Fantech has a wide variety of wireless controller / gamepad that are compatible with a multiple gaming devices. Despite their affordable pricing, they come equipped with hall-effect sticks and triggers that offer much better accuracy than stock controllers. There two new wireless controllers, and they are the Fantech Nova II (~US$31) & Shooter III X (~US$45). I don’t own a PlayStation or Xbox console as I mainly game on PC, so my thoughts will be geared towards PC usage. As usual, use discount code ‘TECHJIO‘ to enjoy 10% off!
Quick Introduction
The Fantech Nova II features a Playstation layout and has multi-platform compatibility (PC, Nintendo Switch, macOS, iOS, Android, PS3, and PS4). On the other hand, the Fantech Shooter III X features a Xbox layout and the platform compatibility is more limited (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS3, Windows 7 or later)
Unboxing
In the box, you’ll find the following:
- Fantech Revolver III Gamepad
- USB Wireless Dongle
- USB-C to USB-A Cable
- User Manual
Design and build quality
Both the controllers are designed with the actual controllers of the respective game consoles in mind. The Fantech Nova II resembles the DualSense controller while the Shooter III X has the look of the Xbox controller. The shape is also very similar so those who are already familiar with the look and feel of the originals will feel right at home with what Fantech has designed.
Even with its budget-friendly price, both controllers gives off a solid, well-made impression. Both weigh around 200g (Nova II 222g, Shooter III X 194g) and it feels light without coming across as flimsy. There’s no obvious special coating, but the finely etched ridges along the plastic provide a touch of extra traction for your hands.
Fantech Nova II is available in three colours, while the Fantech Shooter III X has two colours to choose from. Both my units were the black colour variant, which had a clean matte plastic on the top accompanied by a slightly coarser finish on the underside. The Nova II is feels slightly more grippy compared to the Shooter III X.
Features and connectivity
Most of the remaining buttons rely on membrane switches that have a responsive feel. In terms of connectivity, only the Shooter III X supports 2.4GHz wireless. Nova II‘s wireless connectivity is done only through Bluetooth 5.3. You can also use the option Nova II in wired mode via USB-C.
On the other hand, the Shooter III X cannot be used in wired mode. But you can still charge it while using it wirelessly. Let’s go through some of the standout features of both controllers which are something you don’t find on the regular Xbox or DualSense controllers:
Hall Effect Joysticks & Triggers
Like the EOS Pro, both the Fantech Nova II and Shooter III X come equipped with Hall Effect thumbsticks & triggers, but only the Nova II comes has rear paddles which are mappable. Thanks to Hall Effect sensors, stick drift which are issues often seen in controllers that rely on potentiometers, is essentially eliminated. The use of magnetic field in this tech rather than physical contact allows your movements to be captured with greater accuracy and consistency.
During testing, the thumbsticks of both Fantech Nova IIand Shooter III X tracked inputs well with no unexpected drift or movement. Hardwaretester results also showed almost perfect circularity, with almost no dead zones. Hall Effect triggers shine particular well in racing games where the triggers are mapped to the accelerator, or any games sensitive to precise input on the thumbsticks.
Mappable Rear Paddles
A feature of that only the Fantech Nova II has is the pair of programmable rear paddles. Positioned naturally beneath your fingers, they offer quick access to shortcuts or complex combos which can be helpful for fighter games like Tekken. The rear paddles also strike a nice balance: firm enough to avoid accidental presses yet responsive enough when you need them. Macros are programmed directly on the controller using button combos, eliminating the need for companion software and making quick adjustments easy when you’re short on time. Each macro can store up to 63 inputs, letting you trigger an entire move sequence with a single tap.
Setting up the macros is done onboard via button combinations. I like that this allows for quick, on-the-go customisations without the need to load up a software if you’re in a time pinch. You can record up to 63 buttons. I found the rear macro buttons to be particularly handy in games that rely on combo-based actions, like Tekken. With a single press, you can execute a sequence of button inputs.
Battery life
Both the Fantech Nova II and Shooter III X have a 600mAh battery. Shooter III X has a slightly longer playtime of 15 hours, while the Nova II has a shorter 10 hours – which does feel short as I do have to charge it every 3-4 days.
Perhaps Fantech foresaw this inconvenience so they also offer a charging dock for the Nova II – the ACGP05. It is powered by a USB-C cable and has a rubberized bottom to keep it in place. The dock could use more weight to keep it more sturdy on the surface as putting the Nova II on the dock can sometimes shift it out of position. Having the ACGP05 charging dock does improve the overall user experience of using the Fantech Nova II as the controller is now fully charged whenever I hop into a game session.
Customisations
There doesn’t seem to be any software for both the Fantech Nova II and Shooter III X, at least from what I can see on their website. Nova II has more customisations settings that you can do, and almost all of the settings can be done onboard the controller itself.
There is a ‘Turbo’ function which is available on both the Fantech Nova II and Shooter III X, which essentially allows the automatically hold down on a button or trigger for you – something like auto-fire if that’s easier to understand. Since the Nova II has mappable rear paddles, you can record up to 24 button sequences onboard the controller itself
Conclusion
Fantech’s gamepads / controllers are a great and affordable alternative to the original ones made by Xbox or PlayStation. They also have a decent product range. If you crave the most featured packed controllers, the EOS Pro is one to consider. But if you just want a controller that has the same shape as either the Xbox or DualSense controllers, and works reliably, both the Fantech Nova II and Shooter III X are solid options that won’t break the bank. In fact they even have additional features such as the Hall Effect thumbsticks and triggers that make gameplay more precise.
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If you’re interested, don’t forget to use discount code ‘TECHJIO‘ to enjoy 10% off!