PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller for Xbox Series X|S
PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller for Xbox Series X|S – Arctic Camo
PowerA Quality
As always, all of our gaming accessories meet high standards for performance and reliability. From controllers to cases, the PowerA name is synonymous with quality, functionality and durability.
| Dimensions: | 15.6 x 10.7 x 6.5 cm; 205 Grams |
| Model: | 1525943-01 |
| Dimensions: | 15.6 x 10.7 x 6.5 cm; 205 Grams |
| Origin: | China |
The controller is good for the price, and the headphone volume control and buttons on the back are a nice touch.
However, the analog sticks are very rough and have a sharp edge on the inside circle. Furthermore, my left analog stick has started to squeak when I move it after just 1 week of use.
It’s okay, but it’s not really close to the quality of the official Xbox controlle
i cant fault this company, after my controller was out of the 2 month return on amazon, they said it is very rare for their product to fail, but still sent me a replacement……fantastic company, cant fault them.
However for a controller it gets the job done and I can appreciate that fac
The Power A ticked the boxes for me, The price is great, The feel is great and is more responsive than my last PC game controller.
Oh and it’s plug in and play if you need know.
Fantastic alternative to the Standard Microsoft PC controller. The two additional mappable buttons on the back are a great addition but be mindful that these might not always be mappable or functional in every game. Other than that, a great alternative at a good price point.
Bought this a few months ago to use for gaming but I’m unsure on it. The sticks are quite slippery and make it hard to aim on fps games. The design is so cute but unfortunately where it’s light coloured it was prone to staining on the handles of the controller and on the sticks. Still a cute controller but just not the best for gaming.
Is a similar size to the regular xbox one controller, but a little more streamlined and easier to hold. It’s also significantly lighter and if you have small hands that makes a huge difference.
The buttons on the back are so easy to press too. I’ve never experienced that with any other controller.
I’ve taken one star off for the cheap feel of the controller overall. But if the choice was between keeping this weight or adding more for a premium feel, I’d choose the cheaper feeling lighter option.
Defo can’t go wrong with this one!
Edit: had controller a month or so, stick drift occurred so replaced. Out the box the second controller had stic drift and a stuck x button. Third time lucky.
I play a lot of fighting games – normally on PC where I’ve got a cheap/adequate fighting stick and on PS4 with a Hori Fighting Commander. I’ve recently picked up a few fighting games on Xbox but have been struggling with my original Xbox One pads due to their rapid wear-and-tear of the d-pads (not registering presses, double-pressing etc). I’ve also got an Xbox Series S and the pad for that is much better but I’m not a fan of the recessed d-pad. I wanted something to play the occasional fighting game on the Xbox that wasn’t going to break the bank.
So far – the PowerA has been the answer! I’m really surprised at how accurate this d-pad is: very easy to finish on a diagonal, light to press but without registering any unwanted jumps etc. I’ve never been much of a KoF player but on KoF 15 I’m pulling off those supers with ease (you know, the nasty quarter circle back, half circle forward). PC compatibility is fine too (Xinput).
The d-pad appears to use a rubber membrane (similar to the 360 controllers) rather than those nasty dome-switches on the official Xbox One controllers.
Everything else? Great! Sticks feel just like a regular Xbox One controller – movement feels 1-1 with them (not like some third party controllers where the dead zone feels off for example). The triggers do feel a little lighter – like the springs aren’t quick as heavy duty – but nothing too offputting.
The paddle buttons on the back work well. Just to clarify – these are for mapping a button press – they are not for recording macros. Still pretty useful – for example, you could map L3 to one of them to quickly run in a FPS instead of clicking in the left stick etc.
Time will tell what the durability of this controller will be but so far so good. The only minor downside I can see is that the cable is USB-A to micro-USB. USB-C would have been nice (no more trying to plug it in the wrong way!) however I’m not really likely to unplug it from the controller end and the fit is snug. And this is just me being greedy, but it would have been fantastic if they could have had this switchable to work on other consoles!
Excellent value for money – would definitely recommend.
/Andy
This review will not cover those features so any experience from them, positive or negative, can not and will not be portrayed here.
Overall first impressions are very positive; the controller arrived earlier than expected and both the presentation and packaging is neat and well thought out. The controller itself is as you would expect; comfortable and ergonomic, but the features that make this controller stand above others is the light weight and diamond texture grips which you notice almost immediately and are welcome improvements.
One of the key selling points of this controller is the programmable buttons on the back that lie strategically where your middle fingers naturally rest, making them very easy to use and get used to, to the point they become second nature to use.
On the topic of buttons, this is where I find myself struggling to find much to praise. Starting with the triggers, you can feel there is a certain lack in quality; the triggers are not only shorter but also have significantly less travel distance so any kind of
smooth or precise application of it is borderline frustrating. That and the lack of trigger rumble makes any kind of racing game feel superficial and unpleasant. The bumpers function identically to official controllers although they do feel ever so slightly spongier in comparison.
The B, X, A and Y buttons are the parts I found myself most struggling to like. They protrude further from the face and are less rounded which can make pressing them feel rather harsh. The joysticks are a love/hate unfortunately. They have a much firmer mechanism resulting in the need to apply a greater force, again, a huge flaw for racing games or anything that requires smooth or precise movements but it is this same stiffness that makes you feel the movements you’re making. The D-Pad, however, is by far the best part. They too are spongy and have some travel to activate but I find myself preferring this over the official controllers which feature a noticeable bump when the switch is pressed whereas that tactile bump isn’t present here, resulting in a much more comfortable use.
In conclusion, PowerA’s xbox controller is a great inexpensive alternative to Microsoft’s official one. It has a great feature list and an innovative, comfortable design that is available in a vast array of colours and themes. If you can overcome the rather cheap feeling buttons and switches or don’t require any precise level of input and just want to sit back and chill, then this is 100% worth the purchase.