Game consoles have long since migrated to wireless controllers as standard, but there are still reasons to consider a wired version. For one, you don’t have to worry about connection issues or battery levels. More importantly, wired controllers like the PowerA Enhanced Xbox Controller tend to be cheaper. This can be important when primary gamepads are reaching higher and higher prices.
The PowerA Enhanced Xbox Controller has all the features of the official version for just half the cost – it can be yours for under $30 most days. It even adds some useful extras like programmable buttons and a volume toggle. The cable is the biggest downside, but feel and build quality also diminishes compared to Microsoft’s Series X/S controller. If nothing else, the PowerA Controller is a great “little brother controller”.
at a glanceexpert assessment
pros
- Much lighter than the official controller
- switch physical volume
- It only costs about $30
- programmable buttons
cons
- Uses old microUSB port instead of USB-C
- soft d-pad
- No wireless connectivity
our verdict
The PowerA Enhanced Xbox Controller might be a budget option, but it’s no slouch. It comes with a lot of functionality both for use with Xbox and for those who need a controller for PC games. Ultimately, it performs almost as well as the official controller, but only costs half as much.
Price When Revised
30
Best Prices Today: PowerA Enhanced Xbox Controller
$31.99
PowerA Enhanced Controller: Design and build quality
At first glance, you may not realize that the PowerA Enhanced Xbox Controller is a third-party accessory. It has the typical Xbox shape, a shiny Xbox button in the middle, and all the buttons are in the right places. However, it’s a little beefier, giving it a closer hand feel to the previous-gen Xbox One controller. There’s a diamond texture etched into the grips, but it’s much less grippy than the tiny dots on the official controller that comes with the Series X and S.
Although the chassis is larger, the PowerA controller is surprisingly light at just 208g (7.33oz). The X Series controller with AA batteries installed is 300g. Fortunately, the cable is detachable, but the port (between the triggers) is an old-fashioned microUSB. Current generation controllers from Microsoft and Sony use the latest USB-C standard. These cables are reversible and more durable, but the microUSB works fine and the controller comes with a 10ft long cable.
The bottom edge hosts a 3.5mm headphone jack and just above the face of the controller is the volume toggle. This is the most obvious deviation from the stock controller, which lacks dedicated hardware buttons for volume control. Flip it over and you’ll see the other hardware tweak – a pair of programmable buttons on the handles and a button in the middle for configuring them. The controller also has eight exposed screw holes on the bottom, making the PowerA controller look much cheaper than the official controller, which fits without visible screws.
Ryan Whitwam
You may also notice that the d-pad is of the traditional plus-shaped variety, while the official X/S Series controller has switched to a more accurate cymbal-shaped pad. The PowerA ABXY cluster has more travel (they protrude a little further from the body) with less tactility than the Microsoft controller. The other buttons look the same – the PowerA still has the share button introduced with the X and S Series (although it’s round rather than pill-shaped and a little wobbly)
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PowerA Enhance Controller: Features and hands-on experience
As we pointed out in the Xbox Wireless Controller review, Microsoft’s latest gamepad is taller than the previous one. The PowerA makes it look quiet in comparison. Elements like the triggers and the thumbs have very hard and noisy landings when pressed. The thumbs are also stiffer and rougher than the official controller, but the difference is negligible enough that you won’t notice unless you have the two side by side for comparison.
Programmable buttons are conveniently placed inside the handles – maybe a little also convenently. It doesn’t take a lot of force to depress them, so they’re easy to accidentally hit if you press the controller too hard. That said, they can be useful if you don’t like the location of one of the other buttons. Just long press the program button in the middle of the back panel and press the control you want to replicate.
The old d-pad might be the biggest physical downgrade compared to the original Xbox X/S gamepad. It has the classic plus-shaped design along with the classic mole. Fighting games and others that make heavy use of the d-pad will not be as pleasant with this controller. The addition of the volume control toggle is nice, though. If you play online games with a wired headset, the switch lets you turn the volume up and down without digging through the settings. You can also press the button to mute the microphone.
Ryan Whitwam
While the lack of wireless connectivity is a bummer, you would expect to buy a wired controller. The controller’s lower weight is an attractive consolation, however. As long as you can plug the 10ft cable into your PC or console, the PowerA Enhanced Xbox Controller is comfortable to use for extended periods of time.
PowerA Enhanced Controller: Compatibility
The PowerA controller should work with your Xbox as well as an official controller. All you need is a free USB port on your console, and the same goes for a Windows PC. The only hardware feature you’ll miss completely is the option to connect accessories such as a keyboard or headphones that use the expansion port, which the PowerA controller doesn’t have. Another downside: this controller cannot power on the Xbox Series X/S console.
This controller also works with smartphones, but not as easily as the stock controller. As the official gamepad uses USB-C, you only need a C-to-C cable to connect to an Android phone, and it also supports wireless Bluetooth connectivity. With PowerA, you need to use the cable (or another micro USB cable) and an adapter that can turn rectangular USB-A into USB-C. We tested this with Google’s Pixel USB adapter and everything works despite being clunky.
Ryan Whitwam
final thoughts
The official Xbox Series X/S controller is undoubtedly a better device – it’s wireless, looks better and has better build quality. It’s also expensive at $60. The PowerA Enhanced Xbox Controller has 90% of the functionality for only half the cost. We also appreciate that PowerA offers the controller in so many colors.
The lack of a battery makes the PowerA controller much lighter than wireless ones, and most of the buttons feel almost as responsive and tactile as the official controller. There are also some extra buttons, allowing you to replicate any of the standard controls on the programmable paddles. We don’t love the old plus-shaped d-pad, which is musier than that of newer Microsoft controllers, and the programmable buttons are a little too easy to press by accident.
The Xbox comes with a controller, and that’s enough for some people. If you need extra controllers for your console and don’t like spending $60 on each one, the PowerA is a good buy. For PC gamers, the PowerA Enhanced Xbox Controller is a reasonable way to get all Windows Xbox integrations at a low price. However, anyone looking for a mobile controller should go ahead. The lack of wireless connectivity or a USB-C port means you’ll have to deal with cables and adapters just to connect the PowerA Enhanced Xbox Controller to your phone.
