GameSir Kaleid Wired Controller for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One,Windows 10/11 & Steam, Plug and Play Gaming Gamepad, Transparent Video Game Controller with Hall Effect Joysticks/Hall TriggerCarbonfree Certified

First off let me start off by saying that I chose not to mark off any points for any of the issues I had due Linux. This product is not designed for Linux, it is not advertised to be compatible with Linux, and any problems I faced are purely my own for buying this over something that does advertise Linux compatibility. That said, I will be talking about my experience on Linux as Linux users often have to make the choice between buying a worse product that will definitely work, or a better one that will maybe work.First, let me talk about the controller itself. This is by far the BEST controller I have ever laid my hands on. It is extremely clear to me that every single detail was painstakingly refined to bring us this product. Everything from the looks to the physical build quality is absolutely flawless and I am extremely happy when I am using this thing. The grips are hard plastic and feature a texture similar to knurling that not only really grippy, but seems like it will help minimize the impact of sweaty hands (though I haven't owned it long enough to say for certain if this is the case).As for the input, the sticks perform about as well as you would expect, but the feel of the sticks is really good. The edges of the stick cap are knurled so they are extra grippy and unlikely to slip in intense gaming sessions. The face buttons use clicky mechanical switches and they feel and sound exactly like clicking a mouse. In games I actually really appreciate this additional auditory feedback as in kart racers where you have to time when you start holding the gas, its good to be able to hear how far off you were.The D-Pad was my biggest worry and I can honestly say that I am relieved that this D-Pad is good. It is very easy to make a D-Pad that FEELS good and for most people that's all they need to speak highly of it. It's an entirely different challenge to make one that PERFORMS well. Most modern D-Pads I have used are too sensitive on diagonal inputs which makes certain retro games or fighting games pretty hard. With this each of the 8 directions have a noticeable click, and its hard to actuate a diagonal input unintentionally, even when you rock from 1 side to the other.Now on to the Linux sectionLet me start by reiterating that this DOES work... There are just a couple pretty nasty caveats. When I first got this controller, I saw that it supported both xinput and direct input and I assumed between one of those 2 that it would work. When the controller arrived and I go to plug it in for the first time it lights up in xinput mode... and then immediately turns off the light. I go around trying to follow the instructions to change the modes and it nothing happens at all. I then start poking around my system to try to debug whether the system even sees the controller and I end up spending 3 hours trying to figure out SOMETHING that would let me keep this glorious thing. Then later I found out that in order to change modes I had to HOLD the buttons as the controller is powering on and suddenly the first thing I thought to try turned out to be the solution. As for the "nasty caveats", the only mode on this controller that works with Linux is Android mode. Xinput mode immediately shuts off after it powers on, I couldn't figure out how to access the controller with direct input (though I didn't try very long), and Nintendo Switch mode ACTUALLY FREEZES MY SYSTEM. To add to this problem, this is a wired only controller that realistically you might want to leave connected to your system at all time. The problem with that though is that for some reason during the bootup process the controller tries to boot into Nintendo Switch mode so I either have to have it unplugged when booting my system, or babysit the controller so it boots into the correct mode. Also while I don't know exactly what is happening, I believe the controller is interfering with Steam's ability to launch as well, so it is best to not even plug it in until Steam launches.Once you have it working it performs really well. You lose access to features such as rumble and gyro, but a lot of configuration features of the controller are accessed from the controller itself, so you get access to stuff like hair trigger mode, switching A and B and X and Y, and most importantly, programmable back buttons. You can also adjust the lighting to one of four modes (which is better than nothing) and you can change their brightness or turn them off if you don't care about them. I do not have a windows machine to test if configuring it on windows will stick when you switch to Linux, but if that does then that would be great.Conclusion:Overall, if you are a Windows user, you are going to have absolutely 0 issues with this controller. It's an excellent controller and supposedly the configuration software is pretty good. If you are a Linux user and you are OK with all the workaround you need to do to get this controller to play nice with your system, then physically, there is nothing that should prevent you from enjoying this controller. Though again, on Linux, you DO need to leave it unplugged when you aren't using it.While I know that getting full Linux support is a lot to ask of any company, I would really like if GameSir at least tried to offer a bare minimum level of support for Linux (I.e. boots into a mode that works by default and not into a mode that hard freeze your system on boot). It is very clear from using this controller that the engineers considered every tiny detail of this controller and put a lot of love into polishing it to perfection, and I would love if future products by this company were more widely available on other platforms.

