GuliKit KingKong 2 Pro Review: Worth £60 for RetroArch UK?

Let’s be blunt. Modern controllers are disposable. Plenty of players have lost count of the official pads binned over the last decade, and the culprit is always the same: stick drift. That insidious, creeping inaccuracy that starts as a minor annoyance in a menu and ends with your character gently walking off a cliff for no reason. For modern gaming, it’s infuriating. For retro gaming, where a single pixel of movement can be the difference between a perfect jump and a life lost, it’s a deal-breaker. After a third Xbox controller in four years starts developing a mind of its own, patience runs out — nobody should have to spend another £50 on a controller fundamentally designed to fail.

That’s what led me to the GuliKit KingKong 2 Pro. The promise was simple and profound: Hall effect joysticks that physically cannot drift. No rubbing parts, no carbon tracks to wear away—just magnets and sensors doing their job, theoretically, forever. The price, hovering around £60 in the UK, gives pause. That’s premium territory, costing a fair bit more than the retro community’s darling, the 8BitDo Pro 2. The question is simple: is spending an extra £38.20-£25 for a controller to use with RetroArch on PC a sensible investment or an expensive gimmick?

After extensive community use as a daily driver for everything from Super Metroid on the SNES to F-Zero GX on GameCube, the answer is clear. For the serious, multi-system PC-based retro gamer in 2026, the GuliKit KingKong 2 Pro isn’t just worth £60; it’s one of the smartest purchases you can make. It’s an investment in peace of mind, a permanent solution to a problem that plagues every other major controller on the market. It’s not perfect, and for some specific use cases there are better options, but as a do-it-all pad that you can trust, it’s an easy default recommendation.

What Are Hall Effect Joysticks and Why Do They Matter in 2026?

Before we go any further, it’s vital to understand what makes this controller different under the hood. The entire value proposition of the KingKong 2 Pro rests on its use of Hall effect sensors in its analogue sticks and triggers, a technology that feels almost like a magic trick if you’ve been burned by stick drift before. For decades, virtually every controller from Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft has used the same fundamental technology for their joysticks: the potentiometer.

Imagine a small carbon track, like the volume slider on an old hi-fi. A little metal contact, or ‘wiper’, scrapes along this track as you move the joystick. By measuring the electrical resistance at the wiper’s position, the controller knows how far and in which direction you’ve pushed the stick. It’s a simple, cheap, and effective system, but it has a fatal flaw: physical contact. Every single time you move the stick, that tiny wiper is physically rubbing against the carbon track. Over thousands of hours of gameplay, this constant friction wears down both the wiper and the track. Dust and debris can get inside, further degrading the connection. This wear and tear is what causes stick drift. The controller starts receiving noisy, inaccurate data, leading it to register movement even when the stick is perfectly centred.

Hall effect sensors eliminate this problem entirely by removing the physical contact. Instead of a wiper on a track, a Hall effect joystick places a small magnet at the base of the stick mechanism. Surrounding it are sensors that measure the magnetic field. As you move the joystick, the magnet moves with it, and the sensors detect the change in the magnetic field’s strength and direction. Because nothing is physically touching or rubbing together, there is no mechanical wear. The components don’t degrade over time, meaning, in theory, the stick should remain as accurate on day one thousand as it was on day one. This isn’t some new, untested technology; it’s been used in industrial and automotive applications for years where reliability is paramount. It’s only in the last few years that companies like GuliKit have managed to miniaturise it and make it affordable enough for a consumer gamepad.

Why is this a seismic shift for retro gaming specifically? Because many older games were designed with zero-tolerance precision in mind. In Super Mario 64, the difference between a tiptoe and a walk is a tiny, nuanced push on the analogue stick. A drifting controller makes these subtle movements impossible. In a 16-bit platformer like Super Castlevania IV, you rely on the D-pad, but for systems from the N64, PlayStation, and Dreamcast onwards, the analogue stick is king. Trying to line up a perfect headshot in GoldenEye 007 or navigate the treacherous courses of Wipeout 2097 with a drifting stick is an exercise in pure frustration. Modern games often have huge configurable deadzones to mask minor drift, but retro games running on emulators expect a perfect ‘zero’ when the stick is centred. The KingKong 2 Pro provides that, and it’s a genuine game-changer. It means you can set your deadzones in RetroArch to 0.0 and trust that your character will stand perfectly still until you command them otherwise. That level of reliability is, for me, worth the price of admission alone.

Unboxing and First Impressions: Build Quality and Ergonomics

It{A}s easy to expect a fairly standard experience from a third-party pad like this. The KingKong 2 Pro defies that. The first sign that GuliKit is aiming higher than your average third-party manufacturer is the packaging. Instead of a flimsy blister pack, the controller comes nestled inside a surprisingly robust, zipped hard-shell case. This is an immediate and significant value-add. For a controller that’s compatible with PC, Switch, and mobile devices, a protective case for transport is genuinely useful and something you’d normally pay £10-£15 for separately. It’s a thoughtful inclusion that immediately makes the £60 price feel more reasonable.

Picking up the controller itself, the initial impression is one of density and solidity. It has a reassuring heft, weighing in at 259g, which is very close to the 275g of a modern Xbox Wireless Controller. The shape is a hybrid of an Xbox and a Switch Pro controller, but it feels distinct. It’s slightly more compact than the Xbox pad, with grips that are a little less flared. For average-sized hands, it’s extremely comfortable, falling into place naturally. The plastic has a fine, matte texture that resists fingerprints and feels pleasant to the touch, though it’s perhaps a half-step down from the premium plastics Microsoft uses. It feels durable, with no creaking or flexing under pressure.

The star of the show, initially, are the face buttons. Unlike the mushy membrane buttons found on most controllers, the A, B, X, and Y buttons on the KingKong 2 Pro use short-travel microswitches. They have a distinct, quiet ‘click’ and a very fast actuation, almost like a high-quality mouse button. GuliKit claims they are rated for 50 million presses, and while that’s hard to independently verify, they certainly feel more tactile and responsive than standard buttons. For games that require rapid presses, they feel fantastic. The shoulder buttons and triggers are more conventional. The LB and RB bumpers are satisfyingly clicky. The LT and RT triggers are, as mentioned, Hall effect sensors, providing smooth, precise analogue input. Their travel distance is noticeably shorter than on an Xbox controller. For retro gaming, this is often a benefit, as most older games treat triggers as simple digital on/off inputs, and the shorter throw feels faster. For analogue-heavy racing sims on PS2 or GameCube, it’s a matter of preference, but it remains perfectly functional.

The KingKong 2 Pro’s D-Pad: A Retro Gamer’s Dream or Disappointment?

For any controller hoping to win over the retro gaming crowd, the D-pad is the ultimate trial by fire. It doesn’t matter how fancy your analogue sticks are; if the D-pad can’t handle a precise quarter-circle-forward motion or a pixel-perfect jump, it’s a failure. This is often where third-party controllers, and even some first-party ones, fall apart. The D-pad on the GuliKit KingKong 2 Pro is, to put it mildly, a mixed bag, and it’s the single biggest point of contention you’ll find in discussions about this pad.

The design itself is a classic cross-shape, similar to a Nintendo D-pad, but it sits on a circular pivot underneath. The surface is slightly textured, and the actuation feels… different. It uses conductive rubber membranes like most D-pads, but it has a distinct, soft ‘tappy’ feel rather than a firm click or a satisfying mush. It’s not bad, but it lacks the definitive feedback of the greats. To really put it through its paces, a gauntlet of D-pad-defining games in RetroArch is the test.

First up, platformers. In Mega Man X for the SNES, precise wall-jumps and air-dashes are non-negotiable. The KingKong 2 Pro handles this well — missed jumps never feel like the controller’s fault. It was easy to press left or right without accidentally hitting up or down. Next, Tetris (the Game Boy version). This is a pure test of speed and accuracy. The D-pad performed adequately, allowing for quick side-to-side movements and hard drops. It won’t necessarily set new high scores, but it’s perfectly playable.

The real test, however, is fighting games. Load up Street Fighter Alpha 3 on the PlayStation core and the cracks begin to show. Executing ‘Dragon Punch’ motions (forward, down, down-forward) feels less consistent than on other pads — occasionally producing a fireball instead, suggesting the diagonal input doesn’t register as cleanly as it should. It’s not terrible, and casual players likely won’t notice, but if you’re a serious fighting game fan, you will feel the slight imprecision. It simply cannot compete with the legendary D-pad on the Sega Saturn controller or the excellent ones found on virtually all of 8BitDo’s offerings. The 8BitDo Pro 2’s D-pad, for instance, is in a different league for 2D games. It has that perfect SNES-style pivot and feedback that makes every input feel intentional and accurate.

So, is the D-pad a deal-breaker? No, but it’s a significant compromise. It’s a solid 7/10 D-pad. It’s perfectly serviceable for the vast majority of retro games, especially RPGs, shoot ’em ups, and most platformers. But if your retro diet consists almost exclusively of 16-bit fighting games or you demand absolute D-pad perfection, this is the controller’s weakest link. It’s a good D-pad, but it’s not a great one.

Analogue Stick and Trigger Deep-Dive: Beyond the Hall Effect Hype

While the Hall effect technology is the headline feature, its implementation and the physical feel of the components are what truly define the experience. GuliKit has nailed this aspect. The analogue sticks themselves are a triumph of design and engineering, and they feel distinctly premium in a way that even first-party controllers often don’t. The stick caps have a textured, grippy pattern that feels secure under the thumb, and a metal ring around the base of the stick ensures a smooth glide against the controller’s shell, preventing the plastic-on-plastic grinding that can plague other pads over time.

The tension of the sticks is, for my taste, perfectly tuned. It’s slightly firmer than a standard Xbox controller but looser than a PS5 DualSense. This provides a great balance, offering enough resistance for precise, small movements without causing fatigue during long sessions. The ‘return to centre’ is snappy and absolute, with no wobble or play. Thanks to the Hall effect sensors, the deadzone performance is phenomenal. Out of the box, a controller testing utility shows raw input values returning to a perfect 0,0 every single time the sticks are released. This is something you simply do not see on potentiometer-based controllers, which almost always have a tiny bit of jitter even when brand new. This translates directly to in-game performance, especially in RetroArch, where you can confidently set the analogue stick deadzone to a very low value (e.g., 0.05 or lower) without fear of phantom inputs.

The built-in calibration is another killer feature. By holding two buttons, you can enter a mode to recalibrate the sticks at any time, without any software. You simply rotate the sticks to their maximum extent a few times, and the controller’s firmware re-learns the boundaries. This is a brilliant piece of future-proofing, ensuring that if any minute physical changes occur over years of use, you can easily restore perfect accuracy.

The Hall effect triggers are similarly impressive. As mentioned, their physical travel is shorter than an Xbox pad, which takes some getting used to for modern racing games. However, for retro emulation, this is often a plus. When playing a PS1 game where R2 is just a ‘fire’ button, the quick actuation feels responsive. For the systems that did use analogue triggers, like the Dreamcast and GameCube, the performance is flawless. Testing with Super Mario Sunshine via the Dolphin core in RetroArch, the gradual increase in water pressure from FLUDD feels smooth and linear. In Project Gotham Racing 2 on an Xbox emulator, there’s full control over acceleration and braking. The precision is there, even if the travel distance is shorter than some might prefer. For a controller aimed at spanning gaming history, it’s an excellent and well-judged compromise.

