GameSir Nova Lite Review
An affordable multi-platform wired and wireless controller with sometimes maddening intricacies.
Verdict
If not for some fiddly methods for changing between its many useful modes, the GameSir Nova Lite would have been the best bang for your buck controller out there. It’s still great, but it’s not the ideal gift it could have been.
Pros
- Smooth Hall Effect joysticks
- Very comfortable feel and solid build
- Great multi-platform use
Cons
- Setup can be complicated
- A little bland
Key Features
- Wired and wireless connectivityWith both USB and Bluetooth connectivity, the Nova Lite can be used across mobile, PC and more.
- Affordable price tagAt just £30, the Nova Lite is one of the more affordable wired/wireless hybrid controllers around in 2024.
- Hall Effect joysticksThe Hall Effect joysticks use a combination of magnets and electrical conductors to detect input, reducing the possibility of stick drift and improving longevity.
Introduction
We’re spoiled for choice when it comes to game controllers these days. When even the stock pad that ships with your favourite console is supported elsewhere via Bluetooth, the need for specific PC/Mobile-focused joysticks can be a hard sell.
Still, the GameSir Nova Light controller has its place. It’s far from the most premium controller on the market, but it doesn’t aim to be. It’s a very affordable dual wireless controller that’ll get the job done. And sometimes; that’s all you’re willing to pay for.
Design
- Simple look with thumbstick accenting
- Thin triggers
- Lighting only around the logo button
Shipped to me in a Stellar White colourway, the GameSir Nova Lite appears crisp and clean. Orange accents in the black-topped joysticks give it eye-catching flair, while the rest of it is reminiscent of the now-forgotten Google Stadia controller.
The joysticks follow the off-axis Xbox/Nintendo style over what Sony does with the PlayStation pads, but the bonus buttons for Start, Select, Share, Menu, and whatever else we have these days are largely laid out beneath the main controller button.
Right at the very bottom is a tiny M button for macros, enabling Turbo and a couple of other commands you’re likely to forget in the moment.
Coming in a very barebones brown cardboard box with very minimal printing, it’s clear GameSir is eyeing up environmental wins with this one.
The controller slips straight out of the box, efficiently protected by its included snap-back hard plastic case. It’s almost military-like in its presentation, but likely just 3D printed and recycled.
Don’t let it put you off, though: it’s a sturdy pad, with virtually no flex or creaking when you squeeze and twist it.
Performance
- Great fit and feel
- Hall Effect sticks and sturdy buttons
- Plenty of utility across devices
The GameSir Nova Lite is about as good as you can expect at this price point. It doesn’t feature any rear paddles or programmable buttons of its premium brethren. What’s bewildering, though, is how difficult it is to learn its intricacies.
Being a multi-platform pad with an array of connectivity options, the omission of a manual is confounding. Not only did I have to find one to figure out how to shift it from its stock Android input protocol to Xinput for my laptop, but I even had to refer to it to trigger Bluetooth pairing, which didn’t even work.
Switching the face button mapping from Nintendo’s A/B to the more mainstream B/A uses the dedicated M button. Any other tweak, like switching input or connectivity options, does not. There’s no consistency to it. It’s maddening and wholly unintuitive.
It’s not clear whether the listed button combination is incorrect, if the controller is faulty, or if there’s some other trick I’m missing: I just couldn’t test the advertised Bluetooth feature.
To make matters worse, it doesn’t even come with a USB-C cable. That made testing it on a USB-C-equipped device tricky and charging even more so. I get why there isn’t one included. It keeps costs low. GameSir likely understands that the average user has a cable spare already. But for a controller priding itself on versatility, it’s an odd look.
Still, once it’s up and running properly, the GameSir Nova Light is just fine. Input latency is entirely acceptable: which is what matters most.
The face buttons and d-pad are a little mushy, which won’t be to everyone’s liking; it feels like moving through mud if you’re used to more premium pads. But the protruding triggers have a good degree of travel and squeeze, and it all feels good in the hand.
The GameSir Nova Lite packs a rechargeable, non-removable 600mAh battery. It’s good for around 10 hours of life according to the company, a claim that tracks with our three-day sprint across games like Dead Cells, Final Fantasy XIV, and Halo: Infinite across 2.4Ghz and, if you can manage it, Bluetooth connections.
The two-hour charge time feels like a lot for the time you get with a full tank, but given it’s easy enough to play while you charge in most situations, it’s not the end of the world.
It hardly competes with the top-tier runtime of controllers like the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra, or the bizarre power of the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, but it still trumps the stock pads that ship with this generation’s more expensive consoles.
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Should you buy it?
You want a versatile controller for portable PC play
At around £30, you can’t complain about what the GameSir Nova Lite offers. The battery could be better, and the configuration controls can get annoying, but it’s capable and, best of all, competitive at this price point.
You need a little more convenience
The GameSir Nova Lite can almost do it all. Easily forgettable configuration commands set it back, and a lack of advanced features like audio output and bonus programmable buttons would have been nice.
Final Thoughts
Clunky firmware controls hamper what could have been a fantastic alternative controller. It’s the type to land you on tech support duty if given to a tech-adverse gamer.
If you can master its complications, it’s a cheap and relatively cheerful pad that’ll serve you well across platforms. Look to the HyperX Clutch Gladiate RGB if you think the extra buttons are worth dropping multi-machine support over, or the GameSir G8 Galileo if you’re looking for a mobile controller for bigger hands.
Had the GameSir Nova Lite shipped with a charging cable, hardware toggles for connectivity and modes, and maybe a 2.4GHz receiver with USB-A and USB-C to fix platform fluidity, it could have been a no-brainer.
How we test
We use every game controller we test for at least a week. During that time, we’ll check it for ease of use and put it through its paces by playing a variety of different genres.
We also check the controller’s software support and battery life if applicable.
Used as our main controller for at least a week.
Played a variety of games to test all the features.
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FAQs
Yes, there’s a button combination that reverses the A and B inputs to suit gaming on Nintendo Switch or other platforms.
Yes. So long as you switch the input method, you will be able to get a Mac to recognise it just fine.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
