XBotGo Falcon Review: How It Compares to XBotGo Gimbal, Chameleon and Veo
- Alexandru Ciobanu
- Jun 4
- 18 min read
Why We Trusted the Bigger Brother
When we first started using the XBotGo Gimbal, our goal was simple: record better sports footage without needing a professional camera operator on the sideline.
Because, let’s be honest, filming youth sports is not as easy as it looks.
You start the game calm and confident. Five minutes later, the action moves faster than your coffee-fueled reaction time, someone blocks your view, the referee walks straight into the frame, and your “professional recording” suddenly looks like it was filmed during a mild earthquake.
The XBotGo Gimbal helped us solve part of that problem. It gave us a smarter way to record games using a smartphone, with AI tracking and a setup that was simple enough for real life, not just for perfect product demos.
So when XBotGo announced the Falcon, we were interested. Actually, more than interested.
We decided to buy it during the pre-sale period because the smaller brother had already earned our trust. The Gimbal had shown us that AI sports recording could be useful, practical, and realistic for parents, athletes, coaches, and small clubs. Falcon looked like the next step: a more advanced, all-in-one AI sports camera built for people who want better footage, fewer compromises, and less sideline gymnastics.
Was it perfect from day one? No. And that is important to say.
The XBotGo Falcon is a device that has been improving over time. Since we started filming games with it this spring, we have seen the software updates make a real difference. After each update, the tracking became better, the filming experience smoother, and the overall quality more convincing.
That matters because sports filming is not easy for AI.
A basketball game is fast. Players cut, switch, screen, sprint, stop, argue with the referee, disappear behind other players, and sometimes move in ways that even their coach did not fully approve. Asking a camera to understand all of that automatically is not a small task.
This is why we do not see the Falcon as a magic box.
We see it as a developing AI sports camera that already does a very useful job and keeps getting better.
We have used it to record several full games this spring, and some of those recordings are already available on our YouTube channel. You can recognize the Falcon footage by the small “XBotGo Falcon” icon in the bottom-left corner of the video. We will include one example in this article, and if you look around the channel, you will find more games filmed with the same setup.
This review is not written from a brochure. It is written from the sideline.
From real gyms, real games, real lighting conditions, real Wi-Fi problems, real parents, real emotions, and real moments when you silently hope the camera is still recording while the game suddenly becomes interesting.
In this article, we will compare the XBotGo Falcon with its smaller brothers — the XBotGo Gimbal and XBotGo Chameleon — and then look briefly at how it stands next to more established AI sports camera systems such as Veo.
Because the real question is not “Is Falcon perfect?”
The real question is: Is it good enough, practical enough, and smart enough to help parents, athletes, coaches, and small clubs record better games without turning every weekend into a TV production?
That is the question we will try to answer.
Where the XBotGo Falcon Fits in the Family
To understand the XBotGo Falcon, it helps to look at the XBotGo family as a small sports-filming team.
The XBotGo Gimbal is the flexible one.
It uses your smartphone camera and turns it into a smart tracking system. It is easy to carry, useful for different types of content, and a very good starting point if you want to record games without investing immediately in a more advanced AI sports camera. You bring the phone, the Gimbal brings the tracking, and together they try to keep up with the game — most of the time better than a parent holding the phone with one hand and a coffee with the other.
The XBotGo Chameleon is the more specialized one.
It still works with your smartphone in the filming setup, but it adds its own built-in AI camera to improve tracking and sports recognition. This is an important difference. Chameleon is not simply “a phone on a gimbal”; it is more focused on team sports and offers more advanced tracking features, such as jersey number recognition, key player tracking, more sports modes, improved water resistance, and cloud storage support.
So compared to the Gimbal, the Chameleon feels more like a dedicated sports-tracking solution, even though the phone still remains part of the recording process.
Then comes the XBotGo Falcon.
Falcon feels like the bigger brother in the family — the one designed for users who want to move beyond smartphone-based filming and start recording games with a more serious, dedicated AI sports camera setup.
It is not just about following the action. It is about improving the overall filming experience: better video quality, a more advanced device, fewer dependencies on your smartphone camera, and a setup that feels closer to what you need when you want full-game recordings for YouTube, player analysis, highlight clips, or long-term athlete development.
That is exactly why we were interested in it.
After using the Gimbal, we already understood the value of AI sports filming. We knew how useful it was to have a device that could follow the game while we focused on watching, supporting, or simply trying not to give tactical advice from the stands.
Falcon looked like the next logical step.
