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GameSir Kaleid Flux: one-minute overview
The GameSir Kaleid Flux is a wired controller within the mould of the official Xbox Wi-fi Controller, adopting an analogous structure however with just a few further options and capabilities to set it aside.
The massive entrance panel and asymmetrical analog sticks will likely be acquainted points to many avid gamers at this level. Nonetheless, the D-pad is one level of distinction, because it adopts a extra conventional four-prong design relatively than a round one a la the Xbox controller. It’s additionally gold in coloration, as are the set off buttons.
The Kaleid Flux additional distinguishes itself with RGB lighting seen behind the clear entrance panel, which presents excessive ranges of brightness. Just like the best PC controllers, this may be adjusted and customised.
You’ll additionally discover some further buttons, together with an ‘M’ (multifunction) button that can be utilized to make numerous tweaks when utilized in mixture with different inputs. These embrace altering audio and mic volumes of linked headsets, toggling the analog performance of the triggers, and configuring the RGB lighting.
This M button will also be used to assign inputs to the again buttons, that are situated beneath the grips. This will also be finished utilizing GameSir’s Nexus software program, which incorporates numerous different changes, together with these for the analog sticks, triggers, vibration and lighting.
When gaming, the Kaleid Flux performs effectively for probably the most half. It feels gentle and comfy, becoming my arms with out challenge. Though it’s a wired controller, it includes a removable USB cable, however fortunately the deep recess and safe maintain of the port means there’s little or no hazard of it coming free.
The face buttons are snappy but well-damped, and so too is the D-pad, making for correct and satisfying inputs. The again buttons are additionally simple to make use of, because of their tactile nature and positioning, which makes them laborious to mispress. The sticks are equally clean and exact as effectively.
What’s extra, the flexibility to set the triggers to all the time vibrate, with the depth based mostly on their journey, is a helpful one, serving to in conditions the place exact suggestions is necessary – though the texture of this vibration isn’t probably the most nice sensation.
Nonetheless, it’s a disgrace there aren’t extra superior tweaks obtainable inside Nexus, resembling the flexibility to alter the curve profile for the analog sticks. And whereas there may be an choice to swap the D-pad and left analog stick inputs, there’s no possibility to change each sticks with one another, which I’d’ve discovered extra helpful.
For a wired controller, the Kaleid Flux is a bit on the costly facet. There are wi-fi gamepads with related costs, such because the official Xbox Wireless Controller. It additionally lacks the identical stage of compatibility and superior changes of a few of its rivals, such because the Manba One.
The Kaleid Flux is on no account a foul controller, because it presents good efficiency and ergonomics, however you’ll have to think about whether or not you may stay with its limitations given its asking value.
GameSir Kaleid Flux overview: Value and availability
- $46 / £59 (about AU$75)
- Accessible now in a single colorway
- Wi-fi rivals are equally priced
The Kaleid Flux prices $46 / £59 (about AU$75) and is available in one colorway: black with gold accents.
When you’re on the lookout for one of many best Xbox controllers, then you may’t do a lot better than the official Xbox Wi-fi Controller. This nominally prices about the identical because the Kaleid Flux, however it may possibly usually be discovered for much less. Nonetheless, it doesn’t include a chargeable battery – you’ll have to make use of AAs or pay further for the elective rechargeable battery pack. The official software program additionally lacks even fundamental customization choices, resembling button remapping.
In case your coronary heart is about on a Corridor Impact controller, then the Manba One is a viable different to the Kaleid Flux. What’s extra, it options extra superior customizations, together with a number of curve profiles for the analog sticks. It’s additionally wi-fi and has Nintendo Swap and cell help, but the value distinction (not less than within the UK) isn’t a lot better.
GameSir Kaleid Flux overview: specs
|
Value |
$46.99 / £59.99 (about AU$75) |
|
Dimensions |
6.14 x 4.21 x 2.36in / 156 x 107 x 60mm |
|
Weight |
0.47lb / 212g |
|
Compatibility |
PC, Xbox Sequence X/S, Xbox One X/S, Steam Deck |
|
Connection kind |
Wired (USB-A) |
|
Battery life |
N/A |
|
Software program |
GameSir Nexus (Home windows solely) |
GameSir Kaleid Flux overview: design and options
- Wired solely
- Helpful multifunction button and again buttons
- Blended software program
The Kaleid Flux adopts a well-recognized gamepad design popularized by Xbox controllers, with its substantial entrance panel and asymmetrical analog sticks. Nonetheless, it provides some panache with its gold D-pad and shoulder buttons, in addition to RGB lighting, which sits behind the clear entrance panel, providing loads of luminescence must you need it.
The general development of the physique is stable and the supplies really feel sturdy. This extends to the membrane face buttons, that are reassuringly damped and clean in operation. Regardless of its solidity, the Kaleid Flux additionally feels fairly gentle.Though the grips aren’t rubberized, the plastic has a dotted texture which I discovered supplied loads of grip throughout my play periods.
The included braided USB cable is equally well-made. For the reason that Kaleid Flux can’t be used wirelessly, it’s a bit curious the cable is removable, however because of the deep recess of the port on the controller, it’s very safe and I had no considerations in any respect about it coming free within the warmth of the second.
You’ll discover the standard gamepad buttons on the Kaleid Flux, together with an Xbox house button within the center. Nonetheless, there are some further buttons, together with a share button slightly below the house button, and an M button, which acts as a modifier permitting you to regulate numerous settings on the fly when pressed along with different inputs.
