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The Samsung Galaxy Book6 Enterprise Edition is a heavyweight business laptop that uses Intel’s latest 300 series silicon.

Samsung Galaxy Book6 EE: 30-second review

Samsung's Galaxy Book series has always aimed at the sensible middle of the market. Not the cheapest, not the most powerful, but reliably built and tightly integrated with the rest of the Galaxy ecosystem. The Book6 Enterprise Edition continues that tradition, but with a genuinely interesting processor under the hood and an Enterprise deployment capability.

Intel's Core Ultra Series 3, codename Panther Lake, marks the company's first laptop silicon on the 18A process node. In the Pro and Ultra models debuting this cycle, the architecture shows its teeth. The standard Book6 EE is more restrained, using the Core Ultra 5 325 or Ultra 7 355 variants with Intel's integrated Xe3 graphics rather than the Arc B390 iGPU found in the Pro. That distinction matters, and we will come back to it.

What the standard Book6 EE does well is the things most buyers actually need. The battery life is genuinely long, the build quality feels solid for the price, and the symmetrical redesign is a clear improvement over earlier generations. The new 16:10 IPS WUXGA display gives more vertical real estate than before, even if it cannot match the OLED richness of the Pro tier.

The elephant in this room is the Pro model. At launch, the Galaxy Book6 Pro 16-inch is not dramatically more than the top Book6 EE configuration, and it brings a 3K AMOLED display, stronger integrated graphics and better thermal headroom. For buyers who plan to push the machine hard, that price gap becomes hard to ignore.

But the standard Book6 EE is not trying to be the Pro. It is aimed at everyday professionals and Galaxy ecosystem users who want a well-rounded machine at a sensible entry price. On those terms, it largely succeeds.

However, some of the Samsung-imposed limitations, like the USB ports, stop this from entering our hallowed best business laptops hall of fame.

Samsung Galaxy Book6 EE: Price and availability

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• How much does it cost? From £1405
• When is it out? Available now in UK
• Where can you get it? Direct from Samsung B2B

The Galaxy Book6 was announced at CES in January 2026 and went on sale in the UK from 11 March 2026. European pre-orders opened from 25 February.

It's available in US via Samsung, but also on Amazon, where prices start from $1280.

UK pricing starts at £1405 for the 14-inch model with a Core Ultra 5 processor, 16GB RAM and 512GB of storage. A 16-inch Core Ultra 7 model with 32GB and 512GB of storage sits at the top of the standard Book6 range at £1,809.

One with the specifications of the review hardware that includes the Core 7 Ultra 355 CPU, 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage isn’t yet listed, but it’s likely to be north of £2000 based on these choices.

What also makes buying one directly from Samsung or one of its partner retailers so confusing is that it's still selling the Book5 and Book4 models, and some of these seem to be much better value for money, especially at the higher end.

As there are so many SKUs, here is a grid of what is available purely on the Book6 EE products in the UK.

Project

SKU Code

CPU Class

Memory/SSD

Cost

GB6 14 vPro

NP742BJG-KA2UK

U5v

16G/512G

£ 1,449

GB6 14 vPro

NP742BJG-KG3UK

U7v

32G/512G

£ 1,809

GB6 EE 14

NP744BJG-KA2UK

U5

16G/512G

£ 1,409

GB6 EE 14

NP744BJG-KG1UK

U7

16G/512G

£ 1,509

GB6 EE 14

NP744BJG-KG3UK

U7

32G/512G

£ 1,769

GB6 EE 16

NP764BJG-KA2UK

U5

16G/512G

£ 1,509

GB6 EE 16

NP764BJG-KG1UK

U7

16G/512G

£ 1,609

GB6 EE 16

NP764BJG-KG3UK

U7

32G/512G

£ 1,869

For those wondering, these machines are roughly about £150 more than the equivalent retail models, though they do come with some differences that I’ll mention later.

The immediate competition in the UK includes the Acer Swift 16 AI, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5, and the ASUS Vivobook S 16. None of those offers the same Galaxy AI integration, though most come with an OLED option at comparable prices. The standard Book6 does not offer this screen technology, and the Enterprise Edition does not either unless you have a Pro model.

