The new Xbox Series X and Series S controller: All you need to know

(Pocket-lint) - It took a portion coming, but the Xbox Series X truly has been retired for a portion now, alongside the Xbox Series S.

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As is expected, with caller consoles came a caller controller, though aged Xbox One controllers besides enactment connected the Series X and Series S. We've got the details connected everything you request to cognize astir the latest iteration of the Xbox controller, and gathered the astir important accusation for you close here. 

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Accessible design

• Evolution of erstwhile design
• Will acceptable smaller hands better

The main constituent to accent present is that the caller Xbox controller looks similar an improvement of erstwhile versions, not a wholly redone portion of kit. It's not throwing retired the plan elements you love, but alternatively refining connected erstwhile versions. 

Xbox controllers down the years person ever had a definite chunkiness to them - it's been portion of their plan DNA, you could say. After its superb enactment connected the Xbox Adaptive Controller, though, it would look that the Xbox squad is keen to proceed making definite that its controllers tin beryllium utilized by the widest assortment of radical possible, without immoderate hassle. Hence the caller controller is seemingly designed to acceptable smaller hands better. 

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Plus, passim the design, buttons person been changed to matte finishes, portion the triggers person gained tactile dots to assistance you grip them. All this, according to the Xbox team, helps marque the controller easier to usage for much people. 

All-new D-pad

• Pad has a crockery shape
• Designed for responsive play

Probably the astir instantly noticeable alteration connected the controller is the caller D-pad, which is simply a hybrid betwixt the Xbox One controller's four-directional pad, and a rounded diagonal pad.

It's got a dish-shape to clasp your digit oregon thumb comfortably, portion its designers accidental that you'll request hardly immoderate leverage astatine each to get a fastener pressed, making for responsive play.

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This benignant of hybrid D-pad is an absorbing prime - for astir players, it volition astir apt beryllium wholly fine, but it'll instrumentality clip to spot however it holds up for adept platformers and warring crippled players, who typically favour clearer directional delineation.

Of course, they tin ever revert to the Xbox Elite Controller 2, which lets you take your preferred benignant of D-pad. 

Connectivity and battery

• New wireless vigor modular to enactment with phones including some iOS and Android
• Bluetooth Low Energy
• USB-C larboard truthful you tin complaint and play 

On the method broadside of things, Xbox has made a fewer changes to the mode the controller works, which should each beryllium intelligibly for the better. For 1 thing, the controller volition enactment with existing Xbox One systems, conscionable arsenic Xbox One controllers volition enactment with the Xbox Series X and Series S. 

Microsoft is utilizing what it's calling Xbox Wireless Radio arsenic a modular to guarantee that the caller controller volition besides enactment with iOS and Android phones, arsenic good arsenic with people's PCs. It'll besides use Bluetooth Low Energy to bash truthful much reliably and quickly, apparently. 

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One large spot of quality is that the controller has a USB-C larboard to fto you complaint and play astatine the aforesaid time. However, the controller volition instrumentality to the tried-and-tested artillery battalion strategy of AA batteries that Microsoft has utilized before, truthful you'll request to bargain a rechargeable kit if you don't privation to beryllium replacing them each the time. 

Finally, the caller controller besides has a strategy called Dynamic Latency Input which matches your button-presses to frames on-screen to minimise immoderate imaginable lag, making for input truthful accelerated that you should ne'er announcement immoderate delay. 

Sharing is caring

• Share fastener present connected the controller

One much summation to the caller controller is simply a stock button, close successful the mediate of the unit, beneath the achromatic Xbox button. That's an absorbing change, which brings Xbox into enactment with the Playstation 4 and 5, on with the Nintendo Switch successful having a mode to instrumentality a screenshot with 1 fastener press. 

Of course, it tin besides bash much than that, including letting you stock your screenshots and recordings with friends and societal media networks. 

Price and availability

The controller is present disposable alongside the caller consoles, and it costs £54.99 oregon $59.99, which means that it's inactive a bully woody cheaper than Microsoft's much fully-featured controller, the Xbox Elite Controller 2.

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Writing by Max Freeman-Mills. Originally published connected 17 March 2020.