You’ll be able to change profiles, regulate RGB results and brightness, toggle the triggers between analog and digital modes, and regulate audio output and microphone volumes when a headset is linked through the three.5mm jack. The M button is effectively positioned, making it simple to achieve together with your thumb.
The Kaleid Flux additionally has two again buttons situated below the grips. These might be assigned inputs through the use of the M button or GameSir’s Nexus software program on a Home windows PC.
This software program permits for additional customizations, together with button remapping and numerous different tweaks. For the analog sticks, there are useless zone changes and an choice to toggle uncooked enter mode. Nonetheless, there’s no choice to swap the left and proper stick inputs with each other, which is a disgrace. You’ll be able to swap the left stick to the D-pad, however personally I discover this change much less helpful.
For the triggers, there are alterable parameters for his or her journey distance, and also you’ll additionally discover a toggle for switching between analog and digital modes right here too. Vibration depth might be adjusted as effectively, and there are unbiased settings for set off and grip vibrations, which is greater than many different controllers and their companion software program supply.
GameSir Kaleid Flux overview: efficiency
- Good set off suggestions
- Fairly exact sticks
- Some efficiency tweaks lacking
The Kaleid Flux performs effectively when gaming. The aforementioned damped buttons make for satisfying but snappy presses, with the D-pad being a specific spotlight on this regard. Its lengthy prongs additionally meant that mispressing sure instructions wasn’t a difficulty for me, but it nonetheless retains that rolling means when adjoining instructions have to be hit in fast succession – which made Tekken 8 extra pleasurable for me to play.
Providing ample precision and suggestions, the Corridor impact analog sticks carry out effectively too. It’s a disgrace, nevertheless, that their response curves can’t be altered, as they’ll on different controllers, such because the Manba One.
The triggers additionally make use of Corridor impact expertise. They provide simply the correct quantity of journey for my part, and permit for each exact, gradual actuation, which I welcomed when taking part in Artwork of Rally for optimum automotive management. Nonetheless, they’re nonetheless amenable to snappy inputs when required.
Must you require extra snappiness, nevertheless, the flexibility to toggle the triggers between analog and digital modes is a helpful one, because it means that you can carry out quickfire presses – helpful in shooters the place you won’t want the total journey of an analog set off. Nonetheless, if you wish to change modes rapidly you’ll be upset, as there’s some delay when utilizing the M button technique for toggling between them (it could show faster utilizing Nexus as a substitute).
The triggers even have a vibrate perform, and in Nexus you may set the Kaleid Flux to override in-game settings and as a substitute vibrate them at any time when they’re pressed, with depth based mostly on their journey. I discovered this significantly helpful for racing video games, the place the suggestions this offered made accelerating and braking extra tactile.
Nonetheless, the character of this vibration is a bit unusual, feeling extra like a buzz, which isn’t probably the most nice sensation below the finger. Additionally, there’s a slight useless zone initially, which means the vibration doesn’t kick in till the triggers are a sure means alongside. Nonetheless, each of those are minor gripes and weren’t sufficient to derail the expertise.
One explicit quirk of the Kaleid Flux I observed (not less than within the unit I reviewed) is that the left grip vibration was notably stronger than the correct. This might be a difficulty with the motor, however regardless, this once more wasn’t immersion-breaking.
Ought to I purchase the GameSir Kaleid Flux?
Purchase it if…
Do not buy it if…
Additionally contemplate…
There is not any scarcity of PC and Xbox controllers on the market, so check out these two wi-fi options.
| Row 0 – Cell 0 |
GameSir Kaleid Flux |
Xbox Wi-fi Controller |
Manba One |
|
Value |
$46.99 / £59.99 (about AU$75) |
$59.99 / £54.99 / AU$74.99 |
$69.99 (about £54 / AU$105) |
|
Dimensions |
6.14 x 4.21 x 2.36in / 156 x 107 x 60mm |
6 x 4 x 2.47 inches (152 x 102 x 63mm) |
6.1 x 4.3 x 2.6 inches (155 x 108.5 x 65.5mm) |
|
Weight |
0.47lb / 212g |
10.1oz (287g) |
10.4oz (295g) |
|
Compatibility |
PC, Xbox Sequence X/S, Xbox One X/S, Steam Deck |
PC, Xbox Sequence X, Xbox Sequence S, Xbox One, cell |
PC, Nintendo Swap, cell |
|
Connection kind |
Wired (USB-A) |
Wi-fi (Xbox Wi-fi, Bluetooth), Wired (USB-C) |
Wi-fi (Bluetooth), Wired (USB-C) |
|
Battery life |
N/A |
40 hours (AA batteries) |
10 hours |
|
Software program |
GameSir Nexus |
Xbox Equipment |
None |
How I examined the GameSir Kaleid Flux
- Examined for every week
- Performed quite a lot of video games
- Plentiful gaming expertise
I examined the Kaleid Flux for a few week, throughout which era I used it to play quite a lot of video games on PC.
I performed Artwork of Rally – a racing sport that offered a very good take a look at for set off suggestions because of the accelerating and braking controls – and Tekken 8, which is nice for placing the D-pad and face buttons via their paces, because the sport requires fast and exact inputs. I additionally performed the Mafia: Definitive Version to check the precision of the analog sticks when capturing.
I additionally made certain to make use of as many options and capabilities on the Kaleid Flux as potential, together with the 2 again buttons and M button, and tried to make each tweak and adjustment on supply through GameSir’s Nexus software program device.
I’ve been gaming for over 25 years throughout quite a lot of platforms, and have skilled many controllers over this time, together with fashions that I’ve reviewed.