Anyone who has ever been stuck with a crappy third-rate controller knows a good-feeling peripheral reigns supreme when playing your favorite game.
For those looking for more style out of the default Microsoft Xbox One gamepad but are hesitate to drop triple digits on the ultra-customizable Xbox Elite controller, there's now the Xbox Wireless Controller Tech Series.
Inspired by "military technology and performance patterns," the first entry in the new Tech Series – the Recon Tech Special Edition – looks like something Deus Ex: Mankind Divided's own Adam Jensen would take to, with its matted dark grey finish, gold accents, and diamond-patterned rubber grip.
The Tech Series is more than a pretty picture, as the new controller also boasts all the features that come standard with Xbox's most recent line of pads, such as a 3.5mm jack for headphones, improved wireless and Bluetooth range, and full button remapping via the Xbox Accessories app.
The remapping is especially helpful for Xbox One's newly added Copilot feature, which spans button layouts across multiple controllers to greatly improve accessibility and cooperative play.
The Recon Tech Special Edition controller goes on sale April 25, to the tune of $70/£60/AU$100, making for an especially welcome middle ground for those who want a swankier controller but balked at the Elite's $149/£129/AU$195 price tag.
- Speaking of, here are the best Xbox One peripherals around
For a mid-range handset, the Poco F6 Pro is premium in more ways than one, but I found it hard to ignore some of its key pitfalls
This obscure brand wants to launch the most privacy-friendly smartphone ever without Google, but with a mysterious open-source OS at its core
This powerful phone charger has been making faces at me, but I kinda love it
