The best Xbox controllers in 2024 | TechRadar

The best Xbox controllers available now

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The best Xbox controllers are typically made with enhanced features in mind, and several of them offer game-changing additions you won't find on the standard official gamepad. Just like with the best PC controllers, the number of stellar Xbox pads increases year after year. That means it's easier than ever to recommend a wide range of top-notch controllers.

Our guide to the best Xbox controllers is primarily aimed at the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles, but you're not missing out if you're an Xbox One player as all controllers featured in this list are compatible with the last-gen system via backwards compatibility. And just to add, you'll find PC compatibility on all these gamepads, too.

We've made our choices with the best Xbox Series X games in mind, and how owning one of these controllers will drastically improve your experience. We have considered everything from comfort to cost, aiming to recommend top-quality products that won't break the bank so you have some extra funds for more of the best Xbox Series X and Series S accessories.

Best overall

Best overall

While lacking some more premium features, the Xbox Wireless Controller is the all-round best gamepad for the console. Excellent buttons, sturdy grip and one comes free with every console.

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Best budget

Best budget

8BitDo provide another affordable banger in the Pro 2 for Xbox. While those PlayStation-style analog sticks won't be for everyone, this is a quality piece of hardware for those on a budget.

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Best premium

Best premium

The Razer Wolverine V3 Pro is quite simply the best premium Xbox controller ever made, barely putting a foot wrong in its pursuit of perfection.

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Best mid-range

Best mid-range

While not the best in terms of build quality, the Fusion Pro 3 provides a wonderful mid-range experience with programmable back buttons and trigger locks for enhanced play.

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Best wired

Best wired

The excellent GameSir Kaleid is already one of the best PC controllers. And now, the brand has made a near-identical version for Xbox consoles.

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Best voice chat

Best voice chat

The Turtle Beach Recon is ideal for online play with friends, featuring a robust suite of voice chat options, including on-board volume control and EQ settings.

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Best cheap wired

Best cheap wired

What the HyperX Clutch Gladiate lacks in build quality, it makes up for in being a feature-rich wired pad for those on tighter budgets.

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Best for customizability

Best for customizability

With easily swappable modules, the Thrustmaster eSwap X2 is a must-have for players who prefer to have total control over their gamepad and its layout.

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Best fight stick

Best fight stick

If you're serious about fighting games on Xbox, look no further than the brilliant 8BitDo Arcade Stick, tailor-made for Microsoft's console.

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Our expert review:

✅ You want a controller you can use with a range of devices: The Xbox Wireless Controller works with more than just the Xbox Series X|S. The gamepad is compatible with Xbox One, Windows 10 PC and Android, too.

✅ You want a premium controller feel without the price tag: With its more premium option priced at a whopping £159.99 / $179.99 / AU$249.95, Microsoft is offering the average player a slice of its premium pie for a more digestible price.

❌ You want lots of extra features: The Xbox Wireless Controller does what it says on the tin and nothing more. It's an excellent pad, but one that's also very straightforward.

The Xbox Wireless Controller is the one you’ll get out of the box when you buy a new Xbox Series X|S, and it’s handily one of the best contemporary controllers. But it never hurts to have a spare, right?

The Xbox Wireless Controller hasn't changed much in terms of design since its Xbox One iteration. However, there are some notable changes worth highlighting. Overall build quality is slightly improved, and the new D-pad is a huge upgrade, featuring a circular base that makes it easier to perform diagonal inputs.

Xbox Wireless Controllers are readily available, and quite affordable these days across both standard and special colorways thanks to frequent discounts. Several more hues are also available if you’d prefer something flashier, but most of these do cost slightly more. Alternatively, you can even make your own custom Xbox Wireless Controller over at the Xbox Design Lab.

The Xbox Wireless Controller ticks most of the boxes of what makes a pad great. High-quality buttons, a best-in-class d-pad and generous battery life are among the controller’s best features. Put simply, you just can’t go wrong with the Xbox Wireless Controller no matter your budget or preferences. It’s an all-rounder, but one that excels in almost every area.

Our expert review:

✅ You’re on a budget: Though wired controllers tend to be cheaper generally, the 8BitDo Pro 2 pad offers great pro-level features and hardware construction.

