The $499.99 Xbox Series X and its smaller sibling, the $299.99 Series S, are each superior consoles in their very own proper, with entry to the best Xbox Game Pass games when you have a subscription. However there are a bunch of equipment on the market that may elevate your enjoyable, or simply give your setup a extra private contact.
We’ve pulled collectively a bunch of our favourite ones under. Most of them are supplemental to the gaming expertise, though some is perhaps important to you, just like the Seagate storage enlargement card so you’ll be able to obtain extra video games, or a headset for chatting with associates or household. This put up could also be up to date as a result of availability, or when new or noteworthy equipment hit the market.
Xbox Collection X accent starter equipment
The Xbox Collection X consists of one black wi-fi controller, so that you would possibly want a second one when you have a couple of gamer in your own home, or if you happen to simply need one in a special shade. Fortunately, Microsoft’s Xbox wi-fi controllers are comparatively cheap, contemplating how feature-packed they’re. Some colours of the Xbox wi-fi controller are pricier than others, though a lot of them generally promote for underneath $50. Simply make sure you purchase some backup AA batteries to go together with it, or a recharging kit and dock.
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Costs taken at time of publishing.
Appropriate with PC, Steam Deck, Xbox, cell (Android/iOS)
Investing in a chargeable controller equipment offers you with a handy option to preserve your controllers topped off with out spending a mint on disposable batteries. It’s additionally extra handy than swapping and charging rechargeable batteries. Our favourite is the $45 8BitDo dual charging dock, which comes packaged with a pair of rechargeable battery packs. As soon as these are put in, it will probably cost two controllers directly — and appears fairly slick doing it.
The Xbox Collection X is billed as having a 1 TB SSD, however in actuality, you’ve entry to only 802 GB of it. The 512 GB in Microsoft’s Xbox Collection S? Extra like 364 GB. With that quantity of storage remaining, the allotted area for video games, updates, and apps isn’t plentiful.
In the event you don’t thoughts paying an exorbitant worth for as much as 2 TB of additional storage, Seagate’s storage enlargement playing cards are your finest — and just about solely — possibility. You merely insert this card into the again of your console, then set issues about storage to the aspect (for now, a minimum of).
You don’t want to spend a bunch on a headset. In truth, you’ll be able to plug any set of wired headphones into your controller’s 3.5 mm jack for audio. Nevertheless, if you happen to’re in search of a wi-fi possibility that isn’t too costly, and that has the most effective headset integration we’ve seen on a console shortly, take a look at Microsoft’s official Xbox Wireless headset.
It’s $99.99 (and generally much less), and it delivers a comfortable, easy-to-use expertise for the worth. Its quantity and sport/chat audio dials are its most novel design options, adjusting their ranges as you rotate the left or proper ear cups. These even have Bluetooth help, so you’ll be able to join your telephone or pill in case it is advisable to take a name.
HIDEit mounts do the apparent: offer you a sturdy, low-profile mounting resolution to your console or controllers, in case you need to conceal them. The controller mounts are available in packs of two for around $18, and it’s a intelligent concept if you happen to’re sick of leaving your gamepads mendacity in your espresso desk.
The $30 Series X mount helps you to connect your large Xbox to the wall both on its aspect or vertically. Now, earlier than you say that you may get roughly the identical impact from a less expensive floating shelf bought from Ikea, for instance, hear me out: HIDEit mounts are designed like brackets, holding the console snugly by its dimensions — successfully locking it in place. So, it’s not the identical type of threat as placing it on a shelf, as your Xbox doubtless received’t take an sudden 4-foot fall as a result of your cat was feeling notably spicy that day.
Greatest Xbox Collection X controller
The Xbox wireless controller is an apparent inclusion, because it’s nonetheless probably the greatest controllers you should purchase to your Xbox. The newest iteration of Microsoft’s Xbox wi-fi controller — the identical one which ships with the Collection X and Collection S — doesn’t break with custom. For followers of the Xbox One controller, it affords the same feel and look, however comes with extra options.
It’s appropriate not simply along with your Xbox console, but in addition with PCs and cell gadgets because of its Bluetooth connectivity. In comparison with Sony’s DualSense, the Xbox wi-fi controller is out there in a wider array of colours, and you may even make your personal customized shade scheme by the Xbox Design Lab for an extra payment.
It’s annoying that Microsoft’s controller makes use of AA batteries, versus providing a chargeable resolution by default. Nevertheless, a minimum of its battery life is kind of good. If you wish to bypass batteries altogether, you could find reasonably priced rechargeable kits, or just use the controller wired by connecting it to your console or PC by way of USB.
Costs taken at time of publishing.
Appropriate with PC, Steam Deck, Xbox, cell (Android/iOS)
In the event you’re in search of a wired controller with an extended cable that’s a little bit extra budget-friendly than Microsoft’s wi-fi possibility, the 8BitDo Ultimate wired controller is an effective alternative. It’s good on the fundamentals, but it surely’s on this record due to its deep customization by 8BitDo’s app, which is out there by way of Xbox, Home windows, Android, or iOS. Inside the app, you’ll be able to remap the face buttons and the again buttons. You can even set the sensitivity of sticks, modify the actuation ranges in your triggers, and extra.
The Final wired controller is out there in pink, black, or white, and it isn’t attempting to win awards for design, however that’s OK. It’s a rock-solid Xbox and PC controller that doesn’t price an excessive amount of.
The $100 Microsoft Adaptive Controller is value mentioning as a result of it’s designed particularly for gamers with restricted mobility, and it’s appropriate with a broad spectrum of inputs offered individually, just like the $99.99 adaptive gaming equipment from Logitech. The adaptive controller also can host as much as 20 extra enter gadgets starting from foot pedals to mouth joysticks, all of which will be remapped to satisfy the wants of particular person gamers. It’s appropriate with Xbox consoles relationship again to the Xbox One, plus PC.
