A great controller can make or break a console, yet it’s a component that many gamers take for granted. Its shape dictates whether you can comfortably game for hours or get thumb cramps a few minutes in, and the quality of your controller can make the difference between living and dying – well, virtually anyway.
Make no mistake: the standard controller supplied in the box with your console has been built to a budget. Even the Xbox One S’ fantastic standard controller has its shortcomings – the face buttons feel a touch cheap and the sticks and triggers aren’t particularly progressive – and that’s where aftermarket controllers come in. But if you’re looking to upgrade your XBox One or XBox One S controller, where do you start?
Read on, and you'll discover the key things you need to think about before splashing out on a new controller, followed by in-depth reviews of our four favourite Xbox One controllers.
How to buy the best Xbox One controller for you
What are the key features to look out for?
The first things are customisability and repairability. The very best controllers let you adjust and replace the thumbsticks and D-pad buttons to suit your preferences and game type – even the size of and texture of the grips – and all without having to buy a new controller.
But that’s not where customisability ends. Some controller manufacturers let you customise the look of your controller, too. It’s also worth looking out for extra buttons and paddles, which aftermarket controller manufacturers add to their controllers to make your life easier, and hair trigger modes for the right and left trigger buttons that make laying down a blast of withering machine gun fire that bit more responsive.
At the top end, controllers also make it possible to adjust the strength of the vibration motor; some controllers also come with multiple vibrating motors, in the triggers as well as the hand grips.
Does spending more make a difference?
One of the biggest compromises a manufacturer has to make when building a controller to bundle in with a console is on materials. Usually, a standard controller is built from plain or slightly textured plastic, often the buttons feel cheap and spongy and the rubber coating on the thumbsticks can wear through with extended use.
Spend a bit more on a decent controller, however, and you get better build quality, more responsive buttons and sticks that feel not only more comfortable but have a more progressive feel, allowing more precise control over in-game movement, especially in driving games.
What other features are worth thinking about?
Last, but not least, aftermarket controllers will often add extra, or different connectivity options. If you’re not a fan of having to replace the batteries on a monthly basis, you can opt for a wired controller; and some controllers will come with a rechargeable battery, although it’s worth noting that it’s possible to buy rechargeable batteries for the standard Xbox One S controller anyway.
Also be on the lookout for buttons that let you control more mundane features such as headset volume. When you’re concentrating on the action, the last thing you want to do is have to take your hands off the grips.
The best Xbox One controllers you can buy
1. Razer Wildcat: The best all-round Xbox One controller
Price when reviewed:£80
The first thing to note about the Razer Wildcat is that it’s a wired-only controller, which means you have to run a long cable from your sofa to the front of your Xbox One or One S. A 3m cable is provided in the box, as is a nice semi-hard case with space to stow the cable and bundled mini screwdriver, used to remove the under-mounted triggers if you find they get in your way.
Despite the removable extra triggers, though, the Wildcat isn’t the most customisable gamepad available for the Xbox One. It comes with a couple of luminous green rubber thumbstick caps to give more grip and control, plus a pair of one-use self-adhesive grip pads that wrap around the controller’s horns, but that’s your lot. It only comes in black, and you can’t replace the thumbsticks for a longer throw and more precision.
Still, there’s plenty you can do to make the Wildcat your own. As mentioned higher up, the controller comes with extra triggers beneath that can be remapped to any of the regular Xbox buttons, and these can be unscrewed and removed. There’s also a pair of extra buttons located on the top edge of the controller between the pad’s standard shoulder buttons. You can also remap buttons to these.
The remapping process is a little convoluted, but you can store two profiles alongside the standard one so you can keep common configurations close to hand for your most commonly played games.
That’s not all, though. A pair of sliding switches beneath the triggers reduces travel for faster firing rates, there’s a hair-trigger mode that makes the triggers even more sensitive, and above the pad’s 3.5mm audio jack is a series of buttons that let you mute and adjust headset volume without having to remove your hands from the grips. You can add these buttons to the standard Xbox One S controller via an extension module, but it’s an extra £20.
I’m a big fan of the way the Wildcat’s sticks and buttons feel, and of the placement of the extra buttons. Although light, the sticks feel nicely weighted and precise, and all the buttons have an incredibly sharp, clicky action that brings to mind the top-quality Cherry-switch-based gaming keyboards. The adhesive grip pads included in the box also add an extra bit of padded comfort, but they’re tricky to apply and if you get it wrong you’ll have to order a new set.
That’s a small complaint, however, and all told the Razer Wildcat is a superb controller. It’s comfortable to use, the buttons and sticks are responsive and all of the features are a two or three button clicks away. It’s not as luxurious as the Xbox Elite controller, or as customisable as the Scuf Infinity 1, but then it is nearly half the price.
2. Xbox Elite: Best for sheer gaming luxury
Price when reviewed:£120
The Xbox Elite controller is hands down the creme de la creme of games controllers, both in its luxury feel and design, and the way it plays. Available in smart black, grey and titanium and Gears of War finishes the Elite looks and feels fabulous in the hands. It’s a little heavy, perhaps, but if you’re gaming long enough for this to come into play you should perhaps have a think about your lifestyle priorities.