Setting Up the GuliKit KingKong 2 Pro for RetroArch on PC

A great controller is useless if it’s a nightmare to configure. Thankfully, the GuliKit KingKong 2 Pro is remarkably straightforward to get up and running with RetroArch on a Windows PC, the primary use case here. The controller supports multiple connection modes, including Switch, D-input, and X-input. For PC gaming and emulation, you almost always want to use X-input, as it makes Windows recognise the controller as a standard Xbox 360/One pad, ensuring maximum compatibility out of the box.

Changing modes is simple: you just hold the ‘mode’ button on the top of the controller and the light changes colour to indicate the active mode. Green is X-input. Once it’s in this mode, pairing it via Bluetooth is as simple as any other device. Hold the pairing button, find it in your Windows Bluetooth settings, and connect. It’s fast and reliable. Alternatively, you can just plug it in with the included USB-C cable for a wired, latency-free connection that also charges the controller.

Once connected to your PC, launching RetroArch is the next step. The good news is that RetroArch’s community-driven controller profiles are excellent. On launch, RetroArch immediately recognises the device as an “XInput Controller (User 1)” and applies a perfect default configuration. All the buttons were mapped exactly where you’d expect them to be for a standard Xbox-style layout. The D-pad, analogue sticks, face buttons, and triggers all worked instantly without needing to touch a single setting in the `Settings > Input > Port 1 Controls` menu.

Where the real power lies for tinkers is customising the experience. Because of the Hall sensors’ reliability, you can go into the input settings and reduce the “Analogue Deadzone” to a very low value, like 0.1 or even 0.05. This makes the sticks feel incredibly responsive. It’s also well worth mapping some of RetroArch’s hotkey functions to the GuliKit’s extra buttons. The KingKong 2 Pro has a dedicated ‘gear’ button (for settings) and a screenshot button. In RetroArch, you can map these to incredibly useful functions. For example, the ‘gear’ button works well mapped as an ‘Enable Hotkey’ button. This means holding it down turns the other buttons into shortcuts:

• Gear + Start: Quit RetroArch
• Gear + Select: Show FPS

Gear + Right Shoulder: Save State

Gear + Left Shoulder: Load State

Gear + D-Pad Right: Fast-Forward Toggle

This setup turns the controller into a powerful command centre for your emulation, allowing you to manage your games without ever touching the keyboard. It’s this level of seamless integration that elevates the KingKong 2 Pro from just being a good controller to being an exceptional tool for the dedicated retro gamer.

Performance Across Emulated Systems: From NES to GameCube

A controller’s true worth is measured in gameplay. Systematic testing of the KingKong 2 Pro across the most popular systems emulated in RetroArch focuses on how it handled the specific control demands of each era. The results were consistently impressive, with only minor caveats.

8-bit & 16-bit (NES, SNES, Mega Drive)

For these D-pad-dominant systems, the controller performs admirably. As noted, the D-pad isn’t the best in its class, but it is more than capable. Playing through The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, movement felt precise, and navigating menus was a breeze. In the high-speed chaos of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the D-pad kept up with the action, and the clicky, responsive face buttons felt great for spin-dashing and jumping. Where you might struggle slightly is in games requiring flawless, rapid diagonal inputs, but for 95% of the 8-bit and 16-bit library, it’s a solid and enjoyable experience.

N64 & PlayStation

This is where the KingKong 2 Pro truly begins to shine and justify its price. The N64 was defined by its unique analogue stick, and emulating that feel is crucial. The precision of the GuliKit’s Hall effect stick is a revelation here. In Super Mario 64, there’s complete control over Mario’s movement speed, from a slow tiptoe to a full-on run, with no deadzone issues. The infamous rotating platforms in Tick Tock Clock were far less daunting with a stick owners consistently describe as completely reliable. Similarly, in PlayStation games like Ape Escape, which relied heavily on dual analogue controls, the controller felt like a native piece of hardware. The zero drift and perfect centering mean you’re fighting the game’s challenge, not the hardware’s flaws. For anyone who spends a lot of time with this era, the upgrade from a standard potentiometer-based controller is palpable.