Greatest Xbox Collection X SSD
Not like the PlayStation 5’s help for a variety of M.2 SSDs (a beta in July 2023 added help for 8 TB SSDs), there are solely a few choices for giving your Xbox extra super-fast storage. One comes within the type of Seagate’s proprietary storage enlargement playing cards, certainly one of which will be inserted into the again of your Collection X or Collection S console at a time. They’re out there in 1 TB ($149.99) or 2 TB sizes ($279.99), and so they stand out in comparison with different Xbox exhausting drive choices since they allow you to retailer and play the most recent Xbox video games from them (slower-spinning exhausting drives can solely play Xbox One and earlier video games saved on them).
The second possibility is the WD Black C50 enlargement card, which is out there in 512 GB ($89.99) or 1 TB ($149.99) configurations. By way of efficiency and worth, the C50 is actually an identical to Seagate’s enlargement card, simply with a tweaked type issue, plus the choice of getting a smaller 512 GB drive, if you’d like a kind of for some cause.
There isn’t a lot else to say about these enlargement playing cards. They’re handy, and so they work as meant. However they’re far more costly than they need to be, particularly subsequent to equally speedy M.2 SSDs which might be falling in price.
In the event you’re in search of a barely more cost effective possibility, Seagate additionally affords bulk exhausting drive storage for Xbox within the type of the Seagate Game Drive (beginning at $92.49), which is out there in a wide range of sizes, starting from 1 TB to a whopping 8 TB. Whereas the Recreation Drive offers considerably extra storage per greenback spent than Seagate’s dear enlargement playing cards, it’s extra restricted in what it will probably do.
You possibly can play video games from the Xbox One and earlier generations from it, and it may be used to carry save recordsdata, in addition to Collection X sport installations. Nevertheless, to play any Collection X titles you will have stowed away on it, you’ll need to switch them again to your console’s inside storage. This course of is unquestionably much less handy, but it surely a minimum of means that you can entry your catalog of video games with out having to re-download them.
Greatest Xbox Collection X headset
There are many wi-fi headset choices for the Xbox Collection X, however the official Xbox Wireless Headset affords a superb worth for its $99.99 worth. The straightforward and light-weight headset can be utilized with PCs, Xbox, or cell gadgets by way of Bluetooth. The headset includes a versatile increase mic, and quantity controls that may be adjusted by twisting the outer a part of the ear cup. One characteristic that makes this headset notably properly fitted to the Xbox is its compatibility with the Xbox equipment app, which lets you set customized sound profiles and fine-tune the mic’s habits by your console. For extra particulars on this superior headset, you’ll be able to take a look at The Verge’s full assessment.
Not everybody has the identical measurement of mind cage, and that’s okay. As somebody with an above average-sized cranium, I can wholeheartedly endorse the Steelseries Arctis Nova 7X headset for anybody in search of a premium possibility that’s each extremely comfy and sounds nice. Whereas it does price significantly greater than the official Xbox Wi-fi Headset, the 7X is ready to hook up with gadgets utilizing both Bluetooth or the included 2.4 GHz wi-fi dongle, permitting it to pair with Xbox, PC, Mac, PlayStation, Nintendo Change, and Cellular gadgets.
If the one factor incorrect along with your present headset are the aged earcups, we recommend testing Wicked Cushions’ lineup of aftermarket earcups. They’re appropriate with a variety of headsets and headphones from Audio-Technica, Razer, Logitech, SteelSeries, HyperX, and extra. Depraved Cushions earcups can be found in a wide range of attention-grabbing designs, and that stand out from inventory cushions by providing breathable cooling gel and tender velour, along with the usual plush leatherette cushions.
Greatest Xbox Collection X high-roller upgrades
Xbox is the house of the superb Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon racing franchises, and what higher option to take pleasure in tearing ass throughout the blacktop and filth than with a force-feedback racing wheel, full with a paddle shifters and pedals? We advocate testing the Logitech G920 Driving Force wheel, which usually prices $299, however can at the moment be discovered for as little as $279.99 at Amazon.
The G920 racing wheel options all of the navigation buttons you’d discover in your typical Xbox controller, so that you received’t need to awkwardly swap between enter strategies. The wheel itself offers reside resistance and reasonable suggestions as you drive in-game. Any accent that prices nearly as a lot as an Xbox Collection S isn’t to be taken frivolously, however we are able to’t consider a greater accent for a motorhead that wishes to expertise the highway from the consolation of their Xbox, or a PC.
In some unspecified time in the future in your possession of an Xbox, you’ve most likely puzzled: Ought to I purchase the $179.99 Elite Series 2 controller? In the event you spend an excellent chunk of your time gaming on Xbox, PC, or each, we are able to get behind spending the money equal of three commonplace wi-fi Xbox controllers on a single gamepad. Nevertheless, by not getting one you shouldn’t really feel as if you’re one way or the other subjecting your self to an inferior gaming expertise. You simply received’t have as many buttons and different good however nonessential options.
The Collection 2 features a exhausting case, swappable parts, and adjustable analog stick rigidity, to call just a few standout options. In the event you just like the options supplied by this premium controller however hate the worth, Microsoft additionally makes the $129.99 Elite Series 2 Core controller, which has the identical options because the Elite Collection 2, however doesn’t ship with any of the additional equipment.
Replace (Aug. 1): Checked all merchandise for pricing and availability. Added the Western Digital C50 as an extra SSD possibility.
