5 Of The Best Third-Party Xbox Series X Controllers, According To Users – BGR

The Xbox Series X is an excellent console is an excellent console with a ton of games. And its Game Pass gives owners access to a huge library of titles, although recent price hikes make the service feel a little less worthwhile. The controller, meanwhile … Well, there’s nothing wrong with it.

To be frank, the Xbox Series X’s controller isn’t anything to write home about. It comes packaged with every Xbox Series X and works as advertised. However, the controller lacks the streamlined design and adaptive triggers of the PlayStation 5 DualSense and the gyro controls and HD rumble of the Switch Pro controllers. Plenty of third-party controllers offer features and design elements that go above and beyond what you get in standard Xbox Series X and even Xbox Elite Wireless controllers.

If you are looking for a new controller to improve your gaming sessions on the Xbox Series X, you might want to consider one of these five devices.

Many gamers associate the Razer brand with quality. The Razer Kishi V3 Pro can transform any smartphone or tablet into a dedicated gaming platform, and the Razer Blackshark V2 Pro provides some of the best headphone audio for the Xbox. The company also manufactures a highly praised controller: The Razer Wolverine Ultimate V3.

As its name suggests, the Wolverine Ultimate V3 is the third iteration of the controller. Officially licensed by Xbox, this peripheral boasts a ton of features, including six extra buttons — four paddles built into the rubberized handles and two extra shoulder bumpers — triggers with variable pulls, Hall effect joysticks, and customizable thumbstick caps of varying heights. The Wolverine Ultimate V3 comes in two varieties: the standard Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, which connects via a 2.4 GHz connection, and the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro Tournament Edition, which uses a dedicated wire for even higher polling rates and less lag.

Users generally praise the feel and ergonomics of the Wolverine Ultimate V3, claiming it is the best Razer controller yet. Buttons are nice and clicky, and the d-pad is responsive. However, some users have reported connectivity issues, and the included customization software isn’t user-friendly. Plus, prices might scare off many users. At $99.99 for the Tournament Edition and $199.99 for the standard model, the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro is anything but a budget controller. If you can find one on sale, though, snap it up.

Traditional logic dictates that expensive items are of higher quality — we kind of just demonstrated that with the Razer Wolverine V3. However, plenty of controllers punch well above their price tags, especially if they belong to the 8BitDo brand.

8BitDo specializes in controllers that can connect to a wide variety of devices via Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz wireless dongles, including the Xbox Series X. Two of the company’s latest offerings include the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 and Ultimate 2C. Both controllers offer additional programmable bumper buttons and Hall effect joysticks for smoother gameplay and more sensitive FPS controls, but the Ultimate 2 also provides Hall effect triggers, a robust customization app, and light-up analog stick rings. Also, we have to mention that 8BitDo sells controllers in a wide range of colors, including a few limited edition patterns. And since you can swap between a 2.4 GHz mode and a Bluetooth mode, you can use 8BitDo controllers for the Xbox and also connect them to other devices, such as the Steam Deck.

Many users praise 8BitDo’s build quality and responsive buttons — the Ultimate 2 and 2C have 1000 HZ polling rates, so they offer more precise controls than Xbox’s official peripherals. Also, buyers just love how components like the d-pad feel. However, 8BitDo’s controllers are lighter and smaller than official Xbox devices, and you need to attach the dongle to the Xbox Series X to use the controllers. But at $30 for an Ultimate 2C and $60 for an Ultimate 2 (more if you buy a limited edition), many customers believe these devices are worth every penny.

The company Hyperkin is nothing if not ambitious. Unlike other brands on this list, Hyperkin manufactures controllers for a range of retro consoles and even sells its own modern recreations of said consoles — the Nintendo 64 was almost added to that list. But the company also manufactures controllers for modern consoles, including the Xbox Series X.

Hyperkin Xenon is a line of officially licensed controllers that thrive on nostalgia. The devices channel the design philosophy of the Xbox 360 controller right down to the big chrome button in the middle, but under the shell lies modern technology. Xenon controllers have the share button of Xbox Series X controllers as well as updated vibration and analog trigger mechanics.

