Xbox Wireless Controller
Hacker ApprovedRanked 2 of 6 game controllers by recommenders
Recommended for comfort, solid build and easy PC and Steam use. Common caveat: some PCs need a dongle or adapter.
Recommended for comfort, solid build and easy PC and Steam use. Common caveat: some PCs need a dongle or adapter.
27 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 18
- criticize it
- 9
- approval share
- 67%
Recommended in 11 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 18 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 2 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 11 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Works well on PCs and Steam
“the Microsoft Xbox One controllers work perfectly fine with xpad”
Comment from 1 Jan 2026 in “Linux is good now; to feel like you actually own your PC, put Linux on it” “I'm able to play them with an Xbox One pad no less.”
Comment from 20 Nov 2025 in “Gaming on Linux has never been more approachable” “It even works fine with the Xbox One controllers”
Comment from 13 Nov 2025 in “Valve is about to win the console generation” - Comment from 26 Jun 2026 in “My Steam Machine Is a 50ft HDMI Cable”
- Comment from 12 Sep 2026 in “LG denies TV spying claims, says tracking and snooping concerns 'not true'”
- Comment from 26 Jun 2026 in “My Steam Machine Is a 50ft HDMI Cable”
Comfortable, especially the original Duke
“Did you find the OG Xbox "Duke" controller comfortable? I did.”
Comment from 27 May 2026 in “Valve raises Steam Deck prices by more than $200” “the OG Xbox Duke controller was very comfortable”
Comment from 14 Feb 2026 in “Apple, fix my keyboard before the timer ends or I'm leaving iPhone” Cheap and high quality
“An Xbox/PlayStation controller is cheap and high quality.”
Comment from 22 Jun 2026 in “Nearly Half of LG Smart TV Apps Contain Residential Proxy SDKs” “easily worth that extra $20-$30 for the jump in quality”
Comment from 23 Jun 2026 in “Steam Machine” Simple and responsive in use
“The Xbox controller is perfect. Simple and good enough to use.”
Comment from 13 Nov 2025 in “Steam Controller” “older wireless PS controllers and xbox controllers were consistently more responsive in practice”
Comment from 19 Aug 2026 in “OpenLogi”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Needs dongle or adapter on PC
“even getting an Xbox controller to work properly on windows requires a dongle”
Comment from 13 Jul 2026 in “The console wars have been lost” “The Xbox one need a USB adapter but its build is not as good as SONY's.”
Comment from 12 Nov 2025 in “Steam Controller” Bluetooth connection and recognition problems
“I could never get my Xbox One bluetooth controller behaving with Linux.”
Comment from 13 Nov 2025 in “Steam Machine” “still didn't recognise my xbox wireless controller out of the box”
Comment from 2 Apr 2026 in “Steam on Linux Use Skyrocketed Above 5% in March” “more reliable that my Xbox One one on BLE”
Comment from 17 Nov 2025 in “I don’t need a Steam Machine” No gyro sensor
“Microsoft is also the only controller manufacturer to not put gyro in their controllers.”
Comment from 9 Jul 2026 in “PlayStation can delete all your digital games after 3 years of inactivity (EU)” “The Xbox controller doesn't even have a gyro.”
Comment from 12 Nov 2025 in “Steam Machine”
Other game controllers people recommend
The four most recommended other game controllers, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam Controller | 74 | 44 | 63% | 10 | — | — |
| Xbox Wireless ControllerThis page | 18 | 9 | 67% | 11 | — | Approved |
| 8BitDo controller | 13 | 3 | 81% | 6 | — | Approved |
| PS5 DualSense controller | 10 | 6 | 63% | 6 | — | — |
| Sony PS5 controller | 7 | 2 | 78% | 5 | — | — |
What people said
30 of the 31 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“work pretty seamlessly on Microsoft platforms”
“pair the Xbox controller, use the controller to pick a game, and sit back”
“add an Xbox controller and Steam”
“older wireless PS controllers and xbox controllers were consistently more responsive in practice”
“even getting an Xbox controller to work properly on windows requires a dongle”
“Microsoft is also the only controller manufacturer to not put gyro in their controllers.”
“hands down the best controller out there”
“mostly alright, but a weird issue where when I enter a specific mode in one game”
“I've had very close to zero issues with couch gaming with my steam deck + wireless xbox controllers.”
“Xbox controllers have first class support”
“easily worth that extra $20-$30 for the jump in quality”
“An Xbox/PlayStation controller is cheap and high quality.”
“Did you find the OG Xbox "Duke" controller comfortable? I did.”
“still didn't recognise my xbox wireless controller out of the box”
“One of the things I like most about my Xbox controllers is that they still take two AA batteries rather than having an internal one.”
“Things got better once they shifted to xbox controllers.”
“the OG Xbox Duke controller was very comfortable”
“the Microsoft Xbox One controllers work perfectly fine with xpad”
“The Xbox controllers were great for navigation vs a remote control.”
“I'm able to play them with an Xbox One pad no less.”
“more reliable that my Xbox One one on BLE”
“increasing the gamepads price by 50% overnight”
“The Xbox controller is perfect. Simple and good enough to use.”
“I want it to be clicky like on the Xbox controllers”
“It even works fine with the Xbox One controllers”
“I could never get my Xbox One bluetooth controller behaving with Linux.”
“The Xbox one need a USB adapter but its build is not as good as SONY's.”
“The Xbox controller doesn't even have a gyro.”
“Microsoft really did it right with the XSX controller”
“just like the original Steam Controller, Steam Deck or original duke Xbox controller”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.