My favourite Xbox controller colourway is £40 from Amazon for Black Friday
In a wide array of colours.
Microsoft's Xbox Series Wireless Controllers are some of the best value gamepads on the market, whether you're playing on Xbox, PC or mobile, and today I've spotted a slew of deals on some rare colour options, which are down to £40 on Amazon as part of Black Friday, including my favourite colour - Deep Pink. They definitely look a little different to the standard black, so they're well worth considering.
These controllers are identical save for their colour, so I'll just talk about them together. I've been someone who has sworn by these Xbox Wireless Controllers since the Xbox Series X launched back in November 2020, and I've picked up a couple more of them in the past few months to have a couple of spare controllers for friends and other devices. Before that, I've used the older Xbox One Wireless Controller and the like, and they've always been especially comfortable to use.
The most critical difference from the Xbox One era controllers comes in terms of connectivity, with all models now supporting Bluetooth in addition to the USB-C wired and Xbox Wireless modes. This is awesome for conveniently connecting to PCs, Steam Decks, phones and tablets, especially for playing cloud streamed games or emulators on mobile where having an Xbox controller makes a huge upgrade over a touchscreen. For many of these devices, you can also grab an Xbox Wireless Adapter for a lower-latency wireless connection.
In terms of the button placement of these models, the Xbox Wireless Controller retains the same design as pretty much all of Microsoft's Xbox controllers of years gone by, with a couple of tweaks. Its offset design with diagonally opposing analogue sticks makes it comfortable to hold, while the shoulder buttons and A-B-X-Y buttons are also intuitively placed. It's a bit larger than previous models too, making it comfortable to use over extended periods. Moreover, Microsoft has also decided to add some texturing to the edges of the sticks, as well as offering an improved D-Pad, making it feel more responsive and tactile than prior models.
My only stickler about these controllers is that Microsoft insists on supplying it with standard AA batteries. Of course, there isn't anything wrong with this from a battery life perspective, but if you use the controller regularly I'd recommend picking up a good set of rechargeables - such as these Eneloop Pros. There's also the option of Microsoft's official Play and Charge kit, which adds a rechargeable battery that can be topped up with a USB cable. Lots of options then - and no matter which one you pick, you can always fit a new battery rather than ending up with a permanently flat controller, fit only for the e-waste pile.
The Xbox Wireless Controller is an awesome gamepad for a wide range of platforms, so do consider picking it up while it's discounted.