Game in Style With the Best Accessories for Xbox Series X/S

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From high-end gaming headsets specifically designed for Microsoft's latest consoles to smaller accessories, such as analog stick attachments, there's no shortage of Xbox accessories to level up your gaming experience.

But how do you choose which accessories to get? Thankfully, we've cumulatively logged thousands of hours gaming on Microsoft's latest consoles and have scoured the web to seek out the best Xbox accessories out there, so you can game in comfort and style and have the best experience possible every time you sit down to play.

More Gaming Gear: Best Sim Racing Games | Best Xbox Headsets | Best Racing Games for Xbox

Things to Consider

Compatibility: While every item in our roundup will work with the latest Xbox consoles, be sure to check that other products you might purchase are as well. Microsoft made things convoluted with the naming scheme of their latest consoles, so make sure any accessories you purchase specifically state they are "designed for," "compatible with," or "made for" Xbox Series X/S consoles.

Build Quality: You don't want your new accessories to break after a few gaming sessions. Look for Xbox accessories with metal or high-quality plastic components and quality buttons and switches to ensure they last until you shell out for a next-gen console.

Functionality: Consider how the accessory will improve your gaming, be it control, audio, or convenience. Some accessories aid in requirements (such as expansion cards to save more games to your console), while others might be quality-of-life improvements, such as a better controller or thumbstick covers. Budget accordingly, and make sure you get what will have the biggest impact when you need it.

Reviews and Ratings: Beyond our opinions on these products, take a look at other product reviews to get additional real-world opinions to gauge performance and reliability.

Price: As always, balance the cost of the accessories you plan to get with the features you're looking for to maximize value.

Best Xbox Accessories

Stealth Ultra Controller

Until recently, Microsoft was the only company to offer a wireless Xbox controller, but Turtle Beach flipped the script by releasing the Stealth Ultra Controller. This officially licensed Xbox Series X/S controller offers all of the customization you could possibly need in a controller.

Beyond basic button mapping and additional paddle buttons on the back, the Stealth Ultra also features customizable profiles, which can control everything from the RGB lighting accents to the strength of the rumble feedback on each grip to the trigger buttons on the back. Other added features include integrated support for third-party notifications, such as from Discord, WhatsApp, Instagram, and more.

We've spent hours playing games with the Stealth Ultra and have loved every second of it. Profiles make it easy to switch customizations between games or individual players, and the included wireless charging dock, which conveniently fits inside the carrying case, means you never have to worry about the controller being dead when you go to play. And that's to say nothing of the adjustable trigger stops, microswitch buttons, and Hall Effect analog sticks to prevent drifting.

The Stealth Ultra offers more features than Microsoft's own Elite 2 controller and does so at a lower price, making it a no-brainer for anyone wanting to upgrade their Xbox accessory collection.

Microsoft Elite Series 2 Controller

One of the easiest ways you can improve your gaming experience is to get a better controller for your Xbox. While the standard controller that comes with most Xbox systems gets the job done, the Elite Series 2 controller is a more advanced controller with an improved build quality and more advanced features.

This controller features a wrap-around rubber grip on the handles, trigger locks for shