Update []: Genki’s Kickstarter for the Manta controller has already smashed its initial $100,000 funding goal, hitting a whopping $352,028 at the time of writing.
There’s still 41 days to go, so if you’re keen to get your hands on this thing, then you’ve got plenty of time to get your pledge in. The controller on its own costs $189, but if you’re really enthusiastic, you can pop down $349 for the Founder’s Edition, which is limited to 1,000 units and features an exclusive colour-way and packaging.
Otherwise, we’ll hopefully be able to provide a review of the Manta around its scheduled launch in February 2027, so watch this space.
Original Story: Accessory manufacture Genki is getting into the controller space with the Manta, a premium pad that contains its own 2.79-inch screen and operating system for intuitive customisation without the need for a separate companion phone or desktop app.
So you can switch profiles, remap buttons, tune controls, edit macros, manage connections, and more directly on the controller itself. You’ve also got haptic feedback, up to 8,000hz polling rate when wired (1,000 wireless) and, remarkably, a proper headphone jack.
We can’t decide whether the actual design is nice or a little bit diabolical with that conspicuous screen down at the bottom. Anbernic put out a similar controller recently, and though it was a fine idea, the execution was definitely lacking in several key areas. Hopefully Genki can do it better.
Here’s a look at the key features:
- MantaOS on the controller — profiles, remapping, advanced tuning, diagnostics, connection management, dashboards, and apps are handled directly on the device.
- Adjustable TMR Joysticks — drift-free, tension-adjustable magnetic sticks that glide on a silicone ring. Players adjust the tension by twisting the stick itself, with no tools or stick swapping required.
- 8K wired / 1K wireless polling — Manta reports inputs at up to 8,000Hz over USB-C and 1,000Hz wirelessly.
- Action Timeline — players can capture inputs with a dedicated button, edit them in a visual timeline, and replay them across six programmable buttons.
- On-the-Fly KBM — a dedicated button instantly switches Manta to keyboard commands and mouse navigation for couch-PC setups.
- Genki Forge — an open developer hub with hardware documentation, reference apps with source, and tools for loading community creations onto the controller.
The Genki Manta will go live on Kickstarter soon and will be compatible with Switch 1 & 2, PC, Mac, Android and iOS. So if it sounds like something you might be interested in, then definitely keep an eye out for more information soon.
What do you make of the Genki Manta? Do you think you’ll pick one up? Let us know your thoughts with a comment.
[source prelaunch.com]
Elroy Fetzer
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