Review: AmazonBasics Xbox One Wired Controller

• July 4, 2017
• James Skemp
• review

The following is a review of the AmazonBasics Xbox One Wired Controller, received as part of the Amazon Vine program.

In My Eyes (and Hands) A Much Better Xbox One Controller

Note: This item does not yet seem to be available for purchase from Amazon. For these reasons the links point to my review on Amazon.

I never owned an original Xbox with the ‘Duke’ controller, but as a longtime PlayStation owner I recall noting how fat the Xbox 360 controller felt in my hands. The Xbox One controller too seems far too large for my hands.

The AmazonBasics line of products has quickly become my go-to for USB, HDMI, and digital audio cables, as well as for Nintendo 3DS/DS and tablet carrying cases.

So when I saw that there was an AmazonBasics Xbox One Wired Controller up for review, I naturally was interested, and was pleased by what I found.

As I haven’t picked up any of the newer ones, I’m comparing the AmazonBasics controller to the Xbox One wireless controllers shipped on launch.

First, the AmazonBasics controller is wired, which I personally prefer, given my setup. Like Microsoft Xbox 360 wired controllers, these feature tearaway connectors so that if something were to tug on the cord it will disconnect close to the USB end.

The controller itself is slightly taller, with the hand grips being slightly longer and smaller near the base. For me, with what I would consider average hands (medium/large gloves), I find this much more comfortable to hold and use.

The directional pad is far better, with less of a click, and not so floaty. Both sticks are on par with a Microsoft controller, but aren’t as concave, which again I like.

The four A/B/X/Y buttons are slightly taller, solid in color (instead of slight opacity), and less rounded at the top, with the same amount of click.

The Xbox button is more like a 360 controller in placement and look, and as are the other two buttons. As someone who liked the 360 layout, both of these are improvements in my mind.

The trigger buttons actually don’t feel as good as the Microsoft controller; they don’t move as smoothly and click as they move. The shoulder buttons feel about the same, but the AmazonBasics has a bit of free space whereas the Microsoft controller does not. For these four buttons I actually think the official Xbox One controller wins out.

Finally, there’s a single microphone jack on the bottom of the controller, like what the 360 controller had. This differs from the Microsoft controller’s more robust jack.

Ultimately, I really like the AmazonBasics Xbox One Wired Controller. At the time of this review the product isn’t available for sale, and Amazon hasn’t created products in this space before, so I have no idea what price they’ll put these at. Honestly, even if they were selling around the same price as an official controller, I would toward the AmazonBasics because of how it feels in my hand.

For these reasons I give the AmazonBasics Xbox One Wired Controller a full five of five stars.

• review
• gaming