There was a time – not that long ago, at least in my memory – when Hall Effect sticks were something truly special and “wow” in the controller world. Fast forward to today, and we’ve reached a point where a $40 controller like the Fantech Zenith Pro has those drift-free Hall Effect sticks. And that’s not even the whole story of the Zenith Pro. On paper, this controller offers a surprisingly rich list of features for its price, so let’s take a closer look at what it actually brings to the table.
Unboxing: What’s Inside?
Inside the box, you’ll find:
- Zenith Pro WGP18 Controller
- Charging Dock
- 2.4GHz Wireless Dongle
- USB Type-C to Type-A cable
- Warranty Card
- Quick Start Guide
- Greeting Card
It’s really nice to see that the controller comes bundled with a charging dock right in the box. And I have to give credit where it’s due – this dock is surprisingly good.
It basically ticks all the boxes you’d want from a good charging dock. It’s solid, large and stable, and the controller sits on it very securely without any wobbling. Thanks to the magnets pulling it right into position, you don’t need to perfectly align it with the charging pins for it to start charging – it simply snaps into place and makes proper contact every time, avoiding the frustrating situation where you think it’s charging but it isn’t.
There’s also a dedicated hidden slot for the 2.4GHz dongle, so it doesn’t stick out anywhere and keeps everything looking clean and organized. On top of that, the dock features an RGB LED strip that matches the two RGB light strips on the controller, and they sync while the controller is docked, creating a cohesive visual effect.
And the most convenient part – it supports a Smart Sleep/Wake-up feature. So when you place the controller on the dock, it automatically goes to sleep and starts charging, and when you pick it up, it immediately reconnects and you’re good to play.
The 2.4GHz dongle is also well-built, with a clean and simple design that doesn’t look cheap. It has a small LED indicator, a pairing button (with a tactile micro switch, which feels nice), and there are even subtle textured ridges on the body, which make it easier to pull it out of the dock without any hassle. It’s a small thing, but it adds to the feeling that even the little accessories weren’t just an afterthought.
Feel & Look
The build quality is excellent – everything feels solid and well put together. The plastic quality is also very good, with no creaking or feeling of cheapness.
The grips aren’t rubberized, but they feature a laser‑etched texture that’s nicely balanced: not too aggressive to feel uncomfortable, yet not too subtle to lose traction. It provides a secure grip without feeling distracting.
In terms of weight, the controller is rated at around 240 grams. It’s not super lightweight, but at the same time it doesn’t feel heavy or tiring in use. It sits in that comfortable middle ground, where it feels substantial in hand without becoming fatiguing.
The shape is very familiar, following the well-tested and widely known Xbox-style controller ergonomics, which means most players will find it instantly natural and comfortable.
From a design perspective, it comes in two classic color options – black and white. On the front, there are two RGB LED light strips that add a bit of visual touch without being over the top. There are also small LED status indicators placed near the M button.
These combinations aren’t described in the official manual, but they may be useful to know.
On the back, there is a toggle switch that lets you change the connection mode between 2.4 GHz wireless, Bluetooth, and Nintendo Switch mode. This rear toggle makes switching between platforms seamless, without needing to remember key combinations for different connection modes. It’s a practical and user‑friendly addition that adds versatility to the controller’s design.
Analog Sticks
The Fantech Zenith Pro comes with Ginfull Hall Effect sticks paired with a 12-bit ADC. Unlike traditional potentiometer sticks, they are not prone to wear-related drift over time. In actual use, they feel very good – smooth, responsive, and precise. I didn’t run into any noticeable jitter, lag, or axis snapping during use – everything felt consistent and predictable, just as good Hall Effect sticks should. The output range is circular, with an average circularity error of 0.1%.
As for stick tension, it is slightly above average, sitting at around 70 grams. It’s still far from being stiff. Instead it’s the kind of tension often found on classic potentiometer sticks. Recentering is excellent, with a reliable return to the initial position after release. The LS and RS click actuation force sits somewhere in the medium range. It’s definitely not one of those cases where the buttons feel overly stiff or unpleasant to press, which sometimes happens with stick clicks.
One thing I noticed is a small physical center dead zone, roughly 1–2%. This dead zone cannot be removed, even if you set it to zero in the software. Just keep this in mind, as it can be either a good or bad thing depending on your personal preferences.
As for the thumbsticks, they have an unusual hybrid shape with a concave surface and a slightly raised center. Overall, the shape is actually quite comfortable to use. However, I found the rubber caps to be a bit slippery. This is a minor complaint since the issue is easily fixed with aftermarket thumb grips, and many people use them anyway, but it is worth noting. By the way, the controller is compatible with PlayStation‑sized KontrolFreeks / thumb grips.