✅ You prefer Sony-style thumbsticks: Side-by-side sticks are the design of choice for PlayStation players, and this is one of the best ways to get that configuration on Xbox.

❌ You like asymmetrical sticks: This pad doesn’t follow the standard Xbox controller layout, meaning you’re going to need to look elsewhere for offset sticks.

It’s hard to go wrong with an 8BitDo pad. The 8BitDo Ultimate controller for Nintendo Switch is testament to that. Thankfully, the popular third party manufacturer also has a fantastic option for Xbox owners in the Pro 2 Wired controller.

The Pro 2 is a touch on the light side. However, it does feature two back paddle buttons that can be remapped to your liking. Excellent for if you’d rather have certain commands on a more accessible button, for example. The most notable change from other Xbox controllers is the use of a symmetrical analog stick layout, similar to the PS5's DualSense. That won't be for everyone, but it does free up space on the top half of the pad, allowing for more real estate for the face buttons and D-pad.

The most immediately striking thing about the Pro 2 has to be its price. It's an affordable pad, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s of a low quality. On the contrary, the Pro 2 upholds 8BitDo’s typically high build quality, making for a pad that’s as satisfying to use as it is to purchase.

Despite its budget price, you'll find a controller here that performs admirably during play. The pad's modules are all up to that high 8BitDo quality, with tactile buttons, sticks and triggers. The D-pad does feel a touch mushy, though, and is a downgrade from the one found on the Xbox Wireless Controller.

Our expert review:

✅ You want class-leading performanceThe V3 Pro’s speedy actuation across all modules makes for one of the most responsive gamepads out there.

✅ You’re after all the pro featuresHighly customizable and complete with Hall effect sticks, trigger locks and responsive connectivity both wireless and wired, the V3 Pro is that all-in-one premium package.

❌ You’re after something more aesthetically pleasingPerhaps the weakest aspect of the V3 Pro is its bland all-black aesthetic. This controller is all-function, which may turn away folks who'd prefer something flashier.

This is it. The be-all-end-all of premium Xbox controller experiences. Compatible with Xbox consoles and PC, the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro is indeed the best premium controller available for Xbox. And honestly, after weeks of highly enjoyable testing, we reckon it'll take some work to dethrone it.

It starts with the overall lightning-fast responsiveness of the controller. Snappy micro-switch buttons, drift-resistant Hall effect thumbsticks and remappable buttons that make use of Razer gaming mice tech all lead to speedy actuation. This makes it an excellent choice for competitive gamers of all skill levels. The jump up from 250Hz to 1,000Hz polling rate when you hook it up to a PC via wired connection is a beautiful addition, too. During our testing, we also found that a wired connection had immediate responsiveness, which makes the V3 Pro a superb pick for competitive first-person shooters, fighting games and racing games.

Now at $199.99 / £199.99, the V3 Pro obviously isn't cheap. However, I feel Razer's latest gamepad more than justifies its price point with the feature set it brings to the table. And if you don't quite have the budget, a cheaper model known as the Razer Wolverine V3: Tournament Edition comes in at $99.99 / £99.99. This is a wired-only model that loses some overall build quality, but retains the V3 Pro's premium feature set.

While middling battery life and a bland all-black look are a shame, they're really the only dents in the V3 Pro's otherwise immaculate image. If you're looking to own the absolute best of the best when it comes to premium gamepads, this is the one to go for without question.

Our expert review:

✅ You like Pro-adjacent features: The PowerA Fusion Pro 3 has you covered with mappable rear buttons, swappable sticks, dedicated mic volume switch and more.

✅ You play shooters online: The Fusion Pro 3’s trigger locks are excellent for first and third-person shooters.

❌ You want a premium feel: The controller feels a little cheap and flimsy for its price range, though the buttons, sticks and D-pad do improve things here.

The PowerA Fusion Pro 3 isn't quite a premium purchase, but has a robust feature set that you won't find on cheaper pads. You're getting programmable rear buttons here, that can be assigned as secondary inputs for your go-to games. And multiple profiles mean that you can swap as you switch from game to game during your play sessions.

