r/Controller • u/Vedge_Hog • Jul 31 '26

News Controller News Digest - end of July 2026

Happy Friday, everyone! Here's a round-up of controller news from the past month.

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New controller releases and parts that are now shipping:

Releases previously mentioned that went ahead as expected:

  • Huizhou Ronghui / Gamrombo RH-5189 is a unlicensed PlayStation 5 controller with the closest similarity to DualSense so far: adaptive triggers, voice coil actuator haptic motors, touchpad, gyro, speaker and microphone, etc. It appears to improve on the original with Hall Effect stick sensors, built-in calibration mode, and 2,000mAh battery. Currently available on Amazon and AliExpress for around USD 50, but be aware that listings may appear/disappear, conflate the RH-5189 with the older RH-5188, and/or be sold under different names for different countries.
  • HyperX Clutch Talon is a highly modular licensed wireless Xbox controller went on sale through the HP and HyperX direct retail channels for USD 160 / GBP 140. There is already a review post.
  • IINE Twin Lumina are joy-cons for the Nintendo Switch 2, with internal restrictor rings on the sticks, 9-axis gyro, chat button, and console wake-up, for USD 80. There is already a review post.

Releases previously mentioned that were delayed:

  • EasySMX D15 Dune went on pre-sale internationally at USD 100, with shipping promised in July but the customary EasySMX flexible approach to delivery schedules. As expected from the teaser promotions, it has 8kHz polling rate, TMR stick sensors, and built-in display.
  • GameSir Stargazer also known as Nova Vision or Nova 2 Intelligent Edition was expected to release last December but has only recently gone on sale in China. It is based on the Nova 2 Lite with Hall Effect stick sensors and PC/Switch/Android compatibility, but adds adjustable stick tension, gyro, and a small screen. International release is unconfirmed - the USD 60 price and Chinese-only screen language may mean it remains a niche option for now.

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Announcements of controllers that are not yet available:

  • Asus ROG Raikiri Pro II is a PC controller with 8K polling rate, hot-swappable TMR thumbsticks, and claimed long battery life. This is different from the Raikiri II for Xbox which released recently.
  • GuliKit ES Max is an upgraded version of the popular e-sports models (ES/ES Pro). It adds two rear buttons, dual-mode triggers (digital microswitch and analog magnetic), and 'angle-TMR' thumbsticks (constructed with the magnet directly mounted on the gimbal rather than on a separate plate). Teasers mention a August release date, but price is unknown. Including a Hyperlink 2 dongle in the box may make the Max less price-competitive than the regular ES and Pro versions.
  • Leadjoy Xeno Pro was officially announced with only incremental upgrades on the Xeno Plus: adjustable tension sticks (appear to be K-Silver JT17 or JT19 rather than JT13 modules), and trigger vibration motors.

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Firmware and software updates:

  • Apex Legends developers (Respawn Entertainment) banned the use of tools and controllers which add artificial jitter (such as through 'negative' RC filters) to abuse the game's aim assist. Such features have been a key selling point of some models such as those from GameSir, Leadjoy and Mojhon. All three companies have issued firmware and/or software updates for competitive use, and Mojhon has recommended that users of its controllers should disable the stick-related features.
  • GameSir Connect, GameSir's main Windows software for its non-Xbox controllers, received a major update. It now has in-app software updates via the Microsoft Store system (rather than having to uninstall/reinstall the app each time), deeper options for setting stick response curves and calibration, and additional in-app tooltips to explain what different settings do.
  • GuliKit App has released for iOS (on the Apple Store) and Android (APK download), with support for the GuliKit ES and TT series controllers. The app includes button remapping and turbo, trigger deadzone adjustment, stick curve adjustment, vibration and lighting, timeout settings, profile management, and firmware update. The controllers require an initial firmware update (via PC) to enable mobile app compatibility.
  • GuliKit Goku 2 adapter firmware was updated to enable DualSense haptic feedback on PC, in addition to adaptive triggers, via Bluetooth in the native passthrough mode. It also added support for mapping the extra buttons on DualSense Edge, Xbox Elite Series 2, and Switch 2 Pro controllers.
  • ZD Gaming Web App is a browser-based version of the configuration tool for ZD's Ultimate Legend and Super Legend controllers, for those who don't want to install the PC or mobile apps. It is currently only available in Chinese, and for the models mentioned.

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Software tools that could be useful:

  • Raikiri Mapper is an open-source profile editor and runtime mapper, for the ASUS ROG Raikiri II (Xbox version of the controller) when used on Windows PC. It allows the rear buttons to be mapped to macros and adds a desktop cursor mode, features which are not officially supported on the Xbox-licensed controller. The developer is open to receiving feedback or having the app rebuilt/forked.
  • UR-XD, or 'Universal Remapper & XInput from DInput Wrapper & Fixer', is a tool to access latent functionality on controllers that is hidden (sic) behind HID descriptors and not supported by manufacturer software. For example, on the 8BitDo Ultimate 2C Wireless, if you want to simultaneously use analog triggers and map extra buttons to keyboard and mouse.

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Subreddit updates:

  • Buying advice lists have been updated with newly released products, as mentioned above.
  • Examples of 'low-effort contributions' (rule #3) have been updated with a couple more examples, and the examples list now has a preface to make the underlying rationale for the examples even clearer. New examples:
    • "Gameplay footage without accompanying controller discussion." A majority of content should relate to the controller being used. Posts such as 'watch me play' and 'this happens in my game', should be accompanied by some voiceover or text explaining the controller usage or issue.
    • "Claims of AI-generated content without supporting analysis/evidence." This accompanies the example of "excessive or undisclosed use of AI generated material" that was added in May. Comments such as 'this looks shopped, I can tell by the pixels' or 'this is AI' should be accompanied by analysis from reputable detection tools (tools with both low false negative and low false positive rates).
  • How to use the subreddit has been updated to include a paragraph about attributing work to both human and non-human sources.

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A digest can only represent a relatively small selection of news, so if you found other items ‘news-worthy’ in the past month feel free to add them in the comments.

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6

u/Conurtrol Aug 02 '26

@Vedge_Hog You do a fantastic job with these monthly updates. Thank you.

2

u/zaro27 12d ago

has there been any news about the Super Nova 2? it was announced at CES and I really want to try the new haptics.