Genki's Manta Controller Brings a Built-In Screen, TMR Sticks, and Deep Customization to Kickstarter
Genki has launched the Manta, its first controller designed from scratch in-house, via a Kickstarter campaign that opened August 20 at 7am PT. The Manta is Genki's ninth crowdfunded device, and the company's most hardware-ambitious to date. It was first announced for a live CES reveal on January 6, 2026 Genki on Facebook.
The standout hardware feature is a 2.9-inch LCD screen positioned below the thumbsticks and buttons. That screen serves as the interface for an onboard operating system Genki calls MantaOS Kickstarter. The settings layer runs on a dedicated Raspberry Pi RP2350 microcontroller — a small, low-power chip that handles the controller's customization interface independently of whatever device you've connected it to.
The customization options are extensive. Players can configure and switch between multiple console, game, and user profiles; adjust thumbstick response curves and dead zones; increase haptic feedback intensity; remap buttons; and record, edit, and combine multiple button presses into custom macros. All of this runs on-device through the LCD, so there is no need for a companion phone app or desktop software to change settings The Verge.
The thumbsticks use drift-resistant tunneling magnetoresistance, or TMR, sensors with adjustable tension. TMR is a sensing technology that has been gaining traction in high-end controllers as an alternative to both potentiometers (the traditional, wear-prone stick sensors) and Hall-effect sensors, offering higher resolution and lower electronic noise. The Manta's sticks also support an 8000 Hz polling rate — meaning they report their position to the host device 8,000 times per second Genki on Facebook, a figure that puts it in competitive esports territory.
The face buttons are analog, branded by Genki as "Pulse Buttons," and users can configure how deep each button needs to travel before a press is detected Kickstarter. That kind of actuation-depth control is typically found on mechanical keyboard switches, not on controller face buttons.
The triggers are what Genki calls "tristage triggers," offering a third in-between mode in addition to two switchable trigger modes. Six additional remappable buttons are located on the back and shoulders. A dedicated button switches the controller into a keyboard and mouse mode The Verge.
Haptics are handled by linear magnetic ram motors embedded in the grips, a system Genki brands as "Maglev Haptics," which directs feedback into the user's hands Kickstarter. Power comes from a 2,600mAh user-replaceable battery, a design choice that addresses the long-term degradation issue that has affected controllers with sealed-in batteries.
Connectivity spans Bluetooth, an included 2.4GHz dongle, and wired USB-C. The controller also supports charging across four USB-C ports Genkithings.com. A dedicated keyboard-and-mouse mode button suggests the Manta is aimed at cross-platform play, including PC environments where keyboard emulation matters.
Earliest Kickstarter backers can secure the Manta at $189, with full retail pricing expected at $279 The Verge. The controller is also listed for sale on Genki's first-party site, genkithings.com Genkithings.com. Genki is a brand of Human Things Inc., the company behind the genkithings.com store Genkithings.com.
The broader context here is worth noting. The premium controller market has been steadily expanding beyond first-party offerings from Sony and Microsoft, with companies like 8BitDo, GameSir, and now Genki pushing into territory that Hall-effect sticks, onboard displays, and analog face buttons collectively define. The Manta's RP2350-driven on-device configuration layer is a meaningful differentiator. Most third-party controllers still require a phone or desktop app for stick tuning and macro configuration. Putting that on a dedicated chip with its own display closes a real gap in the user experience for players who switch between games and platforms frequently.
The pricing reflects the component stack. At $189 for early backers, the Manta lands below premium first-party controllers like the DualSense Edge while offering a substantially deeper feature set. The $279 retail figure puts it in line with high-end enthusiast controllers. Whether the market sustains that price point is a separate question from whether the hardware justifies it, and on paper the feature list is dense.
The crowdfunding approach carries the usual caveats. Genki's track record of nine campaigns provides some signal of delivery capability, but backers are still committing to a device that will ship on a timeline typical of crowdfunding rather than retail availability. The Manta pairs TMR sticks, analog face buttons, and on-device configuration in a single package at this price range, and that combination will draw scrutiny from both competitors and consumers when units reach hands.