- UPDATE!! The latest firmware and app version allow for setting the polling rate up to 1000hz!! This means the input delay can be shaved down to sub 1ms!! Best value PC gamepad on the market hands down!!- The T4 Kaleid is a great gamepad for many reasons, and not just because that sexy black PCB and clear shell! There are so many great features this gamepad has to offer as well as long lasting components and low input delay for a responsive experience.- The controller is recognized as an Xbox 360 gamepad in Windows 11 (XB1 in Steam) (X360 in reWASD)- 4ms(250hz) consistent input delay in PC mode (8ms gyroscope)- 8ms(125hz) consistent input delay in Switch mode (used reWASD to emulate X360 gamepad to measure)- Overclocking this gamepad did nothing as the jitter is already non-existent and polling rate locked- I did not test the other input modes for the gamepad- The hall effect joysticks in this gamepad are not made by GuliKit but feel very similar to the ones found on the 8-BitDo Ultimate and less like the KingKong 2 Pro- There are no anti-friction rings but the plastic around my joysticks is very smooth not catching at all- Using the software, you have total control over the deadzones of both joysticks- You can set the joysticks to raw mode through the software and completely disable the outer deadzone offering more precision however this will affect the circularity of the joysticks in both PC and Switch mode (PC mode turns from a circle to a circular square and Switch mode turns completely square)- With the outer deadzones capped to 95% I was getting near perfect circularity readings- Face buttons are super long lasting but will be subjective, I wish the plastic was matte, not glossy but I enjoy that they are cushioned and offer a satisfying click much like a mouse (they take getting used to because there is no feeling of bottoming out)- Capture button is only detected when in Switch mode- While I do prefer symmetrical joystick layouts like the DualSense offers, this gamepad is very comfortable for long periods of gaming (very lightweight and ergonomic)- The gamepad is wired only, but for me this was no issue as I grew up in the 90s and offers longevity as well as reduces e-waste- The included cable is very decent quality, thick and braided but keep in mind that the hole on the gamepad where the cable goes will only accept oval shapes- The D-pad is not terrible and for single inputs is very accurate however I still prefer the membrane ones found on the 8-BitDo Ultimate especially for games like Mario and Donkey Kong- The back buttons are limited to being mapped as the other controller buttons which is expected, but they are very easy to change on the fly without the use of software- Lighting effects have presets and brightness levels that can be adjusted on the controller without need for software- Vibration levels can be adjusted without software- ABXY layout can be swapped on the fly without software- You can easily change between input modes by holding the GameSir logo button and ABXY buttons (by default my controller goes into Switch mode when booting into Windows so requires me to manually change it or unplug and re-plug)- Can set hair trigger mode without the use of software (hold M button + L or R trigger for about 4 seconds) however this does not work in Switch mode probably due to Switch using digital triggers- The triggers are also hall effect and feel very smooth and can be completely adjusted using the software- Contrary to other people, I had only 1 issue where the software crashed when I was changing lighting effects on the controller and personally I love that the software is easy to use and not bloated like something you might find by Razer or Logitech- Overall, I just can't think of a better gamepad for this price point. I own a KingKong 2 Pro, 8-Bitdo Ultimate, and have upgraded 3 sets of joy-cons with GuliKit replacement joysticks, and these are the best feeling hall effect sticks on the market right now in my opinion. I've tried to go back to my DualSense Edge a few times since my purchase and I just can't, and for the price of just 2 replacement pot sticks from Sony you could be the proud owner of this masterpiece! Keep up the great work GameSir!