The evolutionary, rather than revolutionary leap between the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S might be a teensy bit boring, but it does mean that when we recommend an accessory for the Series X|S, we’re generally recommending it for the Xbox One too, and vice versa. Nice and simple. This also means that there are hundreds of accessories across multiple console generations that brands are trying to sell you, so rather than stressing yourself out, have a look through our handy guide to the best ones.
There are a lot of Xbox headsets out there, but you really can’t go wrong with the first-party option. Offering near-instant wireless connectivity, dual-channel audio between your Xbox and phone, and virtual surround sound, the £90 Xbox Wireless Headset is incredibly good value for money. It borrows Microsoft’s Surface Headphones’ nifty dial controls and sounds great, if a little bass-heavy out of the box. Luckily, there’s an EQ app should you want to tweak things sonically. All black but for subtle green accents, the Xbox Wireless Headset is definitely designed to partner the Series X, but it’ll play just as nice with Xbox One consoles.
Price: £90 | Microsoft | Argos
If there’s a very obvious downside to native 4K games, it’s that they don’t half take up some space. The 802GB of storage you get with the Xbox Series X might not sound small, but once you start digging into Game Pass you’ll fill it in no time. While you can manage storage relatively easily by simply deleting games you’re not playing (you’ll still have all of your save data intact if you redownload), an easier option for those willing to part with the cash is adding Seagate’s Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S. Full compatibility with the Xbox Velocity Architecture means you’ll still get the built-in SSD’s significant speed boost and Quick Resume functionality, while effectively doubling the console’s storage. You’re almost certainly going to be picking up one of these eventually, and it might be even more essential for Series S owners, as that machine comes with less built-in storage than its big brother.
Price: £220 | Amazon | Argos | Currys
The biggest selling point of B&O’s first Xbox accessory is that it’s much more than just an Xbox accessory. You see, while the Beoplay Portal is compatible with the Xbox Wireless protocol, enabling a near-instant lossless wireless connection to the Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, it’s also a very good pair of noise-cancelling headphones. A button on the left earcup allows you to jump between your Xbox and Bluetooth connections, with an excellent app offering an EQ function for both sound modes. The headphones sound as good with music as you’d expect from a pair of B&O cans, while in gaming mode you get Dolby Atmos support. The Beoplay Portal is easily the most stylish Xbox headset out there, although the commitment to design means you don’t get a traditional boom mic, which might bother serious multiplayer gamers. They’re certainly not cheap, but as do-it-all headphones the Beoplay Portal are hard to resist.
Price: £449 | Amazon | John Lewis
The PS5’s pad might have a few more magic tricks up its plastic sleeve, but when it comes to pure ergonomics there’s an argument to be had that the Xbox Wireless Controller is the best of all time. The latest iteration of the wireless controller features textured triggers and bumpers, a hybrid D-pad and a share button for your screenshots and captured footage. Being both Xbox Wireless-compatible and Bluetooth means you can use it for gaming on your tablet and phone as well as your Xbox and PC, making it the perfect option for Apple Arcade subscribers, while the 3.5mm headset jack allows you to plug in any compatible headset. You get one of these with an Xbox Series X|S, but you’ll need another if you plan on doing a lot of local multiplayer.
Price: £55 | Amazon | Microsoft
Unlike Sony’s DualSense, the Xbox Wireless Controller is not rechargeable out of the box. Instead, it ships with two thoroughly old-fashioned AA batteries, which are fine if you’re only a casual player, but those planning to do a lot of gaming will probably want to invest in Microsoft’s official battery pack. The included USB-C cable allows you to charge while you play if needed, and you can expect a full charge in under four hours.
Price: £22 | Amazon | Argos | Microsoft
SteelSeries is renowned for making excellent headsets for all platforms, and the Arctis 7X is no different. As the colours give away, it’s primarily designed for Xbox, offering lossless 2.4 GHz audio with ultra-low latency, but the USB-C dongle also makes it compatible with PC, Android and the Nintendo Switch. A Discord-certified ClearCast bidirectional microphone makes this one a good pick for keen online multiplayer gamers, while the 24-hour battery ensures it’ll easily last through marathon sessions. The 7X sounds great, but bear in mind that it lacks Dolby Atmos surround sound support. If that’s important to you, you might be better off with the Xbox Wireless Headset, but otherwise the Arctis 7X ticks nearly every box.
Price: £160 | Amazon | Argos | Currys
If you’ve made the jump to rechargeable batteries for your Xbox pad and want to save yourself the faff of plugging them in to charge, a charging dock is a good idea. Venom’s comes with two 850mAh battery packs that will charge two controllers simultaneously when docked, and an additional USB port on the back of the device allows you to connect a third device if needed. The dock is designed to complement the Xbox Series X, and in a nice touch, the LED charging indicator will turn from red to Xbox-y green when fully charged.
Price: £20 | Amazon | Argos | Currys
If your Xbox is also your streaming device of choice, then a normal controller isn’t the best remote. Anyone who’s jabbed the wrong face button when trying to pause a film will no doubt attest to that. A much better option is the PDP Gaming Media Remote. Officially licensed by Xbox, it works with both the Series X|S and Xbox One and pairs all the buttons from the Xbox controller with play/pause, fast-forward and rewind buttons. Handily, it also has a backlight for nighttime viewing.
Price: £20 | Amazon | Argos | Microsoft
It’s worth noting at the top that we’re very much due a new Xbox Elite pad for the Series X|S consoles, as the most recent model featured here is now several years old. But until that day arrives, the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 is the pinnacle of Xbox pads. Adjustable-tension thumbsticks let you fine-tune your aiming in Warzone, while you can let shots off more quickly with shorter hair trigger locks. The controller also features a wrap-around rubberised grip for better handling and comes with interchangeable paddle and thumbstick shapes so you can find your preferred layout. You can save a default configuration and up to three custom profiles, which can be customised in the Xbox Accessories app and switched between on the fly with the Profile button.
Price: £160 | Amazon | Microsoft | Argos
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This article was originally published by WIRED UK