While plenty of users praise the Hyperkin Xenon for its pitch-perfect recapture of Xbox 360 nostalgia, the majority of buyers enjoy the device for its ergonomics. According to purchasers, the Xenon has a solid weight (although some users disagree on that), and the buttons and triggers have the right amount of snap and spring to them. And at $50, the Hyperkin Xenon has a reasonable price, but the controller has one huge Achilles’ heel: The controller is wired only. Sure, you will never have to worry about swapping AA batteries (a frequent bugbear of Xbox owners), and the Xenon is compatible with all USB-C cables, but depending on where your Xbox is located, you might need to purchase an extra-long cable.

While researching controllers for this article, the Scuf Instinct Pro frequently came up in discussions, especially on Reddit. However, Scuf has discontinued the product, so while we do recommend purchasing one if you can find it on the aftermarket, you might have an easier time purchasing its successor: The Scuf Valor Pro.

By all accounts, the Scuf Valor Pro is an evolution of the Instinct Pro. Scuf sells two models: The Valor Pro Wireless and the Valor Pro Wired. Both flavors of controller feature customizable paddles on the grips, adjustable triggers, audio control wheels where you would find the expansion port on standard Xbox controllers, and a 1000 HZ polling rate. The wireless version also sneaks in a few additional features, including a companion app and a sync switch to swap between different devices, but if you want Hall effect joysticks, you need the wired controller. Oh, and we can’t forget to mention that you can customize the wireless and wired Pro controllers with removable faceplates.

At $199.99 for the wireless Scuf Valor Pro and $99.99 for the wired version — plus $24.99 to $29.99 for a faceplate — the controllers are definitely pricey, but users love them nonetheless. According to gamers, the rear paddles add a ton of versatility, and the triggers are way more responsive than standard Xbox controller versions. However, the Scuf Valor Por is a tad on the small side according to reviews, but for some, that’s a selling point. Like the Razer Wolverine Ultimate V3, Scuf Valor Pro controllers are a must-buy if you can find them on sale.

GameSir has been in the news a lot recently. The company released the X2s Mobile Controller — an almost perfect physical peripheral for smartphone gamers — and it has partnered with esports teams such as Complexity. Judging by the company’s Xbox controllers, GameSir isn’t blowing smoke.

The GameSir G7 line of controllers is GameSir’s premier Xbox peripheral. These include the G7 Pro Wireless and the G7 SE Wired varieties. Both models tout features such as Hall effect triggers, back paddles, swappable faceplates, and customization software. However, the Pro Wireless swaps out membrane-based face buttons and d-pads for micro switch mechanisms, and instead of using Hall effect joysticks, the wireless controller uses a more precise magnetic sensing technology known as Tunneling Magnetoresistance.

As GameSir G7 controllers all use Hall effect triggers and sticks at the minimum, users generally find them superior to standard Xbox controllers. In terms of ergonomics, many owners feel the controller is solid, but some have trouble getting used to the Pro’s d-pad shape. Despite being more advanced than rival controllers (on paper, at least), GameSir G7 controllers are comparatively affordable, with the G7 Pro Wireless priced at $79.99 and the G7 SE Wired costing only $44.99. Meanwhile, additional faceplates only cost $9.99.

In order for a device to be considered for this article, it had to be a third-party controller — hence the title — and compatible with the Xbox Series X/S. Due to the nature of third-party controllers, these devices could also work with other platforms, including PC and Switch. But that only gave us a starting point.

To separate the best third-party controllers from the … not best … we looked through user reviews. YouTube, Facebook, Reddit, and Amazon were excellent sources of information. We focused primarily on controllers that people praised and avoided using any information from professional reviews — sometimes, the general public and critics don’t see eye to eye. But we still had to cut down on entries, so to make the final cut, we filled the article with controllers that users claimed outperformed the Xbox and Xbox Elite controllers.

While we used elements such as cost-benefit to help determine the final order of controllers (the price vs. overall quality and extra features), the true deciding factor was overall popularity. The more people recommended or praised a third-party peripheral, the higher it got on the list.