What with game streaming being in the news a whole heck of a lot recently, with Stadia shutting down, all the while, Logitech has a new handheld hitting the market soon. There has also been a rash of Android controllers released in the last few months that all offer Xbox branding (not to mention a free month of Cloud Gaming), signifying Xbox support, and one of the latest controllers hitting the market soon is the Gamevice Flex. The thing is, the Flex looks a heck of a lot like the Razer Kishi V1, and that's because Gamevice was partnered with Razer at the time the Kishi was released. Well, that partnership is over, with Razer now inspired by Backbone with the launch of the Kishi V2, which freed up Gamevice to take the design of the Kishi V1 and tweak it. So let's dig in and see precisely if these tweaks are worth it.
Short answer, Gamevice has done a bang-up job addressing the few issues of the Kishi V1. First and foremost, the Kishi V1 was having tons of trouble fitting the larger phones of 2022, especially gaming phones, so Gamevice has created more space to fit the larger devices out there and even includes a few different case adapters in the box to ensure a snug fit no matter the size of your phone or whether it's wearing a case. And I've put this to the test, having confirmed my Redmagic 7S Pro, which is the thickest gaming phone in my house by a large margin, fits perfectly fine with a case slapped on, something I can't say for the Kishi V1.
Gamevice, Gamevice Flex, and Razer Kishi V1
Of course, at first blush, the Gamevice Flex does look almost exactly like the Razer Kishi V1, but beyond the extra space to fit larger phones, there are also some small but noticeable changes. There's now a large Xbox button on the left that serves as the default home button, with face buttons that are much more colorful, matching a familiar Xbox layout. The USB-C charging port does remain for passthrough purposes, and you also get a separate headphone jack, which is absent on the Kishi V1. Even the footprint is a little different, with slightly larger grips in the back. One thing that hasn't changed is the rubber dome buttons, where it might have been nice to see the inclusion of Kailh switches under the face buttons and d-pad like the Kishi V2 and GameSir X2 Pro.
In the rear, the device unfolds just as the Kishi did, and the band that unfolds from the plate is just as stretchy and long as the Kishi's. The thumb sticks also remain the same size, and this time around, the rear triggers are analog (well, Hall Effect, to be specific), perfect for racing games.
All in all, there isn't a whole heck of a lot that's different with the Gamevice Flex in comparison to the Kishi V1, but the few changes that are here are big ones, as they address the major issues of the original, ensuring that just about any phone will fit, with a plethora of adapters in the box to secure all phones snugly, all while providing improved triggers and a headphone jack. Not too shabby.
Of course, the price will be a factor, as much like the competition, Gamevice has settled on $100 for the Gamevice Flex, a comparable expense to the Kishi V2, though the GameSir X2 Pro undercuts both at $80 while sporting similar improvements like more considerable phone support and analog triggers.
Having spent several weeks testing the Gamevice Flex, I can say it's a quality controller that easily competes with the top Android controllers out there. Perhaps because Gamevice had a solid foundation to start with, none of this is very surprising, though more competition is undoubtedly welcome, especially when Gamevice has offered such a solid track record over the years with its iOS and Android controllers. Sure, the design of the Flex may feel a little dated at this point, but who cares when the controller works so well? So if you're in the market for a new controller but haven't been able to decide between Razer and GameSir, Gamevice is hitting the ground running with the Flex, launching on October 25th for $100 with pre-orders available right now.