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The Xbox Series X controller kind of gets a rough deal. From the countless unboxing videos to the general comments on the pad itself, you’d be forgiven for thinking Microsoft’s controller hasn’t changed at all.
But it does, and the improvements made are worth celebrating, especially since they will fundamentally allow more players than ever to play.
While it might not be as technically impressive as the PS5 DualSense controller, which can provide a transformative experience in games like Astro’s Playroom, Microsoft already had a great foundation to work on when creating its. next controller.
And that, in itself, creates its own host of problems: How do you improve on what many consider to be one of the best controllers of all time? Tinkering too much, and there are bound to be negative reactions. Don’t change anything at all and people will bemoan the lack of innovation.
Microsoft senior designer Ryan Whitaker eloquently sums up the challenge in a blog post on Medium: “Gamers are always looking for the fastest, most powerful console, but for what they have in between. hands? You better not change it without a good reason, ”says lead designer Ryan Whitaker.
So how did they change this? Well, it all comes down to millimeters and a few degrees, apparently.
The Xbox Series X Controller, or the Xbox Wireless Controller as it’s now called, is deceptively smaller than the pad on the Xbox One. It’s not that its dimensions are drastically different – the cushion itself also weighs the same as previous generations – but in the hand there is instant familiarity combined with a keen sense that things have changed.
Hold on
What struck me the most about the new Xbox Wireless Controller is how the triggers are now smaller, even chunky, and covered in nice tactile microbubbles that provide extra grip. The same goes for the shoulder bumpers, which, while seemingly identical in overall size as far as I know, have a new matte finish that gives you a lot more purchase than the glossy predecessors used. on Xbox One controllers.
The controller grips are also covered in a plastic material that’s coarser than you might expect, and ultimately helps prevent the controller from slipping when things get hectic … and rather sweaty. It’s a welcome change, especially for my sweaty palms which have a habit of sweating during long gaming sessions.
Click, click, boom
The face buttons and analog sticks are thankfully unchanged, as you might expect, but the next notable addition, and one that at been rightly highlighted, is the all new D-pad.
Xbox hasn’t had the best record when it comes to designing a working directional pad, but honestly, it’s its best yet. That won’t prevent it from creating divisions, of course.
I’ve often found my thumb gravitating to the new circular D-pad, where it sits comfortably thanks to the new concave design. The inputs are also solid with every squeeze – unlike the soft, floating disgrace of an Xbox 360 D-pad – but it comes with a weird tradeoff.
The satisfying tactility of each press is offset by an obnoxiously loud clicking sound. It’s immediately noticeable and I’m convinced it’s the loudest D-pad I’ve ever used. This is by no means a deciding factor (the clicking of a mechanical keyboard has become a soothing background noise to me after so many years), but it was still a shock.
The latest addition to the Xbox Series X controller is, of course, the share button. It’s a no-thrill change that’s obviously expected thanks to its success on PS4 and adoption by Nintendo, but it’s an obvious surface change and a nice to have more than anything. You no longer need to double-tap the guide button and hit “X” or “Y” to capture your best playing moments, and for some, that will be reason enough to use the new pad. compared to the old one.
It’s all in my hands
So is the Xbox Series X controller the same? Clearly no. In fact, the decisions made by Microsoft result in a huge difference in the number of people to play.
The previous generation of Xbox One controllers targeted the 5th to 95th percentile of hand sizes, while the new Xbox Wireless Controller now expands to comfortably fit the 3rd percentile. It’s an impressive achievement, no doubt, and represents tens of millions of people around the world. With Xbox Game Pass now on Android, and with Xbox controllers often being the wireless pad of choice, it will only have positive long-term ramifications.
The end result of those careful design decisions is a fit controller to succeed the Xbox One’s illustrious reputation, but its changes will go largely unnoticed. Maybe that’s what Microsoft wanted … however, great design always deserves recognition, no matter how small.
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