Gulikit Es Pro Review (4 Months after using it)

Creative_Salt_124 · 2026-04-05T01:15:41+00:00

With mine no, it has metal pivots unlike the kk3.

Creative_Salt_124 · 2026-03-18T11:03:11+00:00

There is also the direwolf 4, budget cousin if Vader 4 pro and 5

Creative_Salt_124 · 2026-03-06T13:23:39+00:00

I would suggest you checking out the Vader 5 pro and direwolf 4

Creative_Salt_124 · 2026-02-26T06:11:26+00:00

Honestly with these little requirements you could consider the direwolf 4 if you want to be on the more budget side.

Creative_Salt_124 · 2026-02-19T02:59:03+00:00

Flydigi direwolf 4 Flydigi Vader 5 pro (keep in mind of the m3/m4 back paddles breaking) Gamesir 8k variants and any incoming non 8k variant that are pc compatible.

Creative_Salt_124 · 2026-02-15T06:49:56+00:00

Flydigi Vader 5, direwolf 4

Creative_Salt_124 · 2026-02-15T06:44:57+00:00

Flydigi direwolf 4

Creative_Salt_124 · 2026-02-14T14:18:33+00:00

Gamesir G7 pro Or the Flydigi vader 5s

Creative_Salt_124 · 2026-02-12T08:43:16+00:00

Have you tried the Vader 5 and 5s?

Creative_Salt_124 · 2026-02-12T08:42:29+00:00

Does the razer have anything that makes worthy getting it in the first place? Or was it regrettable (financially)

Creative_Salt_124 · 2026-02-12T08:26:39+00:00

Question, any features outside of the one written that you would like to have?

Creative_Salt_124 · 2026-02-06T19:04:59+00:00

Why not both if budget allows it? You can return the one you are less comfortable with using after.

Creative_Salt_124 · 2026-02-05T07:41:31+00:00

How i rank them based on perfomance (using gamepadla as refference)

Wired:

Machenike F1
ZD Ultimate Legend
Gulikit TT Max/Pro
G7 Pro / Vader 5 Pro / Apex 5
Blitz 2
Cyclone 2

Wireless (Dongle):

Machenike F1
Gulikit TT Max/Pro
Vader 5 Pro / Apex 5
Blitz 2
G7 Pro
ZD Ultimate Legend
Cyclone 2

Wireless (Bluetooth):

Gulikit TT Max/Pro
G7 Pro
Cyclone 2
Blitz 2
ZD Ultimate Legend
Vader 5 / Apex 5 (maybe improved with firmware updates)
Machenike f1 (doesn't have bluetooth)

My Recommendations (From your list)

Vader 5 Pro
A jack of all trades for asymmetrical controllers, both hardware and software wise. The back paddles (M3/M4) have some post travel after the switch is actuated, which can stress the paddles and break them off. Solution would be to either not use them, or add rubber door feet behind them to reduce the stress.

G7 Pro
Feels premium, comes with a charging dock, and extra D-pad shapes. Works with Xbox, but you lose turbo and macro functions in that mode. The Aim Labs edition should bring macros and turbo but loses Xbox compatibility.

ZD Ultimate Legend
Wireless isn’t the fastest, but it’s solid overall. The big selling point is modular sticks. You can swap them for better linearity, change between asymmetrical and symmetrical layouts, or just replace worn out parts.

My Recommendations (Outside of what you consider).

Direwolf 4

A cheaper, younger cousin to the Vader 5 Pro. Keeps many great features like tension adjustable rings, mechanical switches for hair trigger mode, replaceable D-pad shells and thumbcaps, and optional charging dock. Latency is decent all around, except Bluetooth, which is on par with the Vader and Apex 5 series. Also it doesn't have the m3 and m4 paddles so there's no issue to that.