The shell of the gamepad is slightly lacking in overall build quality, feeling a little cheap and lightweight. Still, what matters is that the buttons, triggers and sticks feel relatively great, living up to the Fusion Pro 3's mid-range price tag.

Another strong feature here, that you won't find on other pads, is the dedicated mic volume switch you'll find at the center bottom of the controller. This is a wonderful addition that saves you from having to dive into your console's settings to adjust your mic's output.

Our expert review:

✅ You want an Xbox version of an amazing PC controller: The Kaleid is already an incredible PC controller, and features in our best PC controllers list. Now, that same quality is available for Xbox players.

✅ You like deep customization: Many things are customizable through the Nexus app, a version of which is available on Xbox and PC.

❌ You'd prefer to go wireless: As good as the Kaleid is, the lack of wireless connectivity may be irksome for some who prefer to lose the cables.

The GameSir Kaleid is already one of our favorite PC controllers (that version being named the T4 Kaleid), and finally the budget-friendly brand has seen fit to manufacture a version of the gamepad that's compatible with Xbox consoles. And it's fantastic.

The Xbox version of the GameSir Kaleid has all of the original's best features. Drift resistant Hall effect sticks, mappable rear buttons for secondary inputs, a gorgeous translucent design brightened by smartly-layered RGB, and a robust app that allows for in-depth customization of all of these elements and more.

At a decent $49.99 / £59.99, the Kaleid comes in at roughly the same price as the Xbox Wireless Controller. And indeed, the only real dealbreaker with the Kaleid is its lack of wireless connectivity. Still, if you're willing to trade that for some truly superb features, you'll find a long-lasting and visually striking controller here.

Our expert review:

✅ You want excellent voice chat features: There's lots to explore with the Recon's voice chat suite, including on-board controls and EQ settings.

✅ You want enhanced audio: The Recon supports Turtle Beach's own Enhanced Audio, meaning you'll get a stronger sound profile with practically any headset.

❌ You want something simpler: While robust, the Recon's busy on-board audio controls do lend a slightly convoluted feel to the pad.

If you're in voice chat with friends more often than not when playing your favorite multiplayer games on Xbox, consider the Turtle Beach Recon controller, which has been designed around offering an excellent voice chat experience. That, and its bespoke Superhuman audio setting that lets you hone in on distant sounds; perfect for pinpointing gunshots and footsteps in large-scale games like PUBG Battlegrounds and Warzone.

The controller itself is no slouch, either, with good quality buttons and sticks, mappable back paddle buttons and comfy padded grips to prevent slipping in particularly heated multiplayer moments. If you’re sick of fiddling with your console’s mic settings menu, then you’ll likely gel with the fact that the Recon lets you control right on the pad itself.

Right on the controller itself is a central dock packed with audio settings for voice chat, including four Turtle Beach EQ settings offering various balances between chat and game audio. If you're an audio-first player, then the Turtle Beach Recon is the ideal pad for you.

Our expert review:

✅ You’re on a strict budget: ‘Pro’ adjacent pads don’t get more affordable than the Clutch Gladiate. It’s certainly one to consider if you want to keep costs low.

✅ You’re interested in some light ‘Pro’ features: Remappable rear buttons and hair trigger locks provide a good introduction to higher-end controller features on a pad this affordable.

❌ You want more ‘Pro’ features: The Clutch Gladiate is still light on ‘Pro’ adjacent touches, and the hair trigger locks are a bit of a letdown here.

The HyperX Clutch Gladiate is an aggressively budget option for those who prefer a wired controller. While build quality is lacking in relation to the competition, it's nonetheless an impressively-performing pad with some 'Pro' level features you won't find on the Xbox Wireless Controller.

The HyperX Clutch Gladiate shines when it comes to feel. Its face buttons and analog sticks are close to on par with Microsoft's official pad. Add in a couple of tactile, mappable back buttons (a rarity on controllers this affordable), and you've got a controller that provides excellent feel and is worthwhile as a spare, so long as you don't mind the wired only connection.

There are some flaws here, which is understandable for the price. In the Clutch Gladiate's case, it's the inconsistent hair trigger locks, which after testing, don't work as intended on a range of Xbox Series X games. Curiously, we had no issues using the trigger locks while gaming on PC, even in testing the same game across both platforms. As a result, you may prefer the HyperX Clutch Gladiate as a PC pad.

