the best xbox controller to buy right As gaming technology continues to evolve, the selection of Xbox controllers available today offers gamers a range of high-quality options tailored to various preferences and budgets.
the best xbox controller to buy right
Introduction to Xbox Controllers
We live in a golden age of controllers. The gamepads on the market now are of higher quality, more versatile, and more customizable than anything from even one console generation ago. If you play games on an Xbox Series X or Series S (or a Windows PC), you have the unenviable task of choosing between several high-quality controllers from Microsoft as well as a plethora of great options from the likes of 8BitDo, PowerA, Razer, Scuf, GameSir, Nacon, and Turtle Beach. Some of them feature drift-resistant Hall effect or TMR-based joysticks for improved longevity, yet all of them are good for one reason or another. The days of the cheap “little sibling” controller that looked cool but barely worked are over.
Best Overall Xbox Controller
Xbox Wireless Controller
The official Xbox Wireless Controller has a dedicated share button for saving clips and screenshots and sharing them online, Bluetooth support, and a USB-C port for charging Microsoft’s play-and-charge rechargeable battery.
Where to Buy: $64.99 $49.95 at Amazon, $64.99 $49.95 at Walmart, $59.99 at GameStop
Pros and Cons
- Pros: Incredible value for Xbox Wireless support, great ergonomic design, satisfying buttons and triggers.
- Cons: Lacks customization, requires AA batteries (or an optional rechargeable cell).
Okay, I already know what you’re thinking. “The best controller for Xbox is the one that comes with the Xbox?” That may seem like a no-brainer, but this standard controller truly does earn this title as the best. It lacks some extras found on pricier options, but this controller is the distillation of all that has made the last 20 years of Xbox gamepads great, and it shows.
Thanks to Microsoft’s proprietary wireless protocol, this is the only affordable wireless Xbox controller out there. While some hate the standard Xbox wireless controller for its use of AA batteries instead of a built-in rechargeable cell, that also means it’s flexible, allowing for rechargeable AAs or a battery pack. User-replaceable batteries mean you’re not stuck with a controller that doesn’t hold its charge after years of use. It also works over a USB-C wired connection.
The hardware itself is excellent for the controller’s $65 (and often less) asking price. The sticks, buttons, triggers, and the sunken dish-shaped D-pad all feel impeccably tight, with the latter having a satisfying clickiness to it. If you’re a hardcore fighting game fan, you’ll probably be best served by a dedicated fight stick or a controller geared toward that genre — one with a superb D-pad like Hori’s Horipad Pro — but the Xbox Wireless Controller is otherwise an extraordinary jack-of-all-trades.
While the standard-issue Xbox pad isn’t just great because of its varied connectivity, it also offers a solid build quality that stands the test of time. The only things it really lacks compared to pricier options are extra, customizable buttons and software tuning for things like stick sensitivity (button remapping is available). However, Microsoft does offer cosmetic customization through its Xbox Design Lab, which bumps the price from $79.99 to $124.93 depending on the configuration. There’s a lot to love about these controllers, whether you make your own or pick one from the many colors that Microsoft offers.
The Best Budget Xbox Controller
8BitDo Ultimate Wired Controller for Xbox
The latest 8BitDo Ultimate Wired Controller for Xbox includes Hall effect analog sticks and triggers, plus two rear buttons, customizable mapping and sensitivity, and compatibility with PC and mobile devices.
Where to Buy: $44.99 $29.99 at 8BitDo, $44.99 $33.74 at Amazon, $44.99 $35.99 at Best Buy
Pros and Cons
- Pros: Inexpensive, lightweight and comfortable, satisfying buttons and Hall effect components, programmable back buttons are easy to press.
- Cons: Lacks trigger stops.
The 8BitDo Ultimate Wired Controller for Xbox is a fantastic budget model that typically retails for $44.99 but can often be found for as little as $29.99. The shape is reminiscent of Nintendo’s Switch Pro Controller, only a bit smaller, with hints of Xbox influence and a curvaceous design that feels great to hold.
On the hardware front, the Ultimate Wired Controller features Hall effect sticks with satisfying tension. It also uses Hall effect triggers with dedicated vibration motors, though it lacks trigger stops, unlike our previous budget pick, the PowerA Advantage Wired. Its D-pad, face buttons, and bumpers are nice and clicky, too, despite being smaller than we’d typically like. It has two rear paddles, remappable buttons, and the ability to save up to three profiles, which you can switch between on the fly using a dedicated button. There’s even a built-in mute switch for audio, which isn’t common on cheaper controllers. You can download the 8BitDo Ultimate Software X app on PC or Xbox to fully customize this controller.
The 8BitDo Ultimate Wired works as a wired controller with your PC, but if you prefer wireless connectivity, the company also makes a three-mode wireless version for $69.99 with support for both Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless (via a dongle). The wireless version is a bit more expensive, however, and it’s still limited to wired connectivity on Xbox consoles.
The Best “Pro” Xbox Controller
Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2
The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 is Microsoft’s fanciest controller, and it’s got a lot of nice extras, like better build quality, extra buttons, user-swappable sticks and D-pad, a built-in rechargeable battery, and loads of software customization.
Where to Buy: $179.99 $153 at Walmart, $199.99 $157.95 at Microsoft
Pros and Cons
- Pros: Extensive modular customization, premium look and feel, rechargeable battery lasts an incredible 40 hours.
- Cons: Pricey, questionable quality control, no Hall effect components.
