multi-function buttons at the front of the controller can be remapped via Razer™ Controller Setup for Xbox to unleash greater control and a more personalized play style. Though I've done some testing with first-person shooters, I've largely ignored the genre. While it may be necessary for console gamers, we're almost always going to use WASD for any kind of shooter. With that in mind, the games I used mainly for testing are the ones mentioned below: As you can see from our list, we think that the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 is currently the best Xbox One controller on the market. It has insane customisation options, providing over 30 new ways to play. It shines in subtle areas compared to its cheaper counterparts, making it the best gamepad for most Xbox One players.In other words, yes - we do think the Elite 2 is worth it. Is there a better Xbox controller? However, the standard Xbox Wireless pad is such a well-made and reasonably priced piece of hardware that it's challenging to see how other manufacturers can possibly compete with Microsoft's exceptional controller. It will continue to be on our recommended list for a long time to come. EU Declaration of Conformity for Abyssus Lite & Goliathus Mobile Construct Ed. Bundle (RZ83-0273).pdf

The short answer is yes. The slightly longer answer is that you might need to perform a little fiddling the first time you set it up—although after that it will just be a case of plugging it in.On the whole, if you can stretch the budget, the Elite 2 justifies its asking price through its premium design and suite of features. Predictably, we've found it to work smoothly and beautifully via cable or the usual pairing mode, and it's got that excellent performance and comfort by default. It will be very familiar to Xbox One owners from the last generation but there are subtle tweaks that do make it an objectively better controller. The best Xbox One controller overall, in our opinion, is the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2. It offers impressive customisation options and is truly built for professional or intense gamers.

The Xbox Elite Series 2 Core takes the high quality of the full-fat Elite Series 2 and brings it down to a more affordable price point, making it one of the best Xbox Series X controllers out there. It's quite tough to know what the differences between these two controllers really are - besides the obvious colour changes. In fact, these two gamepads are practically identical in every way, and the main difference is the accessories you get bundled along with them. Read more: Best Razer controllers 2022 Best Xbox One Controller: FAQs Which is the best Xbox One controller? Naturally, it often demands a price tag to match its premium nature, but we have seen this level out at a new, lower price range which is encouraging (or potentially is heralding the arrival of the Elite Series 3 perhaps...). But anyway, what that means, in reality, is the Elite Series 2 is just more affordable than it has ever been and if you want a premium beast for the new-gen of consoles then this is still the one to beat. Whilst we will do everything we can to meet the delivery times above, there may be factors outside of our control and we cannot guarantee delivery within this time frame. Scuf doesn't mess around with its controllers, offering some of the best premium pads outside of Sony and Microsoft. And the Instinct Pro is the absolute best Microsoft-focused pad controller should you wish to eschew the two big bois of the console world. But when the Elite Series 2exists in the world, how does anyone else compete in the enthusiast controller space.If you're a fan of colorful lighting or own other Razer gaming hardware, you'll be glad to know that the Wolverine V2 Pro has some familiar light strips that frame its face. I say familiar because these are taken straight from the Chroma edition, and are controllable through the Razer Chroma RGB software. These are really nice design touches in my eyes, and make the controller as a whole feel so distinct from its rivals. The Razer Wolverine V2 might not be as flashy as previous versions of the hardware, and it might not have as many extra buttons, but it’s still clearly a high-performance controller. What's more, you get some seriously conclusive customization software in Asus's Armoury Crate. This is a serious win, and it's also where you can customize your OLED display which is fun, if a bit pointless. One of the dumbest yet most endearing controllers is the Hyperkin Duke. This reissue of the original Xbox pad is a love letter to the salad days of 2001. It’s just not great to use for modern games. Thankfully it comes with a display stand, as it’s more of a collector piece. Unlike the Duke, the Hyperkin Xenon is a reissued gamepad that’s actually worth using, especially if you have an affinity for the mid-aughts Xbox 360 design. The original 360 controller’s biggest innovation was its intuitive wireless system, which is sadly absent from this wired reincarnation. But hey, at least Hyperkin improved on the Xbox 360 controller’s awful D-pad and included some cool color-matched USB-C cables.

Through this menu, you can toggle things such as what Turtle Beach calls 'superhuman hearing' which isolates and amplifies subtle noises that would have otherwise been washed out in the chaos, such as gunfire and footsteps. In our testing, we found that this audio boost worked well to help us focus in the few games we tested it out on where the music could drown out such sound effects; Katana Zero, Hotline Miami, and Sonic Mania.That's just scratching the surface of what the Turtle Beach Recon Controller provides from a purely audio perspective, though you will need a wired gaming headset. We tested the EQ and the four different levels of audio intensity and found the results were more than pleasing through a Razer Kraken Tournament Edition headset. The controller market is in a great place at the moment. The Xbox One generation sparked a lot of interest in the production of pro controllers that blur the lines between the comfort and ease of gamepads, and the competitive functions of a mouse and keyboard. After Xbox came out with the Elite line, a myriad of choices exploded onto the shelves, and now there are so many great controllers to suit all hand shapes and game genres. Before we break down the explicit benefits of each controller in detail, it's worth noting that many of the options below will serve you as the best PC controllers too. However, if you've got a newer model you're all good to go. Hold the Xbox button to power up and then press the Pair button for three seconds. Navigate to your PC's Bluetooth settings and search for a device - once the Xbox logo starts flashing, you'll see the option for Xbox Wireless Controller appear in the menu. Select this option to connect. How we test Xbox One controllers The Wolverine V2 has a limited capacity for customization on console and gaming PC, which you can access through the Razer Controller Setup for Xbox app. Through the app, you can customize four buttons – M1 and M2, the two added “multi-function” buttons, as well as the “view” and “menu” buttons. You can swap these to replicate most of the other inputs on the controller, but not every one. On the other hand, there's a lot to be praised in Razer's latest Wolverine. It's a fitting competitor to the DualSense Edge, and shows how truly beneficial extra buttons are. Moreover, it has some of the best battery life you'll find. Particularly if you like a chunky controller, this is a true heavyweight.