It’s not just in the heft of the thing that the Elite feels good, though. Every aspect of this controller has had love and attention lavished upon it. The rubberised horns provide just the right amount of grip, the metal D-pad and steel-shafted thumbsticks feel ultra-hard-wearing and just gloriously luxurious under the finger.
Better still, the sticks and D-pad can be switched for alternatives simply by lifting them out, as only a strong magnet holds them in place. Microsoft provides a pair of tall sticks with domed tops, a pair of concave-topped sticks of medium height and a pair of regular thumbsticks in the box for you to experiment with, plus there’s the choice of a faceted metal disc (great for fighting games) or standard D-pad.
That’s not all, though, On the underside of the controller is a series of four metal paddles, all remappable and each of which can be removed without the need for special tools. Plus there are a couple of switches on either side for reducing trigger travel and inside the controller are four vibration motors, a pair for the handles and a pair for the triggers.
It’s the control and customisability the Xbox Accessories app provides that that steals the show, though. Using the Xbox Accessories app, it’s possible to remap any button to any other, store up to 255 profiles for individual games and store two profiles on the controller itself so you can switch between them during the game. The latter could be useful for players who have a set way of playing while sniping and another while running around.
For those unhappy with the feel of the thumbsticks, which by the way is silky smooth by default, it’s possible to remap the sensitivity of each stick. You can change the strength of the rumble from each of the vibration motors and also tweak the sensitivity and travel of the triggers.
The Xbox Elite controller is expensive but with such a high-quality feel to it and almost endless configuration options, there is no better controller you can buy. It’s the ultimate Xbox One controller.
3. Scuf Gaming Infinity 1: Best for customisability
Price when reviewed:£116-£140
Even more expensive than the Xbox Elite controller, Scuf Gaming’s Infinity 1 lives up to its name, at least in terms of its custom options. Visit the website and you’re faced with what seems like hundreds of different designs to choose from and options to upgrade your pad with.
And if you thought the Elite was customisable, think again. The Scuf lets you not only switch out the thumbsticks for longer ones (three lengths are available) and top the D-pad with a circular disc (excellent for fighting games), it also gives you the option to swap out the grips, choose between domed and concave thumbstick tops, add remappable “axe” paddles to the rear of the controller, and reduce the travel on the triggers for faster firing response.
Assuming you don’t choose a hideous colour scheme, the Scuf is a fantastic-looking controller and one that, with its rubberised horn grips feels great in the hands. More importantly, the thumbsticks have a lovely feel to them – slightly heavier and smoother than the standard Xbox One controller – and the wider tops on the concave thumbsticks I was sent give you that bit more surface to play with when you’re in a frantic firefight. Swap out for taller thumbsticks, and you get an even more precise action, which I found useful for racing games.
If you choose the paddle upgrade, you get up to four paddles on the rear of the unit which can be remapped using the rather bizarre-sounding EMR (electro magnetic remapping) system. This works beautifully: simply place the rubber puck on the rear of Scuf logo at the rear of the controller press a paddle and the button you want to remap to it simultaneously and the remapping is complete and you can remove the rubber puck. However, I did find the action of the paddles somewhat heavy.
The big disappointment about this controller is that it’s very expensive to fully trick out. Our review unit which came with all the trimmings costs an eye-watering £140 (that’s 58% the amount I paid for my Xbox One S which came with two standard controllers and two games). Despite that, it doesn’t come with standard Bluetooth, although if you want to hook up with a laptop or PC, you can plug in via USB.
For me, the Scuf controller has the best feel to it of any controller you can buy, and it clearly has the most options for customising the design. If you want the ultimate in tweakability and gaming luxury, though, choose the Xbox Elite instead.
4. XBox One Wireless: The best value Xbox One controller
Price when reviewed:£42
Believe it or not, if you’re on a tight budget, the best bet you can make if you’re buying extra controllers is to opt for the latest model of Xbox controller (not to be confused with the Standard Wireless controller, which is the previous model), which comes included in the box with the Xbox One S. It has a proven pedigree, it’s comfortable, works well for most games and is surprisingly feature-packed for a bundled controller.
There’s Bluetooth – a new feature for the 2016 Xbox One S controller – which allows it to be paired with a PC or laptop as well the Xbox One itself. You can use it wired via USB if you prefer, there’s a 3.5mm headset port on the base between the handles and an expansion port, which is used to connect accessories such as the Xbox Stereo headset adapter, which adds button controls for mute and volume among other things.
There’s even a certain degree of customisability, with a horde of different design options available to choose between and button swappability via the Xbox Accessories app.
In all, the official Xbox One S controller is a solid gamepad for an extraordinarily reasonable amount of money. Yes, you can save money and get a cheaper controller, but for something half-decent you’ll only really be saving £15 to £20.