In terms of price, the extra cost over the retail Book6 seems plausible given what these machines might save a company in admin, but the baseline Book6 on which they’ve been built is expensive compared with the Book5 that came before it.

For those with money to burn, the Book6 Ultra Enterprise Edition 16-inch comes with a Core Ultra 7 processor, 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and an Nvidia 5060 mobile GPU for an astonishing £3,619.

• Value: 3 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Book6 EE: Specs

Item

Spec

Hardware:

Samsung Galaxy Book6 NP760VJG-KG5UK (16 inch, as reviewed)

CPU:

Intel Core Ultra 7 355 (Series 3, Panther Lake)

GPU:

Intel Graphics 4 Xe3

NPU:

Intel NPU, 49 TOPS

RAM:

32GB LPDDR5X (soldered)

Storage:

1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD

Screen:

16-inch IPS WUXGA, 1920 x 1200, 120Hz, 16:10

Ports:

2x USB-C (one for charging), 2x USB-A 3.2, 1x HDMI, 1x RJ-45 LAN, 3.5mm audio

Camera:

FHD 2MP webcam

Networking:

Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4

Dimensions:

357.7 x 249.9 x 14.9 mm

Weight:

1.74 kg (16-inch)

OS:

Windows 11 Pro (pre-installed)

Battery:

68Wh Super Fast Charging 2.0

PSU:

45W (20V 2.25A) USB-C

Samsung Galaxy Book6 EE: Design

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• Symmetrical layout
• Aluminium chassis in dark grey
• Lots of ports
• 1.8 kg, heavier than the Pro at 1.56 kg

Samsung gave the entire Book6 range a visible redesign. The most immediately striking change is the symmetrical layout. The keyboard and trackpad are centred in the chassis, and the Samsung logo sits dead centre on the lid. It sounds like a minor adjustment, but in practice, it gives the whole machine a tidier, more composed appearance than its predecessors.

The chassis is aluminium throughout. Samsung's finish is understated, a satin dark grey that resists fingerprints reasonably well and gives nothing away about the modest price. The build feels solid, if anything its overly well-constructed. There is a little flex in the keyboard deck under pressure, but the lid is firm, and the hinge is nicely weighted.

At 1.8 kg, the 16-inch Book6 EE is not a machine you forget is in your bag. The Pro model, by comparison, weighs just 1.56 kg. For a single day of commuting, the difference is not dramatic. Over a week of travel, it becomes relevant. If portability is the primary concern, the Pro or something under 1.4 kg would serve better.

The keyboard has been redesigned with a symmetrical key layout and slightly larger keycaps. The backlight is present across all models, and, as a special feature of the EE design, there is a numeric keypad. The trackpad is generously sized for a Windows machine, though it is a standard mechanical unit. The haptic trackpad is reserved for the Ultra.

Port selection on the 16-inch model covers the basics: two USB-C ports (one supports USB PD charging), a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port, a full-size HDMI output, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a physical RJ-45 LAN port. That last port is a welcome inclusion. Most thin laptops omit it entirely. The 14-inch model loses the LAN port, I believe.

The biggest issues here are the weight, which is over 300g heavier than the equivalent Acer Swift 16 AI, and some of the port choices.

If you are encouraging upper-body development among your staff and discouraging them from plugging anything in, this might be a good fit for your business.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

I should also mention that there are no visible screws on this machine, so getting inside is problematic if you were thinking about upgrading the internal storage. As the memory is soldered, that’s a non-starter for adding more, even if you can get the case apart.

If you do pull the feet off and find the hidden screws, then you can get inside and discover an unused M.2 2280 slot ready to populate. Normally, this would be a reason for some celebration, but being realistic, the hidden screws would put off most owners before they discovered the upgrade path.

The move from 16:9 to 16:10 in the Book6 display is a welcome one. The extra vertical space makes a practical difference when writing documents or scrolling through code, and it brings the machine in line with competitors that adopted the format a year or two earlier.

The resolution is WUXGA, 1920 x 1200 on the 16-inch panel. That is not a headline number in a market where the Pro ships with a 3K AMOLED screen, but at 16 inches, it is a perfectly acceptable pixel density for everyday use.