Full Technical Specifications

The Scuf Instinct Pro requires AA batteries, like standard Xbox pads, unlike the Elite which houses a lithium ion battery. The ability to swap in a fresh pair of batteries mid-tournament is potentially a selling point, and lithium ion batteries are meant to have a finite shelf life. Though it's not something I've ever experienced with my Elite pad in the past few years of use. If you want the highest number of buttons a PS5 or PC controller can give you, the Razer Wolverine V2 Pro certainly has what you want. Having six extra buttons was great, and I wish more controllers would add the extra bumpers the Wolverine does. Either way, it's a fantastic controller that feels great in the hand and is as responsive as you could wish for. It's just painfully pricey with all my chosen greebles. Some people might find the more hefty controller a bit jarring at first since it's heavier than the standard Xbox One controller by a few ounces. And while it's nice to swap out the standard d-pad, both the cross and faceted alternative d-pads take some getting used to, especially in fighting games like Dragonball FighterZ or Mortal Kombat 11. With Chroma lighting on, battery life is a quoted 10 hours, and without, a full charge is said to last you up to 28 hours. I certainly found 28 hours to be the case, and even with lighting on it seemed to last longer than 10. Regardless, this has one of the best battery lives of all the modern pro controllers I've tested, and that shouldn't be forgotten.

UPDATE (October 29, 2023): We've heard from sources familiar with Microsoft's plans that this may be related to Microsoft expanding its program for approved third-party wireless Xbox controllers. Most Xbox third-party controllers right now are wired. Your Xbox One controller can go further than you might think, connecting to gaming tablets, gaming laptops, and gaming PCs. That means there's a whole world waiting for your buttons, and you can put that mouse and keyboard down. Connecting your Xbox One controller via a cable is easy - it's a plug and play affair that works straight out the box. However, if you're after a wireless connection things are a little more complicated. While it's unclear how many products are affected by this issue, there's no indication yet that it has impacted Cronus or XIM accessories. Cronus and XIM accessories are controversial since they allow users to mimic a mouse and keyboard as an Xbox controller. This functionality provides them with a competitive edge in FPS games like Call of Duty, since they offer boosted turning speed and rapid-fire functionality without sacrificing aim assist. However, XIM and Cronus accessories have been used for accessibility purposes as well. As of right now, we haven't seen any evidence that these types of accessories will be affected by the recent changes since Xbox has historically been unable to detect them, but we're investigating. Why is Microsoft doing this? The Thrustmaster eSwap XR might look familiar, and that's because it's an update to the eSwap X Pro that can still be found very easily, and probably for cheaper than this latest version. However, this newer model is an easy controller to recommend if you play a lot of driving and racing games, especially if you don't want to fork out the cash for a proper racing wheel setup. Sports games are the most obvious, as anyone who has tried to play FIFA using the strange keyboard/mouse control scheme can attest to. But there are other titles, specifically those which were primarily designed for consoles whose control schemes are so unwieldy away from a pad that playing them any other way is a pain.Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, Northern Ireland and the Scottish Highlands) may take longer to reach you. The Xbox Elite Series 2 Core takes the high quality of the full-fat Elite Series 2 and brings it down to a more affordable price point, making it one of the best Xbox Series X controllers out there. To the untrained eye, and thanks to confusing naming conventions, it's quite tough to see what the differences between these two controllers are - besides the obvious colour changes. In fact, these two gamepads are practically identical in every way, and the main difference is the accessories you get bundled along with them. This controller retains many of the features we loved about the original. It maintains the overall comfortable design and includes texturized rubber grips that provide a great feel in your hands. Similar to its predecessor, it boasts a vastly superior d-pad that you won't hesitate to use in fighting games and platformers, taking inspiration from the Xbox One Elite Series controllers. The Razer Wolverine Ultimate is a genuine contender to Microsoft’s excellent Series 2 Elite for the title of best Xbox One controller and arguably has even greater customization thanks to the additional M1/M2 shoulder buttons. The four buttons underneath the controller on the rear are less like paddles and more like additional triggers that might be a little bit more of a reach, but we found them far less susceptible to accidental touches than the Elite’s paddles that expand into your natural grip area. You also get a few swappable elements like taller or rounder analogs and a four or eight-directional d-pad.