It was only a couple of months ago that I said the
AmazonBasics Wired Xbox One Controller was the best third-party pad I'd ever
used but, surprisingly, we already have a new champ – the Enhanced Wired
Controller for Xbox One from PowerA. With the same shape and button layout as a
first-party Xbox One controller, great feeling buttons, and a great selection
of colors, the PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller is fantastic. Even better,
they’re priced at just $30 ($35 for fancier colors) so you’ll get a great
controller at an excellent price. Continue reading for all of the details.
Manufacturer - PowerA
Pros – Feels great; works very well; looks gorgeous; price
Cons – No haptic feedback; wired
Price - $30 (standard colors) $35 (Fade series)
Buy PowerA Enhanced Wired Xbox One Controller at Amazon.com
Buy PowerA Enhanced Wired Xbox One Controller at Amazon.com
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| Buy PowerA Enhanced XONE Controller at Amazon |
It isn’t often that you look at a third-party controller and
actually go "Wow", but that is exactly what I did when I opened the
box from PowerA. They really, really went all out to polish this controller
right down to having attractive packaging that does a great job of showcasing
the controller. I know it’s weird to go nuts about the packaging something
comes in, but I’m so used to third-party pads having junky packaging that when
they actually do a good job it really stands out.
The PowerA Enhanced Xbox One controller comes in several
colors with solid colors and camo patterns carrying a $30 MSRP while the (great
looking) Fade colors cost $35. I was sent a blue Sapphire Fade controller and
it looks freaking great. Obviously, if you want to save some cash you don’t
need to drop the extra $5 for prettier colors, but dang they are really pretty.
The controller itself is almost (I can’t say 100% for sure)
exactly the same as the standard Xbox One controller from Microsoft in terms of
shape and button layout. It immediately feels super familiar and comfortable
and there was no awkward “getting to know you" period like you have with
most third-party pads. It just feels right the moment you pick it up. The fit
and finish is great as well as it doesn’t have any rough seams (that the
first-party pads do, actually ...) and the plastic has a high quality satiny
feel to it. The last PowerA pad I reviewed, the FUSION a couple years ago, had
cheap bad feeling plastic. Thankfully, the Enhanced controller is a massive
upgrade there and feels great.
For the most part, the Enhanced controller is fairly
standard save for two important features – 1. it is wired, and 2, it has two
extra programmable buttons on the back. First, the wire. I know people don’t like
wired controllers these days, but if you want to save some cash it is just
something you have to put up with. The cable is 9.8 feet long and I didn’t have
any problems with it. The cable is actually detachable from the controller as
it is just a normal USB cable. I was initially a little skeptical about this
feature as I worried that the connection would wear out or the cable would be
loose, but it was designed in such a way that the connection point is
reinforced and beefy and the cable stays very firmly in place.
As far as performance goes it functions exactly like you'd
expect for the most part, but I do have a couple of comments. The normal rumble
is strong and feels great, but I don’t think it has haptic rumble in the
triggers, or it’s just so weak I can’t tell. I played Forza Horizon 3
specifically to test the haptic feedback and can’t feel a thing. My only other
complaint is that, on my unit at least, it doesn’t always register left and
right d-pad presses. I can’t imagine that it is some inherent flaw to the
controller, so I'm not going to dock it and assume they all do it, though. If
you do buy one and have d-pad troubles, let me know. Most of the games I play
don’t need extensive d-pad use, so I just put up with it. I want to stress, though,
that everything else worked perfectly.
Comparing it specifically to the AmazonBasics Wired Xbox OneController, since that is the closest competition, the PowerA Enhanced
controller comes out on top in almost every respect. The Enhanced controller looks
much nicer and feels better thanks to the quality finish (and colors!) and
familiar shape and button layout. The buttons also feel better on the Enhanced
controller and aren’t nearly as loud and clicky as on Amazon’s pad. It also
benefits from the programmable buttons on the back. The AmazonBasics pad does
have a leg up thanks to its solid haptic feedback, however, so if that feature
is important to you it is definitely something to consider. I’d probably
recommend the PowerA Enhanced Xbox One controller overall, though.
All in all, the PowerA Enhanced Xbox One Controller is a
fantastic controller that feels and performs far better than its bargain price
tag would imply. It’s great not just for the price range but just in general as
a very good controller option that you’ll actually want to use every day and
not just as a last resort for Player 2 to use. I never expected third-party
controllers to ever actually "git gud", but 2018 has seen two really
solid ones so far. If you're looking for a new Xbox One (or Windows 10)
controller, need to save some cash, and don’t mind a wire, the PowerA Enhanced
Xbox One Controller is highly recommended.