IPS has well-known characteristics. Colour accuracy and brightness are adequate for productivity work. Contrast is reasonable, but you will not see the deep blacks or vivid saturation of an OLED. Glossy coating is available on the touchscreen models; the standard display is matte, which suits office use.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• Design: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Book6 EE: Hardware

• Intel Core Ultra 7 355 (Panther Lake, Intel 18A)
• Intel integrated Xe3 graphics (4 Xe cores)
• 49 TOPS NPU for local AI tasks
• USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports

Before I talk about the platform, I’d like to cover how the Enterprise Edition is different to the retail Book6.

For starters, the retail models don’t offer vPro specification processors, although equally, it is only an option on the 14-inch Enterprise Edition machines.

The Enterprise Edition was built for enterprise deployment with customised OS imaging, BIOS configuration and asset tagging capabilities. It also supports Windows Autopilot and BIOS-level logo customisation, allowing organisations to deploy standardised systems at scale. These are nice-to-haves but hardly critical Enterprise features.

What is more important is that this build adds a discrete Trusted Platform Module for enhanced encryption and credential protection, IR facial recognition alongside the fingerprint reader, and aligns with NIST platform security requirements while integrating Samsung Knox protections. Therefore, if you wish to manage a fleet of company laptops from invasive threats, then the Enterprise Editions are better suited.

These things might not be relevant to smaller enterprises, but to Enterprise customers who are aiming to manage large computer inventories with modest IT resources, they could be critical. Anyway, let’s cover what is under the hood.

Intel's Core Ultra Series 3 represents a meaningful change in the processor landscape. Built on the new 18A process node, Panther Lake is Intel's return to fab leadership after several years on TSMC. The architecture separates high-performance P-cores from efficiency E-cores more distinctly than before, and the NPU has grown substantially. The 49 TOPS figure here qualifies the Book6 as a Copilot+ PC, but that’s not the whole story.

The Core Ultra 7 355 in the top 16-inch Book6 configuration is a U-series part, designed for efficiency rather than all-out performance. It handles web browsing, document editing, light photo work and video calls without any meaningful strain. The integrated Xe3 graphics are improved over the previous generation. Samsung quotes 41% better graphical performance than the Book5, but it is still a step below the Arc B390 iGPU in the Pro, which brings 12 Xe3 cores and a larger shader array.

As a reviewer, I find Intel's return to the ‘Intel Graphics’ naming convention patently idiotic and designed to intentionally confuse the customer. The silicon here is based on the Battlemage work Intel did for its discrete video card range, the one it seems so intent on killing.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The review unit arrives with 32GB of LPDDR5X, which is the right amount for a machine positioned to handle AI workloads alongside a regular productivity stack. The base SKUs start at 16GB, which is workable but leaves less headroom as Galaxy AI features grow more demanding. Either way, the RAM is soldered throughout the range. The configuration you order is the one you keep.

The problem with not having more than 32GB of RAM is that it effectively caps how many local LLMs you can realistically run, even if the combined TOPS of the CPU, GPU, and NPU is decent.

This is where the platform truly shines for day-to-day local assistant use, running models like Llama 3.1 (8B) or Gemma 2 (9B) using standard 4-bit or 5-bit quantisation (e.g., Q4_K_M or Q5_K_M). Smaller models like Llama 3.2 (1B/3B), Microsoft Phi 3.5, or Qwen 2.5 (3B) run exceptionally well, and it is possible to load and run slightly heavier models such as Mistral Nemo (12B) or Qwen 2.5 (14B).

The sweet spot for AI is undoubtedly the 7B to 9B parameter models, where this hardware can easily generate 12 to 20 tokens per second. Modes at Q4 quantisation in this range typically require around 5 GB to 6 GB of memory. This leaves plenty of extra memory within your 32 GB pool to significantly increase the context window, maybe up to 32K, without risking out-of-memory crashes.

However, the hardware on this machine isn’t all good news.

For an inexplicable reason, Samsung decided that customers who may have spent between £1500 and £2000 on a laptop didn’t deserve USB4 or Thunderbolt 4. To put that in perspective, a mini PC, like the GMKtec NucBox M6 Ultra, comes with USB4 for £239.99.

What’s super annoying about this omission is that the Intel processors in this platform all come with USB4 inherently; Samsung just couldn’t be bothered to wire it up.

