GameSir X4 Aileron Review – “A perfect casual controller with the best mapping system I've ever seen”

  • Perfect mapping features
  • Convenient to use
  • Noticeable lack of stability with the phone

I've tried a few mobile controllers in my life and I'm a firm believer in the modular design. Two halves that connect wirelessly to your phone but fit together perfectly for portability, versus the telescoping ones that tend to be bulkier. I recently got my hands on the GameSir X4 Aileron, a modular example of a controller, and gave it a try.

A pleasure to keep and preserve

The first thing you’ll notice is how beautifully and perfectly sized the X4 is. When the two halves are assembled, it fits easily into a jacket pocket for great portability, which is the biggest advantage of module controllers over monoblocks. It also comes with a sturdy case for your new friend to roam around in. It will obviously use up more space, but you don’t have to worry about it getting damaged, it’s a sturdy case. open case

In terms of feel, you won't have any issues with the controllers themselves. Even for me and my oversized gloves, the X4 fits very well and I had no issues with comfort using them for long gaming sessions. Inside the case, you'll find different sized thumbsticks if the standard ones don't fit you. The buttons may be a little small. However, they still work perfectly and have a satisfying feel when pressed. You can definitely tell that it's been designed pretty well.

The world's largest mapping system

The mapping itself during gameplay is pretty thorough. Each game has its own preset configuration if you want to jump right into the game, but if you prefer your own configuration, the option is there.



You can drag and resize any of the other ten buttons or the controller's d-pad wherever you want, as well as using the Combo buttons. You might accidentally activate the single action if you already have one of those combos set up, but if you use the two back buttons or the four shoulder buttons in conjunction with the face buttons, you could cover the entire screen. mapping screen

My favorite feature of the GameSir mapping is definitely Link Plans. You can set up multiple mapping profiles, give them names, and then set up a shortcut to instantly switch between them. You could set up a menu, exploration, and combat profile and have instant access to all of them. In terms of functionality, it's one of the best I've seen in a controller.

A mandatory question

One concern I had with the X4, which I'm sure others might have as well, was that when I launched the app it required me to enable Developer Mode on my phone. I'm not exactly a technophobe, I've played with some very minor programming in the past, but seeing this put me off a bit, so I reached out to GameSir to ask the question.



Apparently, since this product is licensed by Microsoft, it can't use G-Touch, GameSir's usual mapping method that doesn't require activation. Instead, it has to use V-Touch, which requires a bunch of permissions that require Developer Mode to be enabled. It's not the biggest problem, you can just activate it and never touch it again, but it might be a security issue for some.

Stability could be an issue

Now unfortunately we have to address the biggest flaw. As well made as the modules are, they don't grip the phone as securely as you'd like. I tested the controller with three separate phones of varying widths and there was a noticeable amount of wobble on all of them. controller-without-phone

It comes with four rubber bumpers. You can stick them on to strengthen the grip, but you can still feel it. And even then, if you have a thinner phone, you won’t be able to stack that many bumpers or both sides won’t fit when you put it down. If you’re gaming a bit more, you might be able to get by, but if you get into a lot of intense firefights or nail-biting soccer games, it’ll be more noticeable.

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