Your Xbox One controller can go further than you might think, connecting to gaming tablets, gaming laptops, and gaming PCs. That means there's a whole world waiting for your buttons, and you can put that mouse and keyboard down. Connecting your Xbox One controller via a cable is easy - it's a plug and play affair that works straight out the box. However, if you're after a wireless connection things are a little more complicated.

Overall that's an astonishing value, and particularly impressive considering just how good this Xbox One controller feels to use. Some sacrifices have been made by slimming down the previous release (the Turtle Beach Recon Controller). You're dropping rubberized grips and Pro-Aim assist mode, for example. However, the textured plastic still holds your position well and you're still getting particularly pleasing ridges on the shoulder buttons as well.

If you’re after utmost quality in a controller, and budget isn’t an issue, then your port of call should certainly be the superlative Xbox Elite Controller Series 2. Out of the box, you’ll immediately feel the jump in quality over the standard Xbox Wireless controller. A clean metal finish, texture grips and fantastic feeling buttons and triggers made the Series 2 an utter joy to play with. The Scuf Instinct Pro requires AA batteries, like standard Xbox pads, unlike the Elite which houses a lithium ion battery. The ability to swap in a fresh pair of batteries mid-tournament is potentially a selling point, and lithium ion batteries are meant to have a finite shelf life. Though it's not something I've ever experienced with my Elite pad in the past few years of use. All of these Xbox controllers are completely compatible with all Xbox consoles. Including Xbox Series X, Xbox One and Windows 7/8.1/10 PCs. So you can take the controller you love onto the platform of your choice, without having to worry about the hassle of switching. And to make your experience completely perfect, we include a 12-month warranty for free with every product. Along with the option for free delivery! The most significant changes in the Series 2 over the Series 1 (which we also loved) include a neat little carrying case that doubles as a portable USB Type-C powered charging station for the controller's new rechargeable battery, which has around 40 hours of juice. Finally, with project XCloud and Apple Arcade bringing some great games to mobile devices, you can easily pair the Series 2 controller via Bluetooth.

For example, you could play Elden Ring without a controller, but using a pad on a PC felt far better. How we test controllers The Razer Wolverine Ultimate trumps Microsoft’s beast in two neat areas though by allowing you to store two-controller profile setups on board at once and you don’t need to head into menus to swap between them thanks to the on-board controls. There’s also a remapping button to change things up on the fly too, although you do, of course, have the Xbox app to create maps with a visual aid and also adjust analog sensitivity. Though I've done some testing with first-person shooters, I've largely ignored the genre. While it may be necessary for console gamers, we're almost always going to use WASD for any kind of shooter. With that in mind, the games I used mainly for testing are the ones mentioned below:Performance: Expect all-round solid in-game performance with the Victrix Gambit. While there's no wireless functionality, being wired means input lag is kept to a minimum, an excellent thing for a tournament-ready controller. And if the default modules aren't to your liking, it's very easy to mix and match parts until you've landed on a setup that suits your preferences. One of the dumbest yet most endearing controllers is the Hyperkin Duke. This reissue of the original Xbox pad is a love letter to the salad days of 2001. It’s just not great to use for modern games. Thankfully it comes with a display stand, as it’s more of a collector piece.

The Xbox Elite Series 2 Core takes the high quality of the full-fat Elite Series 2 and brings it down to a more affordable price point, making it one of the best Xbox Series X controllers out there. To the untrained eye, and thanks to confusing naming conventions, it's quite tough to see what the differences between these two controllers are - besides the obvious colour changes. In fact, these two gamepads are practically identical in every way, and the main difference is the accessories you get bundled along with them.The best Xbox controllers are tested and reviewed based on a number of criteria, including design, feature set and arguably most importantly of all, price. There's rarely a one-size-fits-all Xbox controller, so we endeavor to test each to their strengths, such as options for voice chat or being suited to a particular genre. You're on a budget: The Elite Series 2 is the most expensive controller on our list, and outside of sales periods, commands a very high price that won't sit well with everyone.