The GuliKit KingKong Controller NS08 is a great controller that can work wonders especially if you play on multiple platforms.
So, yeah. I play on three platforms - PC, PS4, and Nintendo Switch. I sit in front of my desktop most of the time, and that also happens to be in my living room right now due to so many reasons. And in my living room, there’s the PlayStation and the Nintendo Switch sitting beside together like they should. Media center, so to speak. Anyway, my DualShock 4 controller broke down on me for the nth time, and for real this time around. Nada with contact cleaners and whatnot, which prompts me to buy a controller. But god knows I’m not going to buy another DualShock 4 (as much as it happens to be my favorite controller thus far), and I took the risk with the GuliKit KingKong Controller NS08.
And it’s worth it.
There’s plenty to love about the NS08. And there’s some you’d
likely hate, too. Let’s start with the pros here.
At first glance, the NS08 looks quite similar to an Xbox One
controller. And that’s a good thing IMO. I mean I love how the DualShock 4 feels
in hand, but the NS08’s form factor is nice, too. Its asymmetrical profile just
feels so natural.
The buttons are also nice and tactile. They don’t feel wobbly like the cheapo, plasticky ones. The controller itself also has some nice weight into it, too. It’s heavy, but not that heavy that it would cause strain over time. It’s a little heavier than a Dualshock 4 by 4g. This part is more of a preferential thing than a quantifiable measurement, but then again when it comes to durability, we’ll be sure to keep you guys posted if we encounter any issues. It’s backed with a 1 year warranty anyway, so that’s fair enough.
The battery life is phenomenal. Let’s put it this way. I haven’t gotten out of my way to charge the NS08 since last week, and only to test out input lags from time to time. And I have never ran out of batteries while I played. Gulikit says it has about 14 hours of juice. I’ll test this out soon.
The NS08 also has a couple of party tricks, but its bigger brother, the NS09 Pro Controller has more. Macro and Semi-Auto/Auto Rapid Fire Modes are there. Just to let you know, the NS08 lets you record operations up to 10 seconds, while the NS09 lets you do 10 minutes. Do what you will with that, but frankly I personally have no use for things like these and just use the controller as is.
Now, I started this piece mentioning how it’s a game controller for everything for me, which will probably make you think – “dude what the hell? That’s not compatible with the PS4!” And you’re right. It’s not. But we have another trick up our sleeve. And that is with the PS4 Remote Play. “The lies I can’t take it anymore. PS4 Remote Play needs DualShock 4 to work! What are you smoking?!” And right you are again!
And here comes my favorite bit of this article. Everyone, I’d like you to meet reWASD (no, this isn’t a sponsored post or anything, mind you). reWASD is a nifty program for Windows that lets remap your controller to a multitude of functions. The amount of things you can do with it is massive. The cost? Well, I managed to get a license for $6, and it even included an advanced feature called “Rapid Fire.” Frankly, the only feature I was in for it is its Remote Play compatibility. And it just works.
And by "it just works," I mean I-can-parry-in-Bloodborne-if-you’re-worried-about-input-lag. I’m sure you know of the timing needed to pull of gun parries in Bloodborne. Not as sexy as Sekiro’s deflects but more difficult to time IMO.
Is there input lag? Yes.
Is it noticeable? Yes.
Can I adapt to it? Yes.
Can I see myself playing using it long term? Personally? Yes.
Perhaps the only question I need to answer is if I didn't have to pay for a DualShock 4, I'd use that in a heartbeat on the PlayStation 4. Native/first-party support = best, I just can't stress enough that $60 is quite expensive for a controller that would break down on me. Let's just say my HORI Mini PS4 controller is still kicking, and I bought that in 2017.
Not really sure how slow this slow motion video went, but it's taken with my BlackBerry KeyOne.
For Nintendo Switch compatibility? It pairs quite easily, too. Same goes for PC as long as you have a Bluetooth adapter. Went for both wired and wireless on PC, too. Do I really need to say more about this?
To be honest, most of what I dislike about the NS08 are more of a preference rather than an actual issue. I can only think of one single issue that’s more of a real hassle, but not a dealbreaker. We’ll get to that in a bit.
To note, I don't like Nintendo's button layout. I’m a PS guy. Grew up playing on Sony’s domain after playing on the GameBoy for several years. And from there it’s the DualShock and its incarnations through the years. The Steam Controller helped me adapt to the Xbox button layout, but the Switch button layout just trip me up. I could mod my games to fit the PlayStation layout, but that doesn’t really apply to the Nintendo Switch. I just played it ear and ignored the button prompts there. Now, this really isn’t Gulikit’s fault here. It’s just a pet peeve that I couldn’t grow accustomed to, personally. I would prefer if there’s a way to just remove the legends altogether. I’ll probably mod it. Probably.
Switching between platforms would require you to pair it again.
As for that thing I was talking about, there’s that singular
issue that is quite an annoyance. So, imagine you’re playing on the Nintendo
Switch. It’s all fun and games until the game is over and you decide to switch
back to PC. Sad thing, though. You have to pair it again for it to connect. So
I find myself removing the device and then pairing it again just so it would
connect wirelessly. Switching between platforms would require you to pair it
again. Still, not to much of a problem considering it just takes a couple of
seconds. It’s just annoying is all.
To sum it up..
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| Thanks, Sazabi. |
So, is the GuliKit NS08 the best game controller? There’s a lot of debate that went into this. Like buying another DualShock 4 controller and an adapter so it would connect to the Nintendo Switch. But hey, when you think about the cost, that’s over $70, or $50 at best when things are on sale. Personally, that’s going to be a yes for now. Value for money plays a big part in my decision making and as I see it the GuliKit NS08 delivers on that. Simply put, it caters to my needs – a simple working controller that won’t fail on me and can work with the platforms I play on.
I want to again stress out that I am not saying it's going to be the ultimate replacement for the DualShock 4. Rather, it's a singular controller that I can use for where I game on. That's about it.
If you want us to test it out on something or if you have questions about the controller, please feel free to comment or send us a message on Facebook. We'll be happy to answer them.
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