Not because the Gimbal suddenly became useless. It did not. The Gimbal still makes sense for many users. And the Chameleon also has its clear place, especially for people who want improved AI tracking while still using a smartphone-based setup.
But Falcon is aimed at a different need.
The Gimbal is great when you want flexibility.
The Chameleon is great when you want smarter sports tracking while still using your phone.
The Falcon is for those who want to take sports recording a step further with a dedicated AI sports camera.
In simple words:
XBotGo Gimbal is the smart entry point.
XBotGo Chameleon is the upgraded smartphone-based sports tracking solution.
XBotGo Falcon is the more advanced option for serious game recording.
And that distinction is important.
Because not every parent, coach, or club needs the most advanced device from day one. Sometimes the Gimbal is enough. Sometimes the Chameleon is the better fit. And sometimes, when you start recording more games, publishing them, analyzing them, and using them as part of a bigger sports journey, Falcon begins to make much more sense.
That was our case.
We did not buy the Falcon because we wanted a new toy.
Well… maybe a little. We are still sports parents, not robots.
But mainly, we bought it because we wanted better recordings, more reliable full-game footage, and a device that could grow with our needs.
And this is where Falcon starts to separate itself from the smaller brothers.
XBotGo Gimbal vs Chameleon vs Falcon: A Simple Comparison
Before comparing the Falcon with other brands, it makes sense to place it next to its own family members: the XBotGo Gimbal and the XBotGo Chameleon.
Here is the simple version.
Criteria | XBotGo Gimbal | ||
Device type | Smartphone-based AI sports gimbal | Smartphone-based sports tracking system with built-in AI cameras | Standalone AI sports camera |
How it records | Uses your phone camera | Your phone handles the recording, while Chameleon helps with AI tracking | Falcon records directly with its own built-in camera system |
Best for | Parents, athletes and creators who want a flexible, affordable starting point | Users who still want phone-based recording, but with smarter sports tracking | Users who want a more serious full-game recording setup |
Video quality | Depends heavily on your smartphone camera | Still depends on your smartphone camera, but tracking is improved by the Chameleon system | Dedicated 4K recording, designed specifically for sports |
AI tracking | App-based tracking through the phone | More advanced tracking support, including sports-focused features like jersey number tracking | Built-in AI tracking, auto-framing and auto-zoom for team sports |
Setup complexity | Simple, but phone-dependent | Slightly more advanced, still phone-dependent | More dedicated setup, but less dependent on your phone camera |
Battery / recording logic | Depends on both gimbal and phone battery | Depends on Chameleon and phone battery | Built-in battery; designed for longer full-game recording |
Price positioning | Usually positioned as the entry-level option one time - no subscription needed | Usually positioned in the middle of the XBotGo range one time - no subscription needed | Usually positioned as the premium XBotGo option one time - no subscription needed |
Main advantage | Flexible and affordable | Better sports tracking while still using your phone | Better overall recording experience for serious game footage |
Main limitation | Quality and tracking depend a lot on your phone and app performance | Still needs your phone in the recording setup | More expensive and still improving through software updates |
In short:
Choose the XBotGo Gimbal if you want the most flexible and budget-friendly way to start recording sports with AI tracking.
Choose the XBotGo Chameleon if you still want to use your phone, but you want better sports-focused tracking than the basic gimbal setup.
Choose the XBotGo Falcon if you want a dedicated AI sports camera for full-game recordings, YouTube uploads, player analysis and a more serious long-term setup.
There is no perfect choice for everyone.
The best choice depends on what you need most: flexibility, smarter tracking, or better dedicated game recording.
XBotGo Falcon vs Veo: Different Tools for Different Needs
After comparing Falcon with the XBotGo Gimbal and Chameleon, the next natural question is: How does it compare with bigger AI sports camera systems, such as Veo?
This is where we need to be fair.
Veo is already a well-known name in sports recording. It is used by many clubs, academies and teams that want an all-in-one solution for recording, livestreaming, analysis and sharing. It is not just a camera. It is an entire platform built around the video experience.
XBotGo Falcon feels different.
Falcon is usually positioned as a more accessible AI sports camera for parents, athletes, coaches and smaller clubs that want good full-game recordings without immediately stepping into a more expensive ecosystem.
And this is important.
If you are a large club, academy or organization that needs advanced analysis tools, multiple team access, structured video review and a mature platform, Veo may make a lot of sense.
But if you are a sports parent, a young athlete, a small club, or a project like ours — where the goal is to record games, publish footage, create highlights and support player development — Falcon becomes very interesting.