Dreamcast, PS2 & GameCube

This generation pushed analogue controls even further, introducing pressure-sensitive triggers and more complex stick movements. The GuliKit handles the transition with ease. The analogue triggers, despite their shorter throw, were perfectly capable of modulating the throttle in Gran Turismo 4 (PS2) and handling FLUDD’s spray in Super Mario Sunshine (GameCube). The right analogue stick felt fantastic for camera control in games like Jak and Daxter. For many, the true test is a frantic session of Super Smash Bros. Melee*, a game notorious for destroying GameCube controllers. The KingKong 2 Pro’s durable build, snappy stick response, and tactile buttons make it a fantastic choice for emulating Nintendo’s brawler. It might not replace a tournament-grade GameCube pad for hardcore competitors, but for everyone else, it’s more than up to the task and won’t develop drift after a few hundred matches. Even more demanding titles, like those you might run on the powerful AYN Odin 2 handheld, feel right at home on this pad.

The Competition: How Does It Stack Up Against the 8BitDo Pro 2 and Official Pads?

The GuliKit KingKong 2 Pro doesn’t exist in a vacuum. At its ~£38.20 price point, it faces stiff competition from established players, most notably 8BitDo and first-party manufacturers like Microsoft. A smart purchase decision requires understanding the trade-offs.

GuliKit KingKong 2 Pro vs. 8BitDo Pro 2

This is the main event. The 8BitDo Pro 2 has been the go-to recommendation for retro gamers for years, and for good reason. It costs around £38.20 features an absolutely stellar SNES-style D-pad, excellent ergonomics, and powerful customisation software. The choice between these two controllers boils down to one question: what do you play most?

• Buy the 8BitDo Pro 2 if: You primarily play 2D games from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras. Its D-pad is objectively superior for fighting games and demanding platformers. If analogue sticks are an afterthought for you, save the £20 and get the 8BitDo. It’s fantastic value.
• Buy the GuliKit KingKong 2 Pro if: You play a wide mix of games, especially from the N64, PS1, PS2, and GameCube eras. The “drift-proof” Hall effect sticks are its killer feature, providing long-term reliability that the 8BitDo’s traditional potentiometers cannot match. If you’re sensitive to or have been burned by stick drift, the extra £20 is a sound investment for future peace of mind.

GuliKit KingKong 2 Pro vs. Official Xbox Wireless Controller

The Official Xbox Wireless Controller is the gold standard for PC gaming compatibility and ergonomics, and it costs a similar amount to the GuliKit. For many, its shape is peak comfort. However, it uses the same drift-prone potentiometers as every other Xbox controller. It’s a question of priorities. The Xbox pad has slightly better overall ergonomics and a more familiar feel for many, but it comes with the baked-in certainty that, eventually, it will start to drift. The GuliKit offers 95% of the ergonomic quality but with vastly superior joystick technology and longevity. For a retro gamer using RetroArch, the GuliKit’s features—like easy mode-switching for Nintendo Switch compatibility and the tactile buttons—give it the edge over the more generic Xbox pad.

GuliKit KingKong 2 Pro vs. Cheaper Third-Party Pads

There are countless controllers from brands like PowerA, PDP, and others available for £14.99-£35. While the low price is tempting, it’s almost always a false economy. These pads invariably use cheaper components, have worse build quality, less accurate sticks (with larger deadzones), and are far more prone to failure. The experience of using a GuliKit is in a completely different universe. You would likely go through two or three cheap controllers in the time the KingKong 2 Pro is still performing like new. If your budget absolutely cannot stretch, a wired PowerA controller is a passable option, but if you can save up for the GuliKit, the jump in quality and longevity is more than worth the price difference.

Who Should Buy the GuliKit KingKong 2 Pro in 2026?

