Introduced with the Xbox Series X/S, the new Xbox controller looks just like the Xbox One controller. Behind the adage “why change a formula that works?”, discreet and very welcome improvements that we were able to evaluate…
In the absence of a very marked technological evolution during the transition to the Xbox Series generation, the Xbox controller remains the excellent game controller that we have enjoyed for years on Xbox One and PC. Admittedly quite timid, the developments made by Microsoft further improve comfort and precision, enough to make this new Xbox Series controller a benchmark in this area. However, we remain unsatisfied with the on-board vibration technologies, which would have benefited from catching up with those used by Nintendo and Sony on their respective official controllers.
Points forts
- Secure and comfortable grip.
- Accessible and precise controls.
- Good manufacturing quality.
- Precise and comfortable directional pad.
- Reduced latency on Xbox Series X/S.
- Triple connectivity: radio, Bluetooth and USB-C.
Weak points
- Battery and cable not included (2 AA batteries only).
- Noisy directional pad.
- No real technological evolution (triggers, vibrations…).
NB: The reported price drop is calculated by comparing the lowest price of the day with the average of the lowest prices charged by all merchants for the product last month, with security rules to exclude prices from shops whose the VAT policy is not clear (known as “grey” shops, typically in the case of imports from China).
An alternative
Significantly different from the DualShock 4 in terms of design, the DualSense has the good taste to keep the fundamentals of its elder so as not to disturb players on PlayStation too much. It nevertheless brings many convincing improvements, which certainly come at the expense of the record lightness of previous Sony controllers, but act as real technological advances. The mention of “haptic” technology is thus not usurped and the adaptive triggers surprise as much as they convince. A success on almost the whole line, in short.