Since the release of End Space on the Gear VR I keep getting emails about ‘What’s the best controller for Gear VR?’ So I made a list, here are the best controllers to use with the Samsung Gear VR. At the bottom of the article I go into more detail as to why some controllers don’t work.
SteelSeries Stratus XL
Recommended by Oculus, the SteelSeries Stratus XL works with both Windows and Android. It’s expensive at ($59.99 on Amazon) but it has top notch build quality and is really comfortable to hold.
Pros:
- Recommended by Oculus
- The best build quality of any controller for Android
- Comfortable to hold
- Windows support
Cons:
- Expensive
- Uses 2 AA batteries (Approx 40 hours playtime)
MOGA Pro / Moga Pro Power Controller
The Moga Pro and the newer Moga Pro Power are great gamepads. At $49.99 it’s cheaper than the SteelSeries, has a bracket to hold your phone if you want to play Android games outside of the Gear VR, and has a rechargeable battery that can charge your phone as well. No need to install the Moga Pivot app, just switch the controller to B mode and you are good to go on the Gear VR.
Pros:
- Rechargeable battery
- Comfortable to hold
- Good price point
- Long battery life
Cons:
- Build quality isn’t as nice as the Steelseries
- My preferred Moga Pro isn’t available easily, but you can find the newer Moga Pro Power all over.
- Android specific
GameSir G3s
The GameSir G3s comes highly recommend on Amazon with great reviews. It offers Windows / Android / PS3 support, and has a rechargeable battery. And at $42.99 on Amazon at the time of writing is the cheapest controller on this list.
Pros:
- Android / Windows / PS3 support
- Rechargeable battery
- Cheapest controller on the list
Cons:
- Some buttons lack good tactile feedback
- Windows support needs a dongle for Bluetooth connectivity
- Some people have reported connectivity problems
- Long term durability is unknown at this point
That is my list of the Best Controllers for the Gear VR. There are some cheaper controllers that are compatible but they aren’t good enough to be considered on a Best Of List. Of note is the PlayStation 4 controller. It’s a great controller but it’s not 100% Android compatible. I even wrote a guide on how to almost make it work, but the long story is, it doesn’t work. Save yourself the time and the hassle of trying to get something to work and pickup a controller off this list.
After buying a controller, make sure to check out my game Rewired being my favorite and the one I used on End Space does a great job. Oculus also provides a SDK for gamepads but it has the drawback for being limited to the Oculus platform SDK. Without using one of these plugins it’s up to a developer to try and support each gamepad individually, pretty much an impossible task.
Some controllers like the PS4 controller can connect to the Gear VR over Bluetooth. But they don’t pass a specific name to Android. It connects as ‘Wireless Controller’ not Sony DS4 controller or something you can uniquely identify. This makes it impossible to support it as a gamepad on Android because you can’t assign the right button mapping to a generic name. How can you support something without being able to identify it?
As a developer supporting gamepads is a difficult task because you have no idea what the end user is going to be using. As a consumer its hard to make decision because not every device is going to be supported by every developer. So no don’t expect your PS4 controller to work, or the cheap no name controller you bought off eBay for $5 from China that no one has heard of and then leave a bad review because the game doesn’t support it. Spend the money and get something recommended in the first place.
Is there a difference between End Space for Gear VR in the oculus store and the one in the Google Play store for Cardboard?
Yes it is a completely different game. Gear VR version has way better graphics, more levels, more weapon types, full controller flight support. If you have the Gear VR, go for the Gear VR version you won’t be disappointed.
Hi, i have the gamesir g3s but I cant make it work in the game, though it does work with the oculus and other games. Can i do something about it?
Thank you
The Gmaesir G3s works fine however sometimes you need to restart the phone and the controller and re-pair the Bluetooth connection. It should work fine after that.
Does it matter if the SteelSeries Stratus XL is wireless or not? Does the wired controller work better in terms of connectivity?
Wired controllers aren’t supported by the Gear VR. The wireless one is great. Plus you wouldn’t want any more wires hanging off your face.
Hi!
Have you tested out the new Xbone that has Bluetooth?
No not yet. Would be interested in hearing if it works though.
Works well for me. Just got a Gear VR, and made sure my firmware was current.
Did have a small issue which might just be me: i had to de-battery my new GearVR Controller thingy; otherwise the game took it as the preferred control option. I’m sure there’s a way around that; i’m just lazy :-)
The Gamesir G3 works with all the gear vr games?
Can’t guarantee that because every app is different and uses different methods of input. Android has no standard method of input for gamepads so every app will be different regardless of Gear VR or not. It’s a Android issue and its up to the developer of the apps to implement a way to communicate with all the different gamepads.
What about Nyko Playpad Pro, have any idea bout this one?
No idea, I have never seen it before.
Thanks for sharing wonderful information. I loved SteelSeries Stratus XL for my Gear VR controller.
SteelSeries Stratus XL is the best ( for me ) :)
Hello, bringing this post back… Does the wired XBOX controller work on the new Gear VR? It seems to support wired controllers but I cant seem to make it work with this game. How can I make it work?? Thanks!
Here is a list of supported controllers for End Space: https://guavaman.com/projects/rewired/docs/SupportedControllers.html
I haven’t tried to use a wired controller on the Gear VR in a while. But last time I tried the Gear VR didn’t support it and used the USB port only for charging, as it’s not a real USB port with data capabilities.