MGP22 Are You Looking for a New Controller? (Review)

[Oubaas]

I just bought two new controllers as a result of stumbling onto a guide to Hall Effect sensor gamepads on the r/Controller subReddit. And I thought that you should know about them.

I was about to drop $216 for the full boat Xbox Elite v2 package when I stumbled onto the guide.

As a result of reading that guide, I abandoned spending that amount and saved $140 by purchasing TWO controllers as part of a package deal on Amazon.

There is a new version of the Hall Effect sensor out, the K-Silver JH16. It is head and shoulders above older Hall Effect sensors, and I can confirm that from personal experience. The JH16 became available in April 2023, so any controller produced prior to that is equipped with the older type. And trust me, after two days of wringing out my new controllers, you want controllers equipped with the JH16!

I bought the Gamesir T4 Kaleid together with the Gamesir G7 SE for $76 as a package on Amazon. Individually, they're $42. I've been using them for two days now and have tried them out in all of my motorcycle sims, MotoGP, MX, and everything else, as well as in the Steam title, "Pure Rock Crawling", which is extreme off-road driving.

Prior to the purchase, I had been using a Logitech F310 tweaked with x360ce software.

I own a lot of peripherals. I have a yoke, throttle quadrant, and rudder pedals for flying light civils and large transports in X-Plane. I have a Hall Effect joystick (with the older type sensors) for flying military aircraft in DCS World and IL2 Great Battles. And I have a full set of boutique helicopter controls, cyclic, collective, and anti-torque pedals for flying helicopters in X-Plane and DCS World. They're all very nice.

So now I have the Gamesir T4 Kaleid and the Gamesir G7 SE for my motorcycle sims. I own a lot of motorcycle sims. And these new controllers are fantastic! My lap times dropped like a rock. I set new personal record lap times in sim after sim, track after track. My cornering went from wobbly struggling to keep the bike on the track as I raced, to executing long, smooth, graceful, arcs as I take on the track's curves. I am now able to precisely follow a racing line instead of being satisfied with just keeping the bike somewhere on the track. I rarely crash anymore, and if I do, it's my own fault, not the controller's. I actually enjoy watching my replays now, instead of feeling embarrassed by them.

The build quality of these controllers is top notch. Calling them cheap controllers is an injustice. I'll put them up against the Xbox Elite v2, anytime. And they're the most accurate controllers that I own, and my other peripherals are no slouches. Well, the F310 that the new controllers replaced is a slouch. But the rest of them are excellent. However, none of them can match the T4 Kaleid or the G7 SE for accuracy. The new JH16 Hall Effect sensors are fantastic!

The controllers are well designed as regards ergonomics. Everything is easy to reach quickly. The action of the triggers allows you to give them a quick tap to bring a bike back in line with the brakes. The vibration works well in both the handles and triggers.

I love the lights on the T4 Kaleid, and they're easy to set to anything you want in the Gamesir software. Custom dead zones? No problem! Calibration and firmware updates are also quick and easy. No flashing files to update firmware. Just click the, "Update" button. You can reassign the two bottom buttons to any function you want on the controllers or lock them out with the locking slides on the controller body to prevent accidental presses. The bottom buttons are perfectly positioned to use with your ring or little fingers, and easy to tap on the fly. They're perfect for manual shifting. Better than paddles. There is a jack for earbuds or headphones, with a mute button. And instead of mechanical hair triggers to break or wear out, you can program in hair triggers with the excellent Gamesir software. Each controller has its own software version, but they're small and don't take up much room on your hard drive.

Although they are inexpensive, these are not, "cheap" controllers. They're wired and come with high quality, braided cables. I don't like wireless peripherals, and my Corsair Dark Core SE RGB wireless USB hub actually interferes with, "Pure Rock Crawling" and makes the game unplayable due to constant freezes. So I went with wired. Everything about both controllers seems to be first rate. Gamesir does have wireless controllers equipped with the new JH16 Hall Effect sensors if you'd prefer wireless, also available at nearly unbelievable low prices.