Although the sticks feature anti-friction POM rings around them, they don’t include metal rings on the thumbstick shafts. That’s absolutely normal for this price range, but adding them could have slightly improved durability and smoothness over time.
Overall, the analog sticks perform very well thanks to the Hall Effect modules from Ginfull, but in terms of physical finish, this is the one area where I feel there’s room for improvement.
D-pad
The D-pad on the Zenith Pro is one of its strongest points. It’s built with tactile microswitches and uses a central pivot design, which means you can’t accidentally press opposite directions at the same time. The shape is a hybrid disc style, fixed in place, and it feels solid under the thumb.
Pre‑travel and post‑travel are kept to a minimum, so inputs register quickly and cleanly. The click itself is sharp but not loud, giving you feedback without being distracting. The actuation force sits somewhere around in the middle – light enough to stay comfortable during long gaming sessions, yet firm enough to avoid accidental inputs.
Diagonal inputs register cleanly and consistently, with no missed inputs. Rolling quarter-circle or half-circle motions don’t require any extra effort. So, I think this D-pad is well suited for fighting games and other genres where the D-pad sees frequent use.
One minor detail is that the D-pad sits a bit higher above the shell than usual. It wasn’t an issue for me personally, but some users may have their own preferences when it comes to D-pad height.
ABXY
The ABXY buttons have a layered design, meaning the symbols are molded directly into the base layer of plastic. On top of that, there is a clear protective layer that covers everything, which means the markings are physically protected inside the structure and can’t wear off over time. This is usually a solution you see in more expensive controllers, so it’s nice to see it included here.
They use mechanical microswitches. Both pre-travel and post-travel are minimal, which makes the inputs feel direct and responsive. The click is crisp, fast, and satisfying, with a slightly muted sound.
As for the actuation force, it’s definitely above average, but I wouldn’t say the buttons feel too stiff – they’re still comfortable to use. On the flip side, the rebound is very fast and snappy, making the buttons ready for the next input almost instantly.
System Buttons
All of the system buttons use tactile microswitches, so every press feels crisp and pleasant. The symbols are debossed on all buttons, meaning they are recessed into the surface, so they won’t wear off over time. The only exception is the Home button, which has a printed Fantech logo. The Home button itself is surrounded by an LED indicator ring, which adds a nice visual touch. In terms of placement, everything is laid out in a way that feels natural and comfortable to use.
Shoulder Buttons & Triggers
The LB and RB buttons have a pretty interesting three-sided shape, and the side closer to the triggers has a dotted texture. It’s not very aggressive, but it feels nice under the fingers and provides a bit of extra grip. They use tactile microswitches, so the click is fast and well defined. There is some pre-travel and post-travel, but it’s kept within a reasonable range.
The actuation force sits somewhere in the medium range, making them easy enough to press quickly while still giving a bit of resistance so you don’t accidentally trigger them. The click sound is slightly muted. It doesn’t feel hollow, just simple in a good way, with no weird resonance or cheap feeling.
The triggers here are built on Hall Effect sensors with 255 steps resolution. They share the same dotted texture as the LB/RB buttons – subtle, pleasant, and not overly aggressive under the fingers.
The shape is particularly well done. They’re slightly wider than usual and have a gentle curve, with a shallow concavity that lets your fingers rest naturally. This makes them feel ergonomic, and I personally found them extremely comfortable to use.
The press feels smooth and controlled, with a resistance level just a bit above medium. There’s no dead zone at the start or the end of the travel, so input is registered immediately and all the way through, which makes them feel well made and properly tuned. The triggers also have some sound dampening in place, so they don’t make that typical loud plastic-on-plastic smack when bottoming out, which I definitely appreciate.
The triggers also feature a microswitch mode, and this was honestly the thing that surprised me the most about this controller. The implementation is outstanding – so much so that many significantly more expensive controllers I’ve tried could envy it.
You know how sometimes microswitch triggers feel vague: the click isn’t sharp, poorly defined, or worse, when you press harder, you can feel the internal stop mechanism flexing, giving that unpleasant sense that if you push further you might break it?
That isn’t the case here. The click is extremely crisp, fast, and genuinely satisfying to press. Pre‑travel is minimal – just enough to add a bit of tactility – while post‑travel is practically nonexistent. Most importantly, the mechanism feels solid throughout. Even when pressing harder than necessary, there’s no sense of flex or weakness inside the trigger assembly, which gives the whole implementation a very solid and reliable feel.
I think FPS players in particular will appreciate this mode. The short pre-travel and crisp actuation make rapid inputs feel effortless. Overall, and somewhat unexpectedly, this is among the better microswitch trigger implementations I’ve experienced on a controller.
