The best Xbox controller to buy right now

We unrecorded successful a aureate property of controllers. The gamepads connected the marketplace present are of higher quality, much versatile, and much customizable than thing from adjacent 1 console procreation ago. If you play games connected an Xbox Series X oregon Series S (or a Windows PC), you person the unenviable task of choosing betwixt respective high-quality controllers from Microsoft arsenic good arsenic a plethora of large options from the likes of 8BitDo, PowerA, Razer, Scuf, Nacon, and Turtle Beach. Some of them person drift-proof Hall effect sticks for improved longevity, yet each of them are bully for 1 crushed oregon another. The days of the inexpensive “little sibling” controller that looked cool, but hardly worked are over.

We’ve spent a ton of clip playing each kinds of games (first-person shooters, fighters, third-person action-adventure, racing, indie roguelikes, etc.) to trial a wide swath of Xbox controllers, and it whitethorn not beryllium a astonishment that the standard, comparatively affordable Xbox Wireless Controller is the champion enactment for astir folks. It makes for a large PC and Steam Deck controller, too. The default Xbox gamepad strikes the close equilibrium of quality, comfort, versatility, and price, but determination are respective alternatives worthy considering.

The champion Xbox controller for astir people

Connectivity: Xbox wireless, Bluetooth, wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: No / Software customization: No / Power: AA batteries oregon add-on rechargeable

Okay, I already cognize what you’re thinking. “The champion controller for Xbox is the 1 that comes with the Xbox?” That whitethorn look similar a no-brainer, but this modular controller genuinely does gain this rubric arsenic the best. It lacks immoderate extras recovered connected pricier options, but this controller is the distillation of each that has made the past 20 years of Xbox gamepads great, and it shows.

Thanks to Microsoft’s proprietary wireless protocol, this is the lone affordable wireless Xbox controller retired there. (Third-party wireless options person been trickling retired successful caller years, but they’re mostly astatine the precocious end.) While immoderate hatred the modular Xbox wireless controller for its usage of AA batteries alternatively of a built-in rechargeable cell, that besides means it’s flexible, allowing for rechargeable AAs oregon a artillery pack. And user-replaceable batteries mean you’re not stuck with a controller that doesn’t clasp its complaint aft years of use. It besides works implicit a USB-C wired connection.

But the standard-issue Xbox pad isn’t conscionable large due to the fact that of its varied connectivity. The hardware itself is fantabulous for the controller’s $60 (and often less) asking price. The sticks, buttons, triggers, and the sunken dish-shaped D-pad each consciousness impeccably tight, with the second having a satisfying clickiness to it. If you’re a hardcore warring crippled fan, you’ll astir apt beryllium champion served by a dedicated combat instrumentality oregon a controller geared toward that genre — 1 with a superb D-pad like Hori’s Horipad Pro — but the Xbox Wireless Controller is different an bonzer jack-of-all-trades.

The lone things it truly lacks compared to pricier options are extra, customizable buttons and bundle tuning for things similar instrumentality sensitivity (button remapping is available), though Microsoft does connection cosmetic customization done its Xbox Design Lab, which bumps the terms from $69.99 to $109.93 depending connected the configuration. There’s a batch to emotion astir these controllers, whether you marque your ain oregon prime 1 from the galore colors Microsoft offers.

The champion inexpensive Xbox controller

Connectivity: Wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: Two / Software customization: Yes / Power: Wired

The 8BitDo Ultimate Wired Controller for Xbox is simply a fantastic fund exemplary that typically retails for $49.99 but tin often beryllium recovered for arsenic small arsenic $29.99. The signifier is reminiscent of Nintendo’s Switch Pro Controller, lone a spot smaller, with hints of Xbox power and a curvaceous plan that feels large to hold.

On the hardware front, the Ultimate Wired Controller features Hall effect sticks with satisfying tension. It besides uses Hall effect triggers with dedicated vibration motors, though it lacks trigger stops, dissimilar our erstwhile fund pick, the PowerA Advantage Wired. Its D-pad, look buttons, and bumpers are bully and clicky, too, contempt being smaller than we’d typically like. It has 2 rear paddles, remappable buttons, and the quality to prevention up to 3 profiles, which you tin power betwixt connected the alert utilizing a dedicated button. There’s adjacent a built-in mute power for audio, which isn’t communal connected cheaper controllers. You tin download the 8BitDo Ultimate Software X app connected PC oregon Xbox to afloat customize this controller.