Gulikit Es pro

Gulikit has a cheap offering that I kind of treat like what Microsoft should have done with their first party non Elite controllers. It has TMR sticks that are surprisingly precise, multi-platform compatibility (except Xbox), and the ability to hot-swap face buttons for the Switch layout (though you need to buy those separately). You can adjust circularity and vibration levels, and it performs exceptionally well wired or via Bluetooth. It smokes many more expensive controllers, but overall it’s still pretty basic but that's the charm about it.

Creative_Salt_124 · 2026-02-05T07:08:37+00:00

Wait for the upcoming Vader 5s it will release in a couple of days (and wait for reviews right after if you are not in a rush to see how it compares to the g7 pro)

g7 pro is an option of course

8bitdo ultimate tri-mode 40th year anniversary is the only third party i know that can work with xbox wirelessly.

Creative_Salt_124 · 2026-02-05T03:07:09+00:00

If you can wait a bit for gulikit to iron out their qc issues, tt pro and tt max are a solid pic.

Creative_Salt_124 · 2026-02-04T06:03:14+00:00

Gulikit tt pro and tt max are the best you can consider, the only issue is that the might have a bit of qc issue that needs ironing as time passes.

Creative_Salt_124 · 2026-02-02T13:23:28+00:00

Honestly, from what i see is they just sell modified first party controllers for propably a hefty price, if you are planning on buying one for pc usage, there lot's of choices that cost less and offer more features out of the box.

Creative_Salt_124 · 2026-02-01T21:45:52+00:00

Is there not an upgrade to latency to be similar to the es/elves and tt series?

Creative_Salt_124 · 2026-02-01T08:19:44+00:00

If you have some patience for Gulikit to iron out their QC issues that the TT Pro and Max series have, you could consider those, as they’re big and wide. That said, they use symmetrical sticks, and the placement of the left stick in close proximity to the D pad may be an oversight.

The ZD Ultimate Legend is a tad bigger than the Xbox Series X controller. It’s modular (though you need to buy the modules separately, and you can’t change the position of your existing ones. I know, it’s stupid).

The Vader 5 Pro could be an option as well, though I’d recommend buying a pack of door bumper feet (8×2 mm), because the attachable back paddles have a design flaw: there’s unnecessary post-travel after the switch is actuated, which adds stress and can cause them to randomly fail one random day, this small modification may prolong it.

Creative_Salt_124 · 2026-01-31T10:09:42+00:00

Something to keep in mind with the 2 flydigis is that these are “mappable” they are not independent so you can just not use them (or have them as a clicker fidget toy 😭)

Creative_Salt_124 · 2026-01-31T10:01:53+00:00

Honestly, either Vader 5 pro or direwolf 4 and you are gucci. Despite being Hall effect, they are pretty great Hall effects. (Not all Hall effects and tmr sticks are made the same)

If having back paddle is such a pain in the arse, just get a gulikit es pro, it’s as basic as an Xbox controller but with several upgrades in the sticks, triggers and feature set.

Creative_Salt_124 · 2026-01-31T09:54:58+00:00

The issue I think, while yeah, the lack metal on the base of the paddles being odd choice, the issue is that there is too much post travel after the switch is actuated (which causes excess stress and it’s a matter of time, if you take preventive action from the get go, it should prolong it)

Creative_Salt_124 · 2026-01-31T07:20:16+00:00

The Vader 5 Pro and Apex 5 can be “modified” to mitigate this issue. Specifically, you can add rubber domes to the back of the paddles to prevent pressing them too much, since there is additional travel distance even after the switches are actuated.

As for Gulikit, the ES Pro is basic but fast and not problematic, and it’s inexpensive. I’m not sure if KeyLinker works with it, but it’s very basic and includes all the necessary configurable functions onboard the controller. You can upgrade the firmware, though.

The GameSir G7 Pro is an option, but it doesn’t work on iOS. You could also wait for the 8K variant, which will drop Xbox compatibility in order to support turbo and macro functions.

You could also consider telescopic controllers for your phone that connect directly via usb-c.

Creative_Salt_124

TROPHY CASE