Some IT person reading this is probably thinking, “That’s no big deal, we disabled all the USBs anyway”. Well, on the basis that you need those ports to recharge, good luck with that plan.

In all honesty, I couldn’t recommend a machine costing this much that didn’t come with a USB-C type port that was only USB 3.2 Gen 2.

• Hardware: 3.5 / 5

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Samsung Galaxy Book6 EE: Performance

Laptops

Samsung Galaxy Book6 EE

Acer Swift Edge 14 AI

CPU

Intel Core Ultra 7 355

Intel Core Ultra 7 258V

Cores/Threads

8C 8T

8C 8T

TPD

8W-25W

17W-37W

RAM

32GB LPDDR5 7467MT/s

32GB LPDDR5X

SSD

Samsung PM9C1 1TB

1TB Kingston OM8PGP4102Q

Graphics

Intel Graphics 4 (40 TOPS)

Intel Arc 140V

NPU

Intel NPU (49 TOPS)

Intel NPU (47 TOPS)

3DMark

WildLife

21,590

20,983

FireStrike

6065

8003

TimeSpy

3365

4065

Steel Nomad.L

2529

2989

CineBench24

Single

109

120

Multi

614

389

Ratio

5.64

3.24

GeekBench 6

Single

2733

2757

Multi

11466

11148

OpenCL

24373

29692

Vulkan

28359

33890

CrystalDIsk

Read MB/s

7053

4805

Write MB/s

5969

3905

PCMark 10

Office

7739

8206

Battery

18h 04m

18h 28m

Battery

Whr

61.2

65

PSU

45W

100W

WEI

Score

8.4

8.8

For my comparison, I've used the Acer TravelMate P6 14 AI, since it shows what's changed from the 200 series to the new 300 series platforms.

I know that the 300 series architecture is an improvement over the 200 series, so why do these numbers not show that is the first obvious question.

From a processing perspective, the Intel Core Ultra 7 355 doesn’t deliver the same punch as the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V on single-threaded tasks, but it is better on multi-threading in some tasks.

But where it falls down considerably is in graphics performance, as the Intel Graphics 4 platform can’t hold a candle to the Arc 140V GPU on previous-generation chips.

It’s worth saying that some of the 300 series have the Arc B390 iGPU, but not this one, sadly. The focus, as it has been since the 100 series, is all on efficiency, and the 300 is certainly power efficient.

The headline battery claim from Samsung is 24 hours of video playback on the 16-inch model. That is a marketing number tested under controlled conditions, and real-world use will land somewhere south of that.

In my tests, it ran the PCMark battery test for an impressive 18 hours and 4 minutes, which is slightly under what the Acer Swift Edge 14 AI managed, but with a smaller battery. That’s enough for the longest working day that most people will likely encounter, and some.

For those wanting to truly burn the midnight oil, the Pro model has either a 78.07 or 67.18 Wh battery, and the Ultra packs a huge 80.20 Wh of capacity.

What helps battery life is that the 120Hz panel drops to 30Hz adaptively when content is static, which Samsung says cuts display power consumption by around 15% on the 16-inch model. That is a meaningful contribution to overall battery life in day-to-day use.

Super Fast Charging 2.0 brings the battery from flat to 33% in 30 minutes. That is useful for a quick top-up between meetings. A full charge will take considerably longer, especially since this model only comes with a 45W PSU. The system is calibrated to that power supply, as using a 100W USB-C charger didn’t speed up the charging process for me.

Overall, while performance in some respects is strong, the way Intel added better multitasking while reducing GPU performance might be an issue for graphics users.

• Performance: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Samsung Galaxy Book6 EE: Final verdict

The Galaxy Book6 is a confident and well-executed entry into the Panther Lake era for Samsung's mainstream laptop line. The build quality is good, if heavy, and the battery endurance is among the strongest you will find at this size. And the Galaxy AI integration is more practical than most of the AI laptop marketing that has dominated the past two years.

However, there are some significant flaws in this concept that appear specifically designed to encourage up-selling to the Book6 Pro series. Chief amongst these is the omission of the OLED display from this tier, making the IPS display merely adequate rather than impressive. The soldered RAM demands careful configuration from the start, and a machine costing more than £2000 that offers only USB 3.2 Gen2 is laughable in this era.