Of my two new controllers, the T4 is flashier with its RGB lights, but the G7 SE has a removable magnetic shell that is paint friendly. You could take it to your local airbrush artist and make it look pretty unique. I might get mine done that way.

It would be impossible for me to say which of the controllers I prefer. They're both great, and I can recommend either without reservation. I can now ride like I have always dreamed of riding in my motorcycle sims. And I am faster than a...faster than a...faster than a very fast thing indeed! It's all thanks to my new controllers.

So if you're looking for a top quality controller for a low price, look no further. You can buy either the T4 Kaleid or the G7 SE on Amazon or directly from the Gamesir website, if you're patient enough to wait for them to arrive from Hong Kong.

My old F310 will now become the donor controller for my experiments in creating a Frankenpad. Anyone know where I can buy K-Silver JH16 Hall Effect sensors?

So there you have it, fellow motorcycle sim lovers. No need to spend a pile for a controller. Try them, you'll like them! And your riding and racing will immediately improve by leaps and bounds as soon as you pick up the new controller.

 

[Oubaas]

There are a couple of more things that I must emphasize, after a couple of more days with these controllers. The Gamesir G7 SE is a licensed Xbox controller. It's plain white, and it does not have a gyro.

The Gamesir T4 Kaleid (Wired, with a nice braided cable. If you want wireless, go for the T4 Cyclone Pro, the wireless version) is a Nintendo Switch controller. I use them both with Windows 10 and they work fine with everything.

Now, about the gyro in the T4 Kaleid (the one with the transparent shell and RGB lights). MotoGP 2021 recognizes it. MotoGP 2020 does not. So I would assume that besides MotoGP 2021, all later versions would recognize it, too. I need to check my other motorcycle sims to see if it's recognized.

The gyro in the T4 Kaleid is GREAT! It takes a couple of laps to get used to it, but once you do, it's a fantastic feature for motorcycle sims! I suppose that you could use it for steering completely, but I use it to augment my use of the joystick. And it not only makes my riding even smoother, it can save you. Tilt forward, rider weight forward. Tilt backward, rider weight back. Tilt left, lean and steer left. Tilt right, lean and steer right. If you're charging hard through a turn, and about to exceed the track limits, a quick tilt in addition to the joystick input you're already using will save the day. And the gyro seems to add a significant amount of smoothness to my riding when I'm using the joystick.

Did I mention that the two extra bottom buttons on the T4 Kaleid are perfect if you want to manually shift?

And one other thing, and it's important. Not only the joysticks on the T4 Kaleid use the new K-Silver JH16 Hall Effect sensors. So do the triggers. The triggers on the T4 Kaleid have a very nice light, smooth action. And with their Hall Effects sensors, you can easily make micro adjustments to throttle and brakes, as well as hold just a bit of throttle through turns so that you arc through precisely on the ideal race line, smooth as silk.

I've used the T4 Kaleid in MotoGP 2020, MotoGP 2021 (with gyro on), RIMs Racing, Ride, SBK 2022, and TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2. Offroad, I've used it with MXGP 3, MXGP Pro, MXGP 2021, and Monster Energy Supercross 2 and 3.

In a couple of days, I'll be able to report on Ride 4, MotoGP 2022, MX vs ATV Legends, MXGP 2020, and Monster Energy Supercross 5 and 6.

In every case, the T4 Kaleid and the G7 SE are the dawn of a new era in my motorcycle simming. My replays are amazing to behold. I can't believe it's me doing the riding! I've gone from a wobbly goblin to a smooth pro in a couple of days, thanks to these controllers. Of the two, I now favor the T4 Kaleid. I like the lights, and the gyro is fantastic for those sims that support it. MotoGP 21 definitely does. I need to check my other sims.

