The Xbox Series X controller is the best gamepad Microsoft has ever made

• On November 10, Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox consoles are scheduled to launch.
• A new version of the Xbox gamepad will also arrive on November 10, and I’ve been using it with an Xbox Series X for two weeks.
• Although the gamepad is not dramatically different from previous versions, it is clearly the best gamepad Microsoft has ever made.
• Visit the Business Insider home page for more stories.

The new Xbox gamepad, created for the next-gen Xbox consoles launching in November, is a familiar evolutionary step in the history of gamepads.

It looks almost exactly like the Xbox One controller, so much so that, without taking a moment, it’s easy to get them confused. Controllers sensation very similar too, at least initially. All the buttons are in the same places and the only visual difference is with the d-pad.

But actually using the gamepad is where the differences become apparent – a subtle textured grip has been added on the back, as well as on each trigger. The triggers land with a satisfying (and thankfully quiet) rubber hit. The menu buttons in the center click more than ever and a new dedicated screenshot button has been added.

It’s a lot of little details that add up to an evolutionary step forward for the Xbox gamepad – it feels familiar, comfortable, and surprisingly new.

For the past two weeks, I’ve been using this gamepad with an Xbox Series X console, the same console that people will get on November 10th.

In that time, I’ve mostly played backward-compatible games from the previous two generations of Xbox consoles (Xbox 360 and Xbox One), as well as some next-gen games.

I’d be lying if I said something feels materially different about the experience with the new gamepad. Rumble doesn’t feel noticeably different in “Dirt 5,” the next-gen racing game I’ve been playing. I no longer feel in control as I navigate the crime-ridden streets of Kamurocho in “Yakuza Like a Dragon,” the next-generation “Yakuza” game.

But that was never the promise.

With its Xbox Series S and Series X consoles, Microsoft offers a continuation and enhancement of the digital life of your existing Xbox, but with more power and a smoother experience.

To that end, the new Xbox controller is an optimized and improved version of the existing Xbox One gamepad. It is a bit more comfortable. The buttons are a little more responsive. Triggers are a bit quieter and everything feels more cohesive.

It is not a wild leap in a new direction, nor does it pretend to be. Which is, thankfully, is the best Xbox gamepad Microsoft has ever made.

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