What I've since been told by Samsung is that the vPro models have USB4, which seems an excessive price premium merely to get a feature that all processors on this platform inherently have.

When I first got this machine, I was impressed by how many ports it had, despite the trend toward minimalist layouts. Except it needs those ports, because adding a docking station to this hardware when you only have USB 3.2 Gen 2 to connect is a pointless exercise.

For anyone coming to the Galaxy Book range for the first time, or Windows users who want something reliable, well-built and future-ready at an accessible entry point, the Book6 EE makes a reasonable case. However, if you don’t use AI locally, the Book5 and Book4 models make an even better one from a value and feature perspective.

Those with more demanding needs, the jump to Pro is worth the premium, leaving the base Book6 EE somewhat adrift.

Should you buy a Samsung Galaxy Book6 EEI?

Value

Expensive for a machine without OLED or Thunderbolt

3/5

Design

Spacious and elegant, but hard work on wrists

4/5

Hardware

Intel Core Ultra 300 Series CPU, but no easy upgrades

3.5/5

Performance

Efficient and useful for local AI

4/5

Overall

For the money, most customers would expect more

4/5

Buy it if...

You are in the Samsung ecosystem
You are in the Samsung ecosystem. The Galaxy AI features are noticeably better when paired with a Galaxy phone, and the cross-device features, shared clipboard, file handoff and continued calls, are genuinely useful if you are already carrying a Galaxy handset.

You need a physical LAN port
It sounds basic, but a built-in RJ-45 on a slim 16-inch laptop is rare. If your workplace or home office involves wired connections, this matters.

Don't buy it if...

You need the best display you can get
The WUXGA IPS panel does the job, but the Galaxy Book6 Pro's 3K AMOLED is in a different class and not dramatically more expensive. If the screen is where you spend most of your time, spend slightly more.

You carry your laptop everywhere, every day
At 1.74 kg, the 16-inch Book6 EE is not a massive burden, but it is not light either. The Pro at 1.56 kg makes a more comfortable daily companion for heavy travellers.View Deal

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The GameSir X5 Lite focuses on the basics to deliver a solid mobile controller — but how well does it actually game?

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GameSir X5 Lite: one-minute review

The GameSir X5 Lite is a basic mobile controller designed to work with Android and iOS devices ranging from 105mm / 4.13 inches to 213mm / 8.39 inches long.

It has a functional and minimalist form with little fanfare. It looks more striking in its green ‘Wasabi’ guise, but this is about the only flourish the controller displays. There’s no lighting, save for a small LED ring around the GameSir button.

The build quality of the X5 Lite is quite good. The materials don’t feel as premium as those of the best mobile controllers, but they’re sufficient nonetheless. Thankfully, GameSir doesn’t seem to have skimped on the engineering of the central retractable bar; its spring mechanism is as smooth and strong as I could’ve wished for, while still being fairly easy to pull apart.

(Image credit: Future)

The X5 Lite provides a secure fit for your phone, thanks to the selection of silicone pads provided. The USB-C jack also provides a strong connection, and it flexes to make it easier to insert. The X5 Lite also features a USB-C port for passthrough phone charging, which is a nice touch and is positioned to allow for its use while gaming.

Speaking of which, the gaming performance of the X5 Lite is very good. The grips are ergonomic and comfortable, although they might be too small for those with larger hands. Thanks to their generous dampening, the buttons are satisfying and easy to press. The same can be said about the bumpers and triggers, although these are a little more snappy, which is ideal. The D-pad is very easy and comfortable to use, too.

The real highlight of the X5 Lite, though, is its Hall Effect analog sticks. Despite their small size, they’re smooth and precise, and rebound quickly to their starting position. They’re also very comfortable, thanks to the ergonomic caps.

It's a shame that the GameSir app doesn’t offer much in the way of adjustments or customizations, and the hardware of the X5 Lite can’t be swapped out. However, given its relatively low price, the X5 Lite is a great value mobile controller all the same.

(Image credit: Future)GameSir X5 Lite review: Price & availability

• $34.99 / £34.99 / AU$44.99
• Available now in black and light green
• Budget end of the market

The GameSir X5 Lite costs $34.99 / £34.99 / AU$44.99 and is available now. It comes in two colorways: black and a light green shade called Wasabi.