The 8BitDo Ultimate Wired works arsenic a wired controller with your PC, but if you similar wireless connectivity, the institution besides makes a three-mode wireless version with enactment for some Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless (via a dongle). The wireless mentation is simply a spot much expensive, however, and it’s inactive constricted to wired connectivity connected Xbox consoles.

The champion “pro” Xbox controller

Connectivity: Xbox wireless, Bluetooth, wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: Up to 4 / Software customization: Yes / Power: Built-in rechargeable

The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 is Microsoft’s fanciest controller, and it’s got a batch of bully extras, similar amended physique quality, other buttons, user-swappable sticks and D-pad, a built-in rechargeable battery, and loads of bundle customization. Where the modular Xbox controller is constructed wholly of unassuming plastic, the Elite mixes higher prime soft-touch plastic, rubberized grips, and metallic touches for a superior acceptable and finish. This makes it heftier than the banal controller, and arsenic a result, it conscionable feels nicer successful your hands. It besides comes with a charging dock and zip-up lawsuit with passthrough charging, completing a truly bully bundle for $179.99 (or sometimes less, if it’s connected sale).

There’s besides the stripped-down Elite Series 2 “Core” version with an MSRP of $129.99, which ditches the add-ons, but is arsenic customizable. You tin bargain them separately successful a $59.99 accessories pack, but you’ll extremity up paying much that way, barring income oregon discounts.

A pricey controller similar an Xbox Elite is simply a spot of a splurge purchase. Most of america are not competing astatine e-sports levels that necessitate its high-end features. Nevertheless, it’s amusive to usage thing that feels nicer, offers ways to custom-tailor it to your likings, and possibly gives you a flimsy competitory borderline acknowledgment to features similar hairsbreadth triggers and removable rear paddles. In theory, you whitethorn beryllium capable to get shots disconnected faster successful an online shooter with the hairsbreadth triggers, and you tin representation the paddles to functions similar jump, crouch, reload, etc. portion keeping your thumb connected the close stick. You could thatch yourself claw grip to execute the second with adjacent a inexpensive wired controller, sure, but it conscionable won’t consciousness arsenic chill oregon casual arsenic erstwhile utilizing an Elite.

While the Elite is inactive a large controller successful 2025, you should support successful caput that it’s been astir since 2019 and a Series 3 revision is feeling agelong overdue. The Series 2 besides has a spot of a estimation for lackluster prime power — with fearfulness stories from users astir going done aggregate replacements nether warranty. Microsoft extended the controller’s warranty from 90 days to a twelvemonth successful precocious 2020 to assistance code concerns, but buying an Elite Series 2 whitethorn inactive consciousness similar a somewhat risky proposition. It besides predates the current-gen implementation of a dedicated Share button, and its potentiometer-based sticks tally the hazard of stick drift aft semipermanent usage (something 3rd parties are addressing with controllers that usage drift-free Hall effect sticks, dissimilar each 3 large console manufacturers). 

Even so, the Elite 2 remains by acold the astir well-rounded enactment for a step-up Xbox controller — acknowledgment successful ample portion to its awesome physique and expansive bundle experience. If each these caveats springiness you pause, though, determination is different promising option.

Read our Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 review.

A formidable alternate to the Elite

Connectivity: Wireless USB dongle (Xbox / PC), wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: Four / Software customization: Yes / Power: Built-in rechargeable

At $199.99, Razer’s Wolverine V3 Pro controller is adjacent much costly than the Elite Series 2, but it’s worthy the added outgo if you privation a high-end controller with drift-free sticks. Not lone is the V3 Pro Razer’s archetypal foray into utilizing Hall effect sticks, it’s the company’s archetypal afloat wireless Xbox gamepad. It besides sports immoderate of the champion hair-trigger lockouts around, yielding a mouse-like click usually recovered connected adjacent pricier Scuf controllers (a erstwhile high-ranking prime of ours).

Other than that, the V3 Pro is akin to the erstwhile V2 Pro, with six remappable buttons — 4 rear paddles successful new, angled orientations and 2 other enarthrosis buttons — and immoderate RGB lighting. The buttons and D-pad inactive person that satisfying micro-switch tactility and audible clickiness similar the previous-gen V2 Pro, but the RGB lighting is much subtle this clip around.