Here is the honest version: Veo feels more like a professional sports video platform.
Falcon feels more like a practical AI sports camera that is still growing, improving, and becoming better with each software update.
And that is not a bad thing.
Actually, it is one of the reasons we like it.
Because we did not buy Falcon expecting a Hollywood production crew in a small black device. We bought it because we wanted better footage than a smartphone-based setup, without turning every game into a full broadcast operation.
There is also the price discussion.
Another important difference is the pricing model. With the XBotGo Falcon, the cost is usually a one-time purchase: you buy the device and use it. With Veo, the total cost normally includes both the price of the camera and an annual subscription, which is important to consider if you are a parent, a small club, or a team trying to control long-term costs.
In tech, there is an old truth:
Good and fast is rarely cheap.
Good and cheap is rarely fast.
Cheap and fast is rarely good.
In other words, no AI sports camera is perfect.
The best sports broadcasts are still made with professional camera operators, professional cameras, professional lighting, professional internet connections, and budgets that make normal parents quietly close the browser tab.
So Falcon should not be judged as if it were replacing a full TV crew.
It should be judged by a more realistic question:
Can it help us record better games, more consistently, with less effort and at a more accessible cost than many professional sports video systems?
From our experience so far, the answer is yes. Not perfect. But useful. And improving.
Real-Life Recording Conditions: The Gym Matters More Than You Think
One of the most important things we learned while using the XBotGo Falcon is that the quality of the gym matters a lot.
And by “quality,” we do not mean whether the locker rooms look nice or whether the coffee machine works.
We mean two very practical things: light and camera position.
These two factors can make a big difference in how well the Falcon follows the game, how smooth the recording looks, and how often the AI manages to stay perfectly connected to the action.
In an ideal world, you would place the Falcon on a stable tripod, around 2 to 2.5 meters away from the sideline, at a good height - 2.4 meters, with a clear view of the entire court and decent lighting.
In real life?
Sometimes the gym has other plans.
In some sports halls, there is simply not enough space behind the sideline. You cannot place the tripod exactly where you want. Sometimes the Falcon ends up very close to the court, almost on the line, trying to do its job while players, referees, coaches and water bottles all move through the same visual space.
And then there is the lighting.
Some gyms have good, even light. Others have lighting that feels like it was designed mainly to help parents find their seats, not to support AI sports tracking. The game may still be great, but the camera has to work harder.
This matters because AI tracking depends on visibility.
When the light is poor, when players move very fast, when bodies overlap, or when the camera is too close to the court, the tracking can sometimes fall slightly behind the action. Not always, but it can happen.
And honestly, sometimes the players are so fast that even the AI looks like it needs one extra sprint drill.
Other times, the play becomes so chaotic that nobody fully understands what happened — not the parents, not the players, not the referee, and certainly not the camera. At that point, we cannot blame the Falcon too much. Some possessions in youth basketball look less like organized offense and more like a small documentary about controlled panic.
But this is exactly why testing a device in real conditions matters.
In good conditions, the Falcon can produce very solid full-game recordings. With a stable tripod, decent height, enough distance from the sideline and proper lighting, the tracking is smoother and the overall experience is much better.
In more difficult gyms, you may notice moments where the camera reacts a little late or needs time to recover the action. This does not make the device useless. It simply means that automatic sports filming still depends on the environment.
Our conclusion after several games is simple:
The XBotGo Falcon performs best when you give it the best possible view of the court.
That sounds obvious, but on game day, it becomes very practical advice.
Arrive early. Choose the best available angle. Use a stable tripod. Give the camera space. Avoid placing it too close to the sideline if you can. And never underestimate the importance of good lighting.
Because even smart cameras need a little help from the real world.
Three Real Recording Examples
To make this more practical, we will include three real game recordings filmed with the XBotGo Falcon. They show how camera position can influence the final result.
Example 1 – The ideal positionIn this recording, the Falcon is placed on the sideline, around 2.5 to 3 meters away from the court, close to the half-court line, at a height of approximately 2.4 meters.
This is the setup that gave us the best overall results. The camera has enough distance to see both halves of the court, the angle is balanced, and the AI tracking has more room to follow the action smoothly.
Example 2 – Higher position, still near half courtIn this example, the Falcon is placed much higher, at around 5 meters, but still close to the middle of the court.
This angle offers a wider view and can be useful when the gym allows it. The game is easier to follow tactically, although the feeling is slightly different compared to the lower sideline setup.
