaining clip at the top, where you can secure your smartphone. GameSir’s newest offering does things rather differently. Similar to the Joy-Con controller of the Nintendo Switch, the X4 Aileron consists of two separate components. As such, you’ll need to physically attach your mobile phone to each half of the X4 Aileron, with the left side being the one that connects with your smartphone over “low-latency” Bluetooth (and we’ll get to this in a bit).

Both components can magnetically slot into each other when you need to store or charge the controller. Additionally, the case included with the controller has an spare D-pad and extra analog sticks of different sizes, which you can slot into the gamepad with ease. While GameSir doesn’t provide spare face buttons, you can just as easily pop them out and switch their places for a more Nintendo-esque layout.

V-touch and Joy-Con-like functionality

Another aspect of the X4 Aileron that sets it apart from the crowd is its V-touch input. Weird-sounding name aside, this feature lets you use the controller in tandem with touch controls. As such, you can use the analog stick from the left half of the gamepad to move your characters without compromising on the more precise camera rotation and aiming offered by touchscreen inputs.

As if that’s not enough, you can even detach each half of the gamepad and use them separately with your Android device. While the X4 Aileron powers on the moment you push the retractable clamps, there’s another hidden functionality that lets you use them from a distance, similar to a Joy-Con. By holding the Xbox and Share buttons, both halves of the controller enter pairing mode, allowing you to pair them with any Android device, including foldable phones that are too large to fit within the clamps of your ordinary Android gamepad. And the best part? You can use the controller with your PC after mapping the buttons on Steam!

By holding the Xbox and Share buttons, both halves of the controller enter pairing mode, allowing you to pair them with any Android device, including foldable phones that are too large to fit within the clamps.

Amazing hall-effect analog sticks and triggers

Besides its one-of-a-kind design, the hall-effect analog sticks with the built-in anti-drift rings made me fall in love with the GameSir X4 Aileron controller. Having used everything between budget controllers and the Xbox Elite gamepads on my PC, I’ve grown tired of controllers with analog sticks that begin drifting over time, though that won’t be an issue with the GameSir X4 Aileron.

Besides its one-of-a-kind design, the hall-effect analog sticks with the built-in anti-drift rings made me fall in love with the GameSir X4 Aileron controller.

Heck, it even has hall-effect sensing triggers, which can switch between linear and hair-trigger modes using the companion app. And speaking of the app…

A really competent companion application

Whenever I review a new keyboard, mouse, or similar accessory, I usually get disappointed by the companion app for the peripheral. And I’ll be blunt, pretty much every OEM app I’ve used so far is just bloatware that's a pain to use, on top of lacking many essential features.

However, GameSir's companion app manages to avoid many of the issues plaguing the OEM apps on most peripherals. Leaving aside the (unnecessary) app store built into it, the UI itself is fairly clean. The companion app also comes with practically every option you'll need to customize the controller to your liking. Heck, the app even lets you configure the GameSir X4 Aileron for unsupported games once you've enabled developer mode on your smartphone. I followed the procedure to allow the companion app to display over games, and within a few minutes, I was done fine-tuning the gamepad inputs to work with Gensin Impact.

The companion app also comes with practically every option you'll need to customize the controller to your liking.

What I don’t like about the GameSir X4 Aileron

It doesn’t support USB connectivity

The GameSir X4 Aileron controller only supports Bluetooth connectivity, and you can’t physically pair it with your phone over USB. Although the low-latency Bluetooth connection didn’t introduce noticeable input lag on Android titles, emulated games, and even when streaming Xbox games from a PC, I found the lack of proper USB connectivity to be a bit of a downer.

For one, the Bluetooth-only connectivity means you may find the X4 Aileron running out of juice in the middle of gaming. Since the controller can only be charged when it's powered off, you’ll micromanage the battery life of the gamepad during continuous gaming sessions. In my testing, the controller lasted around four-to-five hours, which is pretty decent for a device with just two 400mAh batteries. But I would've preferred it if GameSir made it possible to use the controller while it's being charged.

Should you buy the GameSir X4 Aileron?

You should buy the GameSir X4 Aileron if:

• You need a long-lasting gamepad for gaming on Android that supports wireless charging and doesn’t cause issues with your smartphone cooler.
• You want a highly customizable controller that closely resembles Joy-Con in terms of design and functionality.
• You prefer gaming on foldables, tablets, and Android devices with large cameras, and want a premium controller that doesn’t require you to slot your phone into a bridge or retaining clamps.

You shouldn’t buy the GameSir X4 Aileron if:

• You want the maximum responsiveness and minimal input lag of a wired gamepad.
• You consider a $100 price tag too expensive for an Android controller.

If you’re an Android gaming enthusiast, there’s no reason not to consider the GameSir X4 Aileron. I’ve extensively used the GameSir X4 Aileron for the past week when playing Android titles, emulating games with Winlator, and streaming some of my favorite PC games to my Poco F5 using Sunshine + Moonlight, and I’ve yet to come up with any deal-breaking issues.

As someone who loves playing fast-paced games, I encountered zero input lag, connection drops, or other issues associated with wireless controllers when playing Dead Cells on my Poco F5, Samsung Galaxy M34, and Poco M6 Pro phones. Sure, it’s still a bit expensive for an Android controller, but its wide number of features make the gamepad worth the $100 price tag.