The best Xbox controller to buy right now

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, Nacon, and Turtle Beach. Some of them have drift-proof 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.

We’ve spent a ton of time playing all kinds of games (first-person shooters, fighters, third-person action-adventure, racing, indie roguelikes, etc.) to test a wide swath of Xbox controllers, and it may not be a surprise that the standard, relatively inexpensive Xbox Wireless Controller is the best option for most folks. It makes for a great PC and Steam Deck controller, too. The default Xbox gamepad strikes the right balance of quality, comfort, versatility, and price, but there are several alternatives worth considering.