Example 3 – Corner positionIn this recording, the Falcon is placed in one corner of the court, at around 2.4 meters high.
This is not the ideal position, but sometimes it is the only available option in a crowded gym. The Falcon can still record the game, but the angle is less balanced and the AI has a harder job following fast transitions from one side of the court to the other.
These examples are useful because they show something very important: The same device can produce different results depending on where and how you place it.
So before judging the camera, judge the setup too.
Sometimes the Falcon is not the problem.
Sometimes the gym simply gave it the camera angle equivalent of a difficult math exam.
Our Recommended Settings After Several Recorded Games
After several games recorded with the XBotGo Falcon, we learned something important:
The device is smart, but it still appreciates when the human operator does not arrive completely unprepared.
So here are our practical recommendations for basketball recording, part technical guide, part sideline survival manual.
Yes, we know. Reading the manual is not the most exciting part of sports filming.
But many users get poor results simply because they spend five minutes with the device, skip the instructions, press a few buttons, and then expect the Falcon to understand basketball, lighting, geometry, Wi-Fi, parenting emotions, and the meaning of life.
Give the manual a real chance. It helps.
2. Connect the Falcon to your phone at home
Do this at home, not five minutes before tip-off.
Because we all know there is a mysterious force in the universe that appears only before important games and prevents devices from connecting exactly when you need them most. Check the connection early. Save your nerves for the referee.
3. Update the software before game day
Make sure the Falcon has the latest software version installed.
Again, do this at home, ideally the day before the game. Software updates are great, but they are not something you want to watch loading while both teams are already warming up.
This is also the perfect moment to check if the device has enough recording space and whether the battery is fully charged.
From our experience, charging takes around two hours. After recording a basketball game of about 90 minutes, the battery was only about halfway used, which is reassuring for normal game-day use.
Still, start with 100%. It is better for your heart rate.
4. Bring a charged phone
You will need a charged phone to monitor what the Falcon sees in real time.
This phone can also be used to manage the scoreboard display, if you choose to show the score on the recording.
In other words, the Falcon records the game, but your phone becomes mission control.
And mission control should not start the game at 12% battery.
5. Arrive at the gym
This sounds obvious, but it deserves its own step. Arriving early changes everything.
If you arrive late, you do not choose the filming position. The filming position chooses you. And usually, it chooses badly.
6. Find the best position on the sideline
Take a deep breath and move quickly to the opposite side of the team benches, ideally near the half-court line.
For basketball, this is usually the best position. When the Falcon is placed near the middle of the court, it has a better view of both halves and can follow the action more naturally.
If you do not get the perfect spot, it is not the end of the world. The Falcon can record from different positions around the court.
But if you can get the middle, take it. Consider it your first small win of the day.
7. Set up a stable tripod
Use a stable tripod.
Not a decorative one. Not one that looks like it came free with a flashlight. A real, solid tripod.
Place it around 2 to 2.5 meters from the sideline, if the gym allows it. If there is not enough space, place it as far from the court as possible — but not on the court.
That last part is important.
Players do not enjoy surprise tripods during fast breaks.
At this stage, do not raise the tripod to maximum height yet. Keep it lower while you mount and prepare the Falcon.
8. Mount the Falcon and start the setup
Mount the Falcon on the tripod, turn it on, open the app on your phone, and make sure everything connects properly.
Then select the sport mode — in our case, Basketball — and start the setup.
From this moment, you can see on your phone what the Falcon sees. This helps a lot when adjusting the position and framing.
Now raise the tripod to around 2.4 meters.
This height has worked well for us in basketball.
When the Falcon starts, it performs its own short setup process. It only takes a couple of seconds. After that, check the framing carefully.
Ideally, the imaginary half-court line should sit between the two cameras.
If it does not, adjust the position by rotating the tripod — NOT the device itself.
This is important.
Let the Falcon sit correctly on the tripod and move the whole setup when needed.
9. Breathe
At this point, you can breathe again.
The Falcon is connected.
The tripod is stable.
The position is good.
The sport mode is selected.
The device is ready.
Congratulations.
You have already won the second game of the day: the setup game.
Now find a place in the gym and enjoy the actual match.
10. Set the scoreboard on your phone
Before the game starts, set the scoreboard details in the app.
Add the team names and, if available, the team colors.
This helps make the recording cleaner and easier to follow, especially when sharing the game later with players, parents, coaches, or anyone who was not there.
It also reduces the classic question: “What was the score again?”