Where the standard Xbox controller is constructed entirely of unassuming plastic, the Elite mixes higher quality soft-touch plastic, rubberized grips, and metallic touches for a superior fit and finish. This makes it heftier than the stock controller, and as a result, it just feels nicer in your hands. It also comes with a charging dock and zip-up case with passthrough charging, completing a really nice package for $199.99 (or sometimes less, if it’s on sale).
While a pricey controller like the Xbox Elite is a bit of a splurge purchase, it’s fun to use something that feels nicer, offers ways to custom-tailor it to your liking, and may give you a slight competitive edge thanks to features like hair triggers and removable rear paddles. In theory, you may be able to get shots off faster in an online shooter with the hair triggers, and you can map the paddles to functions like jump, crouch, reload, etc., while keeping your thumb on the right stick. You could teach yourself claw grip to accomplish the latter with even a cheap wired controller, sure, but it just won’t feel as cool or easy as when using an Elite.
While the Elite is still a great controller in 2025, you should keep in mind that it’s been around since 2019 and a Series 3 revision is feeling long overdue. The Series 2 also has a bit of a reputation for lackluster quality control — with horror stories from users about going through multiple replacements under warranty. Microsoft extended the controller’s warranty from 90 days to a year in late 2020 to help address concerns, but buying an Elite Series 2 may still feel like a slightly risky proposition. It also predates the current-gen implementation of a dedicated Share button, and its potentiometer-based sticks run the risk of stick drift after long-term use (something third parties are addressing with controllers that use drift-free Hall effect sticks, unlike all three big console manufacturers).
Even so, the Elite 2 remains by far the most well-rounded option for a step-up Xbox controller — thanks in large part to its impressive build and expansive software experience. If all these caveats give you pause, though, there is another promising option.
A Formidable Alternative to the Elite
Razer Wolverine V3 Pro
At $199.99, Razer’s Wolverine V3 Pro controller is as expensive (or more, depending on available deals) than the Elite Series 2, but it’s worth the cost if you want a high-end controller with drift-free sticks.
Pros and Cons
- Pros: Supports Xbox Wireless protocol, Hall effect sticks use replaceable tops, four rear buttons smartly positioned for comfort, two extra shoulder buttons add unique versatility, trigger stops and back buttons offer a satisfying mouse-like click.
- Cons: Expensive, requires a USB dongle, Razer Synapse software needs work.
Not only is the V3 Pro Razer’s first foray into using Hall effect sticks, it’s the company’s first fully wireless Xbox gamepad. It also sports some of the best hair-trigger lockouts around, yielding a mouse-like click usually found on even pricier Scuf controllers.
Other than that, the V3 Pro is similar to the previous V2 Pro, with six remappable buttons — four rear paddles in new, angled orientations and two extra shoulder buttons — and some RGB lighting. The buttons and D-pad still have that satisfying micro-switch tactility and audible clickiness like the previous-gen V2 Pro, but the RGB lighting is more subtle this time around.
The Wolverine V3 Pro’s biggest shortcomings compared to Microsoft’s Elite Series 2 are its more basic software customization, its lack of Bluetooth, and the fact that it needs a USB dongle to work wirelessly. The V3 Pro is otherwise the better pick if you can justify its high price, which, unlike the Series 2, is rarely subjected to discounts. Luckily, if you can’t, there’s also the $99.99 Wolverine V3 Pro Tournament Edition that has a nearly identical set of features in a wired configuration.
An Affordable Alternative to the Elite
GameSir G7 Pro
GameSir’s G7 Pro is a wired Xbox controller with remappable rear buttons, adjustable triggers, and TMR joysticks. It can also be connected wirelessly to a PC (via a 2.4GHz dongle) or Android (via Bluetooth).
Where to Buy: $79.99 at Amazon, $79.99 at Best Buy, $79.99 at Walmart
Pros and Cons
- Pros: Remappable buttons, smooth-feeling drift-resistant TMR control sticks, satisfying weight, textured grips.
- Cons: Limited wireless connectivity on Xbox.
If you don’t mind using a wired controller, GameSir’s G7 Pro offers some features of the splurge-worthy Xbox Elite Controller 2 for under $100. It has remappable buttons, smooth-feeling drift-resistant TMR control sticks, a satisfying weight, and textured grips that made it feel comfortable to hold even with sweaty palms.
The G7 Pro is actually a battery-powered wireless controller, but its cable-free connectivity is limited to PC (via an included 2.4GHz dongle) and Android (via Bluetooth). You’ll need to plug the controller into the Xbox with a cable, and GameSir provides a lengthy USB-C to USB-A cord. The cable was long enough that I could play games from my couch (roughly six feet away) without feeling tethered.
I was impressed with the G7 Pro’s overall build quality, especially the triggers, which could be locked by flipping switches on its back. GameSir includes three swappable direction pads with the G7 Pro, which can be swapped by lifting the front of the controller’s shell and popping them in and out. However, its face buttons felt noticeably cheaper than the ones on the Elite 2, which makes sense given their price difference. Button feel aside, the controller never dropped an input, even when I mashed buttons to string together elaborate combos in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, or continuously cast spells, dodged, and healed in Diablo IV. If an action was mistimed, it was on me.
What the controller lacks in face button quality is more than made up for in customizability. GameSir Nexus, a free app on the Xbox Store, allowed me to remap any button (including the L4 and R4 buttons on its backside), adjust the vibration intensity of both triggers, enable two flavors of hair trigger mode, and set the deadzone for each control stick. You can save up to four profiles with different settings, and quickly switch between them by pressing the controller’s M button along with one of the face buttons. You never need to touch these options, or even download the GameSir Nexus app for the G7 Pro to work, but
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Last Modified: September 16, 2025 at 5:43 pm
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