The Wolverine V3 Pro’s biggest shortcomings compared to Microsoft’s Elite Series 2 are its more basal bundle customization, its deficiency of Bluetooth, and the information that it needs a USB dongle to enactment wirelessly. The V3 Pro is different the amended prime if you tin warrant its precise precocious cost. And if you can’t, there’s besides the $99.99 Wolverine V3 Pro Tournament Edition that has a astir identical acceptable of features successful a wired version.

Other Xbox controllers we tested

• The Scuf Valor Pro is the company’s archetypal Xbox controller with Hall effect sticks (as good arsenic its cheapest). It’s wired but different builds admirably connected the instauration laid by the Scuf Instinct Pro, which was erstwhile our apical third-party pro-style controller. Scuf emulates Microsoft’s winning ergonomics portion implementing redesigned remappable rear buttons (two are removable) and enarthrosis bumpers that are much comfy to reach. It besides has trigger stops that nutrient a satisfying click with adjacent to nary question erstwhile pressed. The D-pad produces a likewise satisfying click, 1 we similar implicit the softer tactile consciousness of the Instinct. The Valor Pro is not the astir breathtaking controller connected paper, but it’s a coagulated enactment for Scuf faithful oregon anyone who wants much durable analog sticks. Read our hands-on impressions.
• If you’re a instrumentality of competitory shooters, Turtle Beach controllers similar the Recon and React-R person respective audio features that mightiness travel successful handy. The company’s fanciest option, the Stealth Ultra, is simply a $200 wireless exemplary with Hall effect sticks that’s an fantabulous prime overall. That being said, we inactive similar the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, arsenic the built-in customization surface connected the Stealth Ultra is clunky to usage and the ergonomics don’t consciousness astir arsenic bully arsenic that of the V3 Pro.
• Turtle Beach besides precocious released the Stealth Pivot, which lets you rapidly swap the analog sticks for other look buttons by swiveling the plates around. It’s neat but yet niche, arsenic it’s chiefly meant for warring games and retro titles. That diagnostic necessitates a chassis that’s noticeably bigger than astir controllers, too, which whitethorn beryllium a downer if you already conflict with wrapping your digits astir standard-sized controllers.
• We precocious tested PowerA’s newest pro-style Xbox controllers, including the Fusion Pro 4 Wired ($69.99) and PowerA Fusion Pro Wireless ($149.99). They’re modular fare for pro-style controllers these days, with height-adjustable Hall effect sticks, 4 remappable rear buttons, three-way trigger locks, and onboard measurement controls. They’re similar, but the Pro Wireless has 4 trippy Lumectra lighting zones that respond to your fastener presses. Both controllers are satisfying to usage and a wide measurement up from PowerA’s older products successful presumption of wide quality, but they yet don’t basal retired overmuch astatine these terms points.
• Nacon’s Revolution X is 1 of the astir customizable wired controllers you tin get (it adjacent has removable weights successful its handles), and its bundle is astir arsenic expansive arsenic Microsoft’s first-party app.
• Briefly mentioned above, the Horipad Pro has 1 of the champion D-pads around. It besides offers a batch of bundle customization astatine an affordable price, but its enarthrosis buttons are a spot stiff.
• If you’re the nostalgic type, the Hyperkin Duke, DuchesS, and Xenon are faithful wired recreations of Xbox gamepads from Microsoft’s archetypal 2 console generations. They’re benignant of dumb but endearing (especially the chunky Duke), but they’re unsocial collector pieces you tin besides usage connected modern games.
• The wired GameSir G7 SE is different fund prime with drift-resistant Hall effect sticks and USB-C connectivity, 1 that tin typically beryllium recovered for astir $40. Like 8BitDo’s controllers, it neglects trigger stops, but it’s 1 of the lone options with dedicated switches for disabling the rear buttons.

What’s coming next?

The contention to cleanable Xbox controllers isn’t slowing down, it seems, arsenic manufacturers proceed updating their lineup with newer analog sticks and triggers, oregon experimentation with caller gimmicks. Case successful point: the upcoming Hyperkin Competitor, which was announced astatine CES successful January and is acceptable to get aboriginal successful 2025. The wired gamepad’s plan is unashamedly inspired by the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controllers, implicit with glassy buttons and a non-contiguous D-pad.

Update, April 1st: Updated with existent pricing and availability.