Our expert review:

✅ You want a high degree of customizability: The eSwap X2's modules can be swapped at any time, and with any configuration.

✅ You're left-handed or prefer symmetrical sticks: Have an easier time with the face buttons on the left, or prefer your analog sticks to be lined up? Both are possible here.

❌ You're after a wireless controller: Unfortunately, the Thrustmaster eSwap X2 doesn't offer a wireless configuration, which may prove irksome to those who prefer a clutter-free setup.

Thrustmaster's second go at a modular controller may not look like much of an improvement at surface level. And indeed, there's really only smaller updates scattered throughout. However, if you're looking for a highly customizable controller that lets you swap around buttons, sticks and the d-pad at will, there's no better choice than the eSwap X2.

These swappable modules allow for a highly accessible gamepad. If you're an Xbox player, but prefer the symmetrical stick layout of, say, the DualSense on PS5, you can do that here. Similarly, left-handed players may prefer to slot the face button module in on the left side of the pad.

While the lofty price tag may cause you to balk, and the lack of wireless connectivity is certainly a shame, the Thrustmaster eSwap X2 still puts forward an impressively customizable experience that's second to none for Xbox players.

Our expert review:

✅ You’re after an entry-level Xbox stick: 8BitDo’s Xbox fight stick is the best for the console at its price point and is perfectly suited for first-time stick users.

✅ You’ve just bought Street Fighter 6: Street Fighter 6 has done a phenomenal job onboarding new players, and its multiple control schemes complement first-time fight stick users well.

❌ You want something less weighty: The 8BitDo Arcade Stick for Xbox is bulkier than your average controller, so you might not get on with it for longer gaming sessions.

After the success of the excellent 8BitDo Arcade Stick for Nintendo Switch, which features in our best fight sticks buying guide, the hardware manufacturer is back with a bespoke Xbox version of the same fantastic stick.

Design-wise, most thing here are identical to its counterpart, but has an Xbox makeover that's aesthetically fitting for the console. It retains the same weight and feature set as its Nintendo Switch counterpart, so all you're really getting here is console compatibility.

It's also one of the more affordable fight sticks on the market that's actually worth buying. But of course, we can only really recommend it if you regularly play fighters like Guilty Gear Strive or Street Fighter 6. If you don't, then you'll be better served shopping for one of the other gamepads on this list.

The 8BitDo Arcade Stick for Xbox has the same robust feature set as its Switch counterpart. It supports both wired and wireless play (via an included dongle), and is also fully customizable. That means if you don't like the default parts, you can open it up with a screwdriver to replace them with your own.

If we had to isolate a couple of controllers from this list, and you can afford them, we have to put forward the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro and the GameSir Kaleid. The former is the full premium package, with unrivaled build quality and superbly responsive modules. The GameSir is the next best thing, coming in at a much cheaper price tag while also offering ‘Pro’ features like Hall effect sticks and slick RGB lighting.

If you're after a controller as a spare gamepad for any extra players, you won't want to pay top dollar for it. Generally, most third-party controllers offer a decent product without hosting a significant price tag, especially in comparison to some of Microsoft's official offerings. For a kickabout controller, cheap alternatives are always worth it.

It all depends on personal preference. If your console is set up at a desk, you're probably closer to your screen, so a wired controller won't feel like too much of a tether. But, if you're using one of the best gaming TVs rather than one of the best monitors for Xbox, a wireless controller provides a little more flexibility.

The best Xbox controllers are tested and reviewed based on a number of criteria, including design, feature set and arguably most importantly of all, price. There's rarely a one-size-fits-all Xbox controller, so we endeavor to test each to their strengths, such as options for voice chat or being suited to a particular genre.

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Rhys is TRG's Hardware Editor, and has been part of the TechRadar team for more than two years. Particularly passionate about high-quality third-party controllers and headsets, as well as the latest and greatest in fight sticks and VR, Rhys strives to provide easy-to-read, informative coverage on gaming hardware of all kinds. As for the games themselves, Rhys is especially keen on fighting and racing games, as well as soulslikes and RPGs.

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