Control all your devices with the GameSir Super Nova gamepad

I’m always on the look out for high quality game controllers that can be easily switched around a range of different platforms as I test and play with my retro and modern gaming systems. So when GameSir offered to send me one of their brand new Super Nova controllers I was very keen to give it a go.

This is it, so let’s take a look at what we’ve got, what it can do, and how well it plays.

What you get

In the box you get the controller itself.

This is an Xbox style controller with Hall Effect sensors on the analogue sticks to ensure they don’t wear out and start drifting the same way that the carbon potentiometer sensors do. Both triggers also use Hall effect sensors for the same reason and have trigger stops so you can choose between long pulls or short distance pulls for the trigger functions.

The unit also has a 6 axis gyroscopic sensor for tilt and motion detection, mainly for use with your Nintendo Switch, and dual vibration motors to give you that haptic feedback.

The buttons, d pad and shoulder switches are all good quality pushbuttons with a really positive feel. Not squishy or clicky, just a solid button press. And you’ve got two programmable buttons on the bottom of the unit that can be set to mimic other controls.

On the bottom as well you’ll find a connection mode switch. The controller can be used as either a USB C plugged in device, a Bluetooth controller or using a 2.4 GHz USB dongle connection. This will allow you to connect to pretty much anything including Windows, Linux, MacOS, IOS, Android and Nintendo Switch machines. So if like me you are always swapping around you can very easily move this controller to whatever you’re using and get a quick connection.

As for the feel of the controller it’s got a good weight. Not too heavy, not too light. Probably about the same as my Xbox 360 controller. The textured grip area on each palm works well and overall it just feels nice in the hand.

One of the new features on this controller is the RGB LED lighting effects on each side which you can alter through the M key combined with the joysticks. This lets you change the lighting effects, colours, brightness and so on, or even turn them off.

The other new feature is the interchangeable faceplates. These are securely held on by magnetic pads, but with a bit of a pull you can simply take one off and snap in another. This lets you instantly change the look of the controller to a range of options. It also lets you swap the positions of the four buttons by just pulling out the keycap and moving them around to perhaps match up with your Switch layout.

So that’s the controller itself.

One of the great features I liked about this model is that it comes complete with a charging dock. So you can just set this up and drop your controller into it when finished so you always have a fully charged unit when it’s time for play. This, and the controller connect using USB C and you get a nice long cable in the box. The charger also has a slot in the back so you can store the 2.4GHz dongle when it’s not in use, so hopefully this will help it not get lost.

Other than that you get a good multi lingual manual that takes you through all of the button combos to adjust the settings on the controller. So make sure you do have a look through or you’ll miss some of the features.

Pairing with devices

Pairing the controller to your computer is really easy.

First of you can just plug it in using the USB C lead.

If your computer doesn’t have Bluetooth, or you want a wireless USB connection you can use the 2.4G dongle. Just plug that into your computer, set the connection mode switch on the back of the controller to the USB dongle settings and power on the gamepad by holding down the home key. This will give you a USB gamepad, but using a wireless link. I find this great for moving the controller between Raspberry Pi type game setups.

Lastly you’ve got Bluetooth connection mode. For this there are three different settings for Switch, Android / Windows / Linux and iOS devices. You simply power on the controller with the home key and then hold in the home key with one of the Y, A or B buttons respectively. Your computer or device should then be able to see the gamepad and connect.

I found this scheme works very well and makes it really easy to move the controller from device to device.

Calibration

Once you’ve got your controller paired it’s important to calibrate it before your first use. This is the very first use, not every time when you change connection. Both the Hall Effect sensors and the built in gyroscope tilt sensors can be set up using the button combinations detailed in the manual.

After this we’re ready to play.