For $42 on Amazon, or direct from the Gamesir website, if you don't have the T4 Kaleid for your motorcycle simming, you're depriving yourself. This is a whole new paradigm for my motorcycle simming. If you must have wireless, go for the T4 Cyclone Pro. But remember, that nice braided cable that comes with the T4 Kaleid is giving me a mindblowing 1,000 Hz polling rate.

Sorry for the length of these posts, but I want my fellow motorcycle simmers to understand that a new era has dawned in motorcycle simming. And it's name is Gamesir T4 Kaleid. Do yourself a favor and check it out!

By the way, I am not affiliated in any way with Gamesir. No one is paying me to post this stuff. I'm just a motorcycle simmer who stumbled onto to something earthshaking and wanted to share the great discovery with my fellow motorcycle simmers. Try the T4 Kaleid. You'll understand my over-the-top enthusiasm.

 

[Oubaas]

UPDATE: I believe the gyro function was intended for Nintendo Switch. In Windows 10, it's hit or miss. In MotoGP 21, it worked at Silverstone, but not at Spielberg. The controller is fine, it's something in Windows 10 or the game. When it works, it's great. But...

Of my current motorcycle sims, MotoGP 21 is the only one that even knows it's there.

Well, I've been screwing around on an Aprilia on the Atlantic Road in Norway. I love RiMs Racing. But it's time to get back to the Isle of Man. My Norton misses me. Just thought I'd let you know about the gyro. Nevertheless, it's still an incredible controller for motorcycle sims!

 

[Oubaas]

UPDATE: Okay, I was wrong. The gyro works like fury in Windows 10, once you set it up correctly in the T4 software. You can choose from three profiles, or create a custom profile. You can control anti-deadzone to dial out built in deadzone in games.

You get to choose from, "Always On", "Press to Turn On", "Press to Turn Off" or just plain, "Off".

I set it to, "Press to Turn On". Then I assigned the R4 button, which is one of the extra bottom buttons. You have to press and hold it with that set up. When you release, it goes off. Which is a good thing. You want it as an adjunct to the joystick. You'd have to be a hairy-chested he-man indeed, with rock-steady hands to set it to on all the time.

With it set the way I have it, if you go barging into a turn too hot and are about to exceed the track limits and have your lap invalidated, a split-second tap and tilt will absolutely prevent that from happening. It takes some practice to get used to it, but once you get the hang of it, you have a, "Save the Day!" button. It's a nice edge. Some might even call it a cheat.

Best of all, the T4 Kaleid does not care one wit whether or not the game has built in gyro support. It works with every game with which I have tried it, MotoGP 20, MXGP 3, MXGP Pro, you name it. I have not found a game with which it does not work. And there's nothing to set up in-game. The T4 just knows what to do, once you set it up in the T4 software.

So, gyro fans, the T4 Kaleid is your baby! Works like a champ!

 

[Oubaas]

UPDATE: Aaaand, here we are again! I stand corrected! I never tire of being wrong!

You absolutely CAN leave gyro on all the time, and once you get your profile set up right in the T4 software, I strongly encourage you to do so!

I just spent half an hour riding around Ireland on the MV Agusta 500 Triple in, "TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2". I never touched the controller's stick, and I was traveling fast. I did all my steering by tilting the controller. It is smooth and precise.

You can override it by countering with the joystick, or add to it by using the joystick in the same direction. Remember all those stone walls that you've eaten on Snaefell? No more, my friend. Get a T4 Kaleid, practice up using the stick and gyro together, and you'll never hit a wall or exceed a track limit again, unless you go completely crazy and refuse to ever let off the throttle.

You can add SBK 2022, Monster Energy Supercross series, MXGP 2021, RiMs Racing, and Pure Rock Crawling to the list of games with which the gyro works. Yes, it works with four-wheel games, too. I have not found a single title with which it doesn't work. It works with everything.

So there you finally have it. Just $42 stands between you and being a truly great motorcycle simmer. What are you waiting for? Check it out!