Pre-orders for the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S start going live today, and the new Xbox Wireless Controller has joined them.
The new controller will go on sale November 10 when the new consoles launch, and introduces the rather fetching new Shock Blue two-tone color. The deep dark blue is complemented by a black D-pad and ABXY buttons and features a bright white back. In addition to this new hue, the controller will come in the Carbon Black and Robot White variations we've already seen.
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The new Xbox Wireless Controller is an evolution over its predecessor, unlike the dramatic design difference for the PS5’s DualSense controller over the DualShock 4. That’s no bad thing, as the Xbox Wireless Controller has often been considered one of the best controllers around.
There’s another menu button and the D-pad has a new design, but otherwise the new Xbox Wireless Controller is very similar to the controller it replaces. That’s a little disappointing in one area: the battery.
While Microsoft is offering a rechargeable battery pack, it’s a $25 accessory or part of an Xbox Wireless Controller bundle rather than something that the controller comes with as default. That means you’ll need to rely on popping AA alkaline batteries into the controller, which isn’t exactly the most environmentally friendly thing in the world or particularly modern for a 2020 controller. It’s a bizarre move by Microsoft given the amount of effort it appears to have put into the design and functionality of the Xbox Series X and Series S.
Priced at $59.99, the new Xbox Wireless Controller is being sold at the same price as its predecessor. It will also come in a PC bundle, which includes a plug-in wireless adapter to allow you to use the controller with PC games; the controller can also be connected to PCs using a Bluetooth connection. And if you're not ready to upgrade, the latest Xbox Wireless Controller will still work on Xbox One.
In some ways we’d have liked Microsoft to have pushed the envelope with a next-generation new Xbox Wireless Controller. But the familiar design will be a comfort to some die hard Xbox fans, and the maxim ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ seems very apt here.
You can pre-order the Xbox Series X and Series S in the U.S. right now. And check out our U.K. Xbox Series X and Series S pre-order page to secure a console for the November 10 launch.
