Xbox Core Controller – Robot White

2020 has been a year chock full o’ disappointment, chaos & being tethered to the home which means more time planted on the sofa, like a bump on a log, grinding out time by playing video games & having the controllers get wonky in record time. I wasn’t looking to buy the newer model controllers & simply wanted to replace the original style, but as they’re apparently discontinued, I’m darned glad I did, as they are seemingly more comfortable & responsive. After shelling out just $10 less than what I paid for this one for a refurbished controller from GameStop (who are using trash tier parts to fix the exchanged ones), I found myself having to get this new model. I like using a Kontrol Freek Extender on the R thumbstick & a concave silicone cover on the L, but w/ the refurbished ones, they’re using thumstick replacements that are just a millimeter or 2 too small for the KF extenders & silicone covers. Without any thumbstick extender/cover, GS’s cheapo replacements just feel weird & made game play awful. Don’t get me started on how bad the buttons were as it’s infuriating enough to make you want to punch puppies! This new controller, as I said, is crazy comfortable & I swear the buttons respond better. The sharing button is pretty helpful too & as everyone & their mother is uploading videos or streaming their gameplay, it’s a right handy little addition. I’ve only used this for a few games, mostly for RDR2, but it definitely helped me to have that better, more comfy feel & responsiveness. Now for the downside: the Xbox “brand” & “off brand” rechargeable batteries are NOT working in it for me. To charge & connect these new controllers, you must have the newest USB-C cords! (Plenty of good deals are to be had here on Amazon for them. I got 2 10’, gold plated cords for $10) So that I am not ripping through conventional AA batteries, I have my USB-C cord plugged into a charger next to my couch. While I’m guessing Xbox is either needing to do some sort of update to make the old rechargeable batteries work in these, I’d bet dollars to doughnuts that they’re going to put out a new battery & cord combo for these. If you absolutely abhor using cords but don’t want to rip through batteries, invest in rechargeable AA ones until they sort out why the rechargeable battery packs aren’t working or come out w/ new ones. To make sure it wasn’t just my getting a faulty controller, a friend had also gotten one of these & have the same problem w/ not having the Xbox One rechargeable battery pack work in theirs. Aside from this, I can find nothing else negative about these & if you’re another “grinder” needing an upgrade to a controller that has drifting & having to mash the buttons to have them register, or a trigger or bumped button went on the wonk; I’m assured in my telling you to invest in one of these. I’m hoping the USB-C cord won’t develop the loosening up that the original micro-USB cords are notorious for. For those looking for a TL; DR version of my endless drivel, these new controllers are:More comfortableMore responsiveNeed a USB-C cordDon’t work w/ Xbox nor offbrand rechargeable battery packs so get rechargeable AA batteries if you don’t want to be tethered.

The controller itself seems fine and it connects to my PC just fine but it will not be recognized at all on Steam so I have not used it all. Might be worth noting that it also doesn’t work on the Switch if you have an 8BitDo adapter. Overall very disappointing, if you want a controller that actually works you’ll have to try the ps5 controller.11/14/20 EditIt seems that after updating the controller and reconnecting it through Bluetooth, it now works with Steam. Still unclear whether it works with 8bitDo adapter to use on Nintendo Switch but at least it is usable on PC and Steam. You will need a usb-c cable to update the controller though.

For PC players, you DO NOT need to buy the wireless adapter if you already have a blutooth dongle or blutooth capabilities for your PC.All you need to do is download the Xbox accessories app, turn on your controller and hit the blutooth button on the controller so your PC can find it. Afterwards, open up your blutooth settings in windows to add it as a new blutooth device and you’re all set up.I’ve used the Xbox accessories app to test out if all the buttons work and they’re all working properly. So far I’ve played Yakuza 0 and Ghostrunner with it and haven’t had any problems.If you don’t have batteries, the controller can be powered by a USB-C cable which is nice.

(Note* ordered controller for use on PC. I do not own an Xbox)Just received mine today. I will update how well it holds up at a later time. My previous Xbox One controller (Model 1537, Non-Bluetooth) had an unresponsive Right Bumper (heard that’s a common issue). I thought the texturing of the controller was going to be a gimmick, but it is actually one of my favorite aspects. The d-pad is improved and I am personally in favor of it being more tactile and clicky. While I don’t usually game on my phone, I still think it is an added plus that I can since my previous controller lacked Bluetooth. Overall build quality does feel like it is a stepup from my previous one.