This is a great price for a mobile controller of this caliber. It may lack the sophistication and customization options of more premium models, but it does the basics very well.

For a more upmarket experience, you could try the Razer Kishi V3 Pro. This has bigger grips, so more players should be able to get their hands around it. Its app also allows for far more adjustments than GameSir’s. The V3 Pro is considerably more expensive than the X5 Lite, although its antecedent, the Rishi Ultra, is now considerably cheaper, yet offers comparable performance.

If it’s hardware customization you want, but still don’t want to spend the earth, there’s the GameSir G8+ MFi. This model features swappable stick caps and face buttons, as well two extra buttons on the back of each grip.

GameSir X5 Lite review: Specs

GameSir X5 Lite

Price

$34.99 / £34.99 / AU$44.99

Dimensions

7.74 x 3.48 x 1.82 inches / 196.7 x 88.3 x 46.2mm

Weight

4.8oz / 135g

Connection

Wired (USB-C)

Compatibility

Android, iOS

Software

GameSir App (Android, iOS)

(Image credit: Future)GameSir X5 Lite review: Design and features

• Functional appearance
• Secure fit for phones
• Basic app

The X5 Lite puts function first, with its chunky, ergonomic grips standing out above all else. There’s no RGB lighting here, just a small LED ring around the GameSir button at the bottom of the right grip.

The black colorway is a little bland, but the light green version, which GameSir calls Wasabi, is certainly more conspicuous. There are also yellow accents on the bases of the analog sticks and on the inside of the central bar.

It feels quite well made, although the plastics don’t look or feel particularly upmarket. They should hold up well enough, however, and they’re a fair compromise given how light the X5 Lite is; this truly a mobile gamepad.

More impressive, though, is its sliding mechanism for the phone slot. There’s a lot of resistance, which is a positive since it provides a strong clasp for your device. A good tug or drop will likely dislodge it, but under normal usage your phone shouldn’t go anywhere. Despite this, it isn’t too difficult to prise open, since it slides very smoothly.

The secure fit is also aided by the silicone pad inserts on the inside of the grips. There are three to choose from, each with different thicknesses in order to accommodate various phone sizes and phone cases. I had no trouble finding ones that allowed my test phone — the Xiaomi 17T with a case attached — to fit inside the X5 Lite. They’re easy to replace, too.

Unlike some mobile controllers, the X5 Lite doesn’t have wireless connectivity. Instead, there’s a USB-C jack tucked inside the left grip. Thankfully, it’s flexible enough to connect to your phone easily. However, this does mean you have no choice but to orient your phone with the power and volume buttons at the bottom, which some users might find inconvenient.

There’s also a USB-C port on the bottom of the left grip to allow for passthrough charging of your phone. This is a good location as it doesn’t get in the way; my palm just managed to curve around my charging cable as I held the controller.

You can download the GameSir mobile app to adjust various settings on the X5 Lite, but the options here are limited. You can alter the deadzone of both sticks, and switch the face buttons from an Xbox to a Switch layout, but that’s it.

This pales in comparison to the number of tweaks available in other controller software. Also, there’s supposed to be a setting to let you control your phone’s UI with the X5 Lite, but I couldn’t see this option anywhere.

(Image credit: Future)GameSir X5 Lite review: Performance

• Comfortable but small grips
• Satisfying button presses
• Precise and fast analog sticks

In action, the X5 Lite is excellent. The grips are a little stunted compared to more traditional gamepads, which meant I could only get my first two fingers fully around them. This wasn’t uncomfortable for me, but those with bigger hands might struggle to hold the pad securely.

The face buttons are very satisfying to press, owing to their dampening. They’re also very snappy and responsive, and are easy to hit thanks to their positioning and spacing.

This is also true of the shoulder buttons. I had no issue reaching either the bumpers or the triggers with my fingers, and their ergonomic shape makes them comfortable to rest on. The bumpers have a satisfying click to them, and although they’re slightly less damped than the face buttons, they’re certainly not harsh. Additionally, they provide enough feedback to inspire confidence that they’ve registered, too.

If anything, the triggers feel even better. Striking the ideal balance between clicky and damped, they again offer satisfying feedback and have a generous amount of travel. It’s a shame they aren’t analog, although it has to be said not many mobile games make use of such triggers.