This controller isn’t for everyone, but for a specific type of player, it’s a near-perfect product. You should seriously consider buying the KingKong 2 Pro if you fit one of these descriptions:

• The All-Rounder Retro PC Gamer: Your RetroArch library is vast. One day you’re playing Chrono Trigger on the SNES, the next it’s Metroid Prime on GameCube, followed by some Ridge Racer Type 4 on PS1. You need one controller that can handle D-pad-centric classics and analogue-heavy 3D games with equal competence. You value performance and reliability and are willing to pay a small premium for a “buy it for life” piece of kit that solves the stick drift problem for good.
• The Nintendo Switch Power User: You own a Switch but can’t stand the Joy-Cons and are wary of the official Pro Controller’s own drift issues. The KingKong 2 Pro is a phenomenal Switch controller, offering the same Hall effect benefits, mappable buttons, and a more comfortable layout than the Joy-Cons. The ability to seamlessly switch it between your PC emulation rig and your Switch is a huge bonus.
• The Tech-Conscious Hobbyist: You appreciate well-engineered hardware. The idea of Hall effect sensors genuinely excites you, and you see the value in future-proof technology. You’re the kind of person who cleans their hardware, cares about input latency, and wants to invest in quality gear that lasts. For you, the £14.99 price isn’t an expense; it’s an investment in a superior, more durable technology.

If you see yourself in these descriptions, the GuliKit KingKong 2 Pro is an easy recommendation. It addresses a core, frustrating problem with modern gaming hardware and does so in a high-quality, feature-rich package. It is, without a doubt, worth the money. 9/10 — Check price on Amazon UK →

Who Should Skip It?

Honesty is crucial, and as good as this controller is, it’s not the right choice for every UK retro gamer. You should probably save your money and look elsewhere if you are:

• The 2D Purist or Fighting Game Fanatic: If you spend 90% of your time playing SNES platformers, Mega Drive shoot ’em ups, and Neo Geo fighting games, the D-pad is your primary interface. And the KingKong 2 Pro’s D-pad, while perfectly adequate, is not best-in-class. You would be better served by the cheaper 8BitDo Pro 2 or, even better, a dedicated pad like the Retro-Bit Sega Saturn controller. Their D-pads are simply more precise and satisfying for that specific genre of gaming.
• The Strictly-on-a-Budget Gamer: If £60 is a significant stretch for a controller, don’t overextend yourself. The 8BitDo Pro 2 at around £40 offers 85% of the experience for two-thirds of the price. If even that is too much, a basic wired controller will get the job done. The KingKong 2 Pro is a premium product, and while it offers good value, it is not a budget option.
• The Ergonomics-First Player Loyal to a Shape: If you believe the official Xbox or PlayStation controller shape is the pinnacle of ergonomic design and anything else feels wrong in your hands, the GuliKit’s hybrid shape might not suit you. While it’s very comfortable for most, if you are particularly sensitive to controller shape, it might be worth sticking with what you know, even if it means accepting the risk of eventual stick drift.

Conclusion

After rigorous testing, the GuliKit KingKong 2 Pro has earned its place as a go-to controller for PC-based retro gaming. It’s a device built on a single, powerful promise—an end to stick drift—and it delivers on that promise flawlessly. The Hall effect joysticks are not a gimmick; they are a fundamental technological improvement that provides tangible benefits in accuracy, responsiveness, and, most importantly, long-term peace of mind. The build quality is excellent, the tactile buttons are a joy to use, and the included case is a fantastic bonus.

No, it’s not perfect. The D-pad is merely good, not great, and will disappoint hardcore 2D fighting game fans who would be better served by an 8BitDo pad. But for the vast majority of retro gamers who play across a wide variety of systems, from the 8-bit era all the way to the sixth generation, the KingKong 2 Pro is an outstanding all-rounder. It strikes a brilliant balance between retro sensibility and modern technology.

