Microsoft up to date its normal Xbox controller for the Series X and S launch in 2020, and it’s nonetheless the perfect Xbox controller for many PC avid gamers. It has a refined design, snug hand-feel, and importantly, Bluetooth connectivity so that you don’t want so as to add a brand new wi-fi dongle to your PC. Plus, it prices simply $60, and sometimes much less when on sale.

Pairing the Xbox controller is totally painless. Simply long-press the Bluetooth button on the highest edge, and choose the controller in your PC’s Bluetooth settings. It will mesh completely with the controller settings in most Windows video games, and there’s no further software program to muck round with.

This controller has the usual Xbox button structure, that includes asymmetrical thumbsticks and properly tactile buttons. The spherical d-pad is a welcome improve over older variations, which had mushy, cross-shaped directional pads. The 2020 Xbox controller has a plastic physique with a micro-dot texture on the grips and triggers to make it simpler to carry onto throughout intense gaming classes. The Elite controller provides rubberized grips and adjustable triggers, nevertheless it’s additionally a bit heavier.

Part of the explanation for the decrease weight is that the usual controller doesn’t have a built-in rechargeable battery. The continued reliance on AA batteries makes it lighter (even with the batteries put in), however holding a field of batteries useful is much less handy than simply plugging in a USB-C cable. There’s a USB-C port on prime for wired gaming, nevertheless it gained’t cost the controller until you get the add-on battery pack.

While the Series X/S Xbox controller is acknowledged in Windows, there aren’t any profiles or customizations such as you get with the Elite Series 2. That’s in all probability fantastic as the usual controller lacks the extra rear paddle buttons of the Elite.

For PC avid gamers on a finances, look no additional than the PowerA Enhanced Xbox Controller. While it’s just a little bigger than the 2020 Xbox controller, the PowerA unit is way lighter due to its lack of batteries. Yes, this can be a wired controller, however your PC might be going to be near the place you sport, whereas a console is most certainly throughout the room.

If you possibly can deal with the detachable cable and its ageing microUSB connector, the PowerA controller does every thing the usual controller does and extra. For instance, there’s a {hardware} toggle proper within the center for quantity management, and there are two programmable buttons on the again of the grips.

The button structure is equivalent to the usual controller, save for the extra controls talked about above. The buttons don’t really feel fairly as steady as Microsoft’s controller, and the d-pad is mushy. However, it solely prices about $30 most days, which is half the worth of the official controller.

If you are taking your gaming critically, there’s no higher method to go than Microsoft’s Xbox Elite Series 2 Controller. It’s barely heavier than the usual Series X gamepad, nevertheless it has a long-lasting rechargeable battery, which saves you from stocking up on AA batteries. Plus, the exhausting plastic physique offers method to comfortable, rubberized grips that make for a really cozy hand-feel.

This is a controller that adapts to you. The dish-shaped metallic d-pad is extra exact and tactile than the one on the usual controller, and the adjustable triggers can velocity up your actions in shooters. Both thumbsticks and the d-pad are detachable, and the Elite Series 2 comes with alternate attachments. For instance, there are longer sticks, sticks with domed tops, and a conventional cross-shaped d-pad.

Pairing along with your PC is simply as fast and simple as it’s with the inventory controller, however there’s an additional step after that. You’ll want the Microsoft Xbox Accessories app to replace the firmware and configure the controller’s profusion of added options. Via this software program, all of the buttons are remappable, together with the rear-facing paddles. You may even create “shift” layers that change button capabilities if you maintain one of many paddles. Just since you make a ton of alterations for one sport doesn’t imply you’re caught with that structure if you swap to a distinct one. The controller can retain a number of profiles, and you’ll immediately swap between them by tapping the middle button.

The principal downside right here is the worth, which clocks in at a whopping $180. Microsoft makes a model of this controller known as the Elite Series 2 Core that prices a bit much less at $130. However, this one doesn’t include the additional buttons and thumbsticks—in the event you care in regards to the options provided by the Elite controller, you’ll care about having that stuff. That mentioned, the Elite Series 2 is just value shopping for in case you are enjoying video games competitively or prefer to faux you might be.