Perhaps the highlight of the X5 Lite is its Hall Effect analog sticks. They’re much smoother than I was expecting, moving effortlessly and snapping back to the center with plenty of spring. They’re also impressively solid, with next to no play to them.

What’s more, they offer plenty of control, despite their small size. I had no problem performing complex and nuanced movements in games such as Hitman Blood Money — Reprisal or Lara Croft: Guardian of Light. In fact, they even rival those of the best PC controllers.

They’re also comfortable to use, thanks to their caps being soft to the touch and slightly indented. Like the best Xbox controllers, they’re laid out asymmetrically, which I and many others find more ergonomic.

The D-pad in the X5 Lite is very easy to use. It’s light and forgiving, with plenty of dampening and travel in all directions, which makes it more comfortable than many others I’ve experienced. Pressing multiple directions in quick succession, therefore, is a cinch, even though it’s topped with a traditional four-pronged hat, rather than a more modern circular one.

I didn’t experience any connectivity issues during my time with the X5 Lite. The USB jack maintained a secure connection and I didn’t have any concerns about it coming loose at any point.

Should I buy the GameSir X5 Lite?Buy it if…

You want to plug and go
There’s no setup required to get the X5 Lite working with your phone — just plug it in and away you go.

You want great analog sticks
All inputs on the X5 Lite are great to use, but the analog sticks really impressed me with their smoothness and precision.

Don't buy it if…

You have big hands
The grips on the X5 Lite aren’t very large, and they aren’t replaceable, so if they don’t fit your hands, there’s not much you can do about it.

You want lots of hardware customizations
Unlike other mobile controllers, such as the GameSir G8+ MFi, you can’t swap out the hardware of the X5 Lite to meet any exacting requirements you may have.

GameSir X5 Lite review: Also consider

GameSir X5 Lite

Razer Kishi V3 Pro

GameSir G8+ MFi

Price

$34.99 / £34.99 / AU$44.99

$149.99 / £149.99 / AU$269.95

$79.99 / £79.99 / AU$129.99

Dimensions

7.74 x 3.48 x 1.82 inches / 196.7 x 88.3 x 46.2mm

4.36 x 9.64 x 2.53 inches / 110.8 x 244.8 x 64.3mm

9.02 x 4.20 x 2.13 inches / 229 x 106.8 x 54.2mm

Weight

4.8oz / 135g

0.59 lbs / 268g

10.72oz / 304g

Connection type

Wired (USB-C)

Wired (USB-C)

Wired (USB-C)

Compatibility

Android, iOS

Android, iPhone, iPad Mini,

Android, iOS

Software

GameSir App (Android, iOS)

Razer Nexus App (Android, iOS)

GameSir App (Android, iOS)

GameSir G8+ MFi
The G8+ MFi features analog Hall Effect triggers and sticks, whereas the X5 Lite only has Hall Effect sticks. The grips are larger, too, which means they should accommodate more hand sizes. What’s more, it has swappable parts, with three analog stick caps included in the box. Read our full GameSir G8+ MFi review.

Razer Kishi V3 Pro
A more premium option, the V3 Pro evinces Razer’s attention to quality and ergonomics. Its large grips should prove comfortable for most hand sizes, while the companion app offers plenty of tweaks and features. We also noted in our review that the precursor to V3 Pro, the Kishi Ultra, can now be had for a lot less than its original asking price, yet it performs just as well as the V3 Pro in our estimation. Read our full Razer Kishi V3 Pro review.

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the GameSir X5 Lite

• Tested for several days
• Played different games
• Plentiful gaming experience

I tested the GameSir X5 Lite for several days. I used it with two different Android phones: the Google Pixel 7a and the Xiaomi 17T. I used the different silicone pads that came in the box.

I played Hitman: Blood Money — Reprisal, Lara Croft: Guardian of Light, and Asphalt Legends. I downloaded GameSir’s mobile app to try out its various features and customizations.

I’ve been gaming for decades, and have used all kinds of systems in that time, from home consoles and PCs to laptops and other handheld systems. I also have plenty of experience with controllers, and have reviewed a number of them before, including another mobile model from GameSir, the GameSir X4 Aileron.

• Read more about how we test
• First reviewed June 2026

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