In 2026, spending £60 on a controller that is fundamentally designed not to fail feels like a wise investment, not an extravagance. It’s a purchase you make once, allowing you to focus on the games themselves rather than worrying about when your hardware will inevitably let you down. Now that you have a controller that can stand the test of time, the next question is refining your software. Are you using the best shaders in RetroArch to make your favourite 16-bit classics look perfect on a modern display?

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the GuliKit KingKong 2 Pro work with Nintendo Switch?

Yes, absolutely. It works brilliantly with the Nintendo Switch and is a popular alternative to Nintendo’s official Pro Controller. You simply change the controller’s mode to the ‘Switch’ setting, and it pairs just like an official pad, including support for motion controls and wake-from-sleep functionality, which is a feature many third-party controllers lack.

Are Hall effect joysticks really immune to stick drift?

From a mechanical standpoint, yes. The core cause of stick drift in traditional controllers is the physical wear of carbon tracks and metal wipers inside a potentiometer. Hall effect sensors use magnets and have no physical contact for sensing position, so this wear-and-tear mechanism is completely eliminated. Whilst it’s possible for any electronic component to fail for other reasons, they are not susceptible to the gradual degradation that causes common stick drift.

Is the GuliKit KingKong 2 Pro better than the 8BitDo Pro 2?

It depends entirely on your gaming priorities. The KingKong 2 Pro is better for 3D games (N64, PS2, GameCube) and for anyone terrified of stick drift, thanks to its superior Hall effect analogue sticks. The 8BitDo Pro 2 is better for 2D games (NES, SNES, Mega Drive) due to its more precise and tactile D-pad, and it’s also about £38.20 cheaper. Think of it this way: for 3D, pick GuliKit; for 2D, pick 8BitDo.

How is the battery life on the KingKong 2 Pro?

Battery life is excellent. GuliKit claims up to 25 hours on a single charge from its 1000mAh battery, and that figure holds up in practice — a USB-C charge once every couple of weeks is typical with regular daily use. It comfortably outlasts official Xbox controllers that use AA batteries and is on par with the best rechargeable pads on the market.

Can you replace the joysticks on the KingKong 2 Pro?

No, on this specific model the joystick modules are soldered directly to the main circuit board. This means they are not designed for easy user replacement. GuliKit does sell a separate Hall effect joystick module kit, but that is intended for modding other controllers (like the Steam Deck or official pads) or for use in their higher-end ‘MAX’ version of the controller, which does feature swappable sticks.

Is the GuliKit KingKong 2 Pro worth buying in 2026?

Yes, it’s still an excellent purchase in 2026. While other companies are starting to release controllers with Hall effect sticks, the KingKong 2 Pro was one of the first and remains a well-built, reliable, and feature-complete option. The core technology hasn’t been superseded, and its blend of build quality, performance, and multi-platform compatibility keeps it highly relevant and a great value proposition against its drift-prone competition.

What is the difference between the KingKong 2 Pro and the regular KingKong 2?

The Pro model is the one you should almost always buy. The main difference lies in the face buttons (A, B, X, Y). The Pro version uses durable, clicky microswitches with a 50-million-press rating, whereas the standard version uses more common and less-tactile rubber membrane buttons. The Pro also has slightly improved compatibility and firmware. The small price difference is more than worth it for the superior feel and longevity of the Pro’s buttons.

What to Read Next

If you found this useful, here are a few articles worth reading next:

• 8BitDo Pro 2 Review: Is it Worth £40 in 2026 UK? — See our deep-dive on the KingKong’s biggest rival to decide if its superior D-pad is a better fit for you.
• Top 5 Retro Handhelds £100-£200 UK (2026) — If you’re looking to take your emulation hobby on the go, this guide breaks down the best value handhelds on the market.
• 7 Best Arcade Sticks for Retro Gaming Under £100 UK (2026) — For fighting game and arcade purists, a controller just won’t cut it. Here are the best sticks that won’t break the bank.

📚 Related: Browse the full Setup & Emulation Guide Hub — all UK retro gaming guides in one place.

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This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by the editor. See our Editorial Standards.