11. Use zone mapping
Zone mapping is very useful.
This means telling the Falcon where the middle of the court and the four corners are.
It may sound like a small detail, but it can make a real difference in the quality of the recording. The device understands the court better, and the automatic tracking becomes more reliable.
Think of it as giving the Falcon a map before asking it to follow ten fast-moving players.
Even smart devices appreciate directions.
12. Adjust the recording resolution
For our recordings, we use 4K / 30fps.
This is the only setting we usually change from the Falcon’s default setup.
For us, it offers a good balance between quality and practical use. The footage looks clean, and it works well for full-game recordings, YouTube uploads, highlights, and game review. You only need to set this once, unless you later decide to change your recording workflow.
13. Start recording before the game begins
Do not wait for the referee’s whistle.
Start recording two or three minutes before tip-off.
This gives you a safe margin and helps avoid missing the first possession because someone was still tapping buttons on the phone.
And somehow, the first possession is always the one you miss when you start late.
14. Enjoy the game
Once everything is set up, let the Falcon do its job.
Watch the game.
Support the players.
Take mental notes.
Try not to coach from the stands.
Try even harder.
Of course, the device has more features and there are many other things users can explore once they start working with it.
But these are the steps that helped us record better games, reduce stress, and make the Falcon part of our normal basketball routine.
The biggest lesson? Good AI filming starts before the game starts.
Final Verdict: Not Perfect, But We Are Very Happy With It
The XBotGo Falcon is still a young product.
And you can feel that in some areas.
There are things that still need improvement. The recorded sound, for example, is not its strongest point. Sometimes it sounds a little like someone threw a small rock down a staircase and decided to call it audio.
The auto-zoom is also not always as “auto” or as “zoom” as you would expect. Sometimes it works well, sometimes it feels like the Falcon is politely watching the game from a safe distance.
But even with these imperfections, our conclusion is simple:
We are very happy with the XBotGo Falcon.
Why?
Because it helped us record better games than before. It gave us cleaner full-game footage, a more serious setup, and a practical way to publish matches, create highlights, review plays, and document the sports journey in a way that would have been much harder with only a phone or a basic setup.
It is not a professional TV production system.
It is not a human camera operator.
And it should not be judged as if it were replacing a full broadcast crew with expensive cameras, perfect angles, professional microphones, and someone whose only job is to follow the ball without blinking.
But for parents, athletes, small clubs, coaches, and projects like ours, the Falcon can be a very useful tool.
Especially if you understand one important thing: The Falcon gets better when you use it properly.
Good positioning, stable tripod, proper height, decent lighting, zone mapping, updated software, enough battery, and a little patience all make a real difference.
From our experience, the device has also improved after software updates, which gives us confidence that it is moving in the right direction.
So no, the XBotGo Falcon is not perfect.
But it is useful.
It is improving.
It records games well enough to matter.
And it has already become part of our sports routine.
For us, that says a lot.
Would we buy it again? Yes.
Would we still like better audio, more reliable auto-zoom, and even smoother tracking in difficult gyms? Also yes.
That is the honest verdict.
The XBotGo Falcon is not the final word in AI sports filming, but it is a very promising one.
FAQ – XBotGo Falcon Review
Is the XBotGo Falcon better than the XBotGo Gimbal?
Yes, if your main goal is to record full sports games with a more dedicated setup. The XBotGo Gimbal is a great entry point because it uses your smartphone and offers AI tracking in a flexible, affordable way. The Falcon, however, is designed as a standalone AI sports camera, with better video quality and a more serious setup for full-game recordings.
Is the XBotGo Falcon good for basketball games?
From our experience, yes. We used the XBotGo Falcon to record basketball games, and it worked well, especially when placed near the half-court line, on a stable tripod, at a good height, with decent lighting. Like any AI sports camera, it performs best when the filming position and gym conditions are good.
Does the XBotGo Falcon replace a professional camera operator?
No. And honestly, it should not be expected to. A professional camera operator with professional equipment will still deliver better results, especially in difficult lighting or complex game situations. The Falcon is better understood as a practical AI sports camera for parents, athletes, coaches and small clubs that want better game footage without building a full TV production team.
Is the XBotGo Falcon worth it?
For us, yes. It is not perfect, and there are still things to improve, especially audio quality and auto-zoom consistency. But it helped us record better games, publish full matches on YouTube, create highlights and support player development. If you understand its limitations and set it up properly, the XBotGo Falcon can be a very useful sports filming tool.
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