The trigger stop switches are positioned well. During normal use, I never found myself accidentally touching them, yet they remain easy to reach whenever I want to switch between analog and microswitch modes. It’s a simple detail, but the placement feels well thought out and never got in the way while gaming.
Extra Buttons
The controller features two extra back buttons. They are positioned very well, and my fingers naturally rest on them without having to adjust my grip or reach for them. The buttons protrude slightly from the shell, but their rounded shape makes them genuinely comfortable to use.
As for the implementation itself, Fantech did a great job here. The buttons use tactile microswitches. The actuation force is right around the middle, striking a good balance between responsiveness and comfort. There’s virtually no pre‑travel or post‑travel – the input registers the moment you start to press them. The clicks are clean, crisp, and satisfying, giving a nice sense of feedback with every press. The sound of the click is slightly muted, which adds to the overall pleasant feel.
Overall, I ended up liking these back buttons quite a bit.
Haptics & Gyro
The Fantech Zenith Pro uses dual asymmetric rumble motors and offers four vibration intensity levels that can be adjusted directly from the controller. The vibration feels solid overall. Nothing crazy, but still slightly above average. It is reasonably strong; the effects come through clearly in games, and the controller doesn’t suffer from any noticeable shell rattle or unwanted vibrations.
In general, the rumble implementation does its job well. It adds to the experience without feeling distracting, and having four intensity levels makes it easy to find a setting that suits your preference. The controller also comes with a six-axis gyroscope, which becomes active when the controller is set to Switch mode. In practice, it does its job and works as expected for basic motion control. However, the response doesn’t feel quite as snappy or refined as what you’d get from a dedicated Pro controller. It’s usable and gets the job done, but it’s clearly not the main focus here.
Connectivity & Compatibility
The controller offers three connection options – 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, and wired – so you can easily switch depending on how you want to play. When using either a wired connection or 2.4GHz wireless, it delivers a 1000Hz polling rate, while Bluetooth runs at 125Hz.
The 2.4GHz connection also uses the proprietary StrikeSpeed technology, designed to reduce latency and ensure a faster, more responsive connection.
It works with PC, Nintendo Switch 1/2, Android, iOS, macOS, tvOS, Steam, and Tesla vehicles. On the original Nintendo Switch, it supports the wake-up function, but this feature is not supported on the Switch 2.
Supported input modes:
- Wired:
- X-input
- D-input
- Switch
- Bluetooth:
- X-input
- D-input
- Switch
- 2.4 GHz dongle:
- X-input
- D-input
- Switch
Overall, connectivity proved to be stable and reliable throughout my use. I didn’t experience any sudden disconnects or noticeable input issues, and everything worked consistently as expected.
Battery Life
The controller is equipped with an 800 mAh battery. In my experience, it provides around 8 hours of playtime, although the exact result will naturally depend on factors such as vibration intensity and RGB brightness settings.
That said, because the controller comes with a convenient charging dock, battery life has never really been an issue for me. Whenever I’m done playing, I just drop the controller onto the dock, and it’s ready to go the next time. That way I’ve never run into a situation where the controller was unexpectedly drained.
Software
For configuration, the Zenith Pro uses the KeyLinker app (iOS/Android). You might already be familiar with it from some other controllers, as it is a universal solution used for many models that support the KeyLinker protocol.
It supports on‑the‑fly adjustments, so you don’t need to disconnect the controller from your PC or Switch, for example, and then reconnect it to your phone every time you want to change settings. The controller can stay connected to the platform you’re playing on while still remaining visible and configurable in the app.
Connecting to the app is very simple. All you need to do is turn on Bluetooth on your phone and open the KeyLinker app. You should see the Zenith Pro appear in the list – just tap it to connect (no pairing required). Once connected, press the “Settings” icon and you can start configuring everything.
In the app, you can find:
- Button remapping (keyboard and mouse inputs not supported)
- Stick settings
- Trigger settings
- Turbo function
- Macro setup (supports up to 24 steps within a 5-minute timeframe)
- Calibration
- Sleep time adjustment
- Input testing screen
- Reset to default settings
- Firmware updates
You can also adjust the vibration intensity, configure turbo functions, remap the back buttons, and even run a calibration without opening the software at all – everything can be done directly on the controller using physical button combinations.
Pros and Cons
Final Verdict
Overall, the Fantech Zenith Pro is a solid controller that gets most things right. It offers a good feature set – mechanical face buttons, drift-free Hall Effect sticks, microswitch triggers, software support, and even a convenient charging dock right out of the box. While it isn’t completely free of compromises, it checks almost all the boxes you would expect from a good modern controller.
If you’re looking for a versatile controller with a solid set of features at a reasonable price, the Zenith Pro is definitely worth considering.
Controller and mechanical keyboard enthusiast. Tech reviewer, regularly sharing thoughts about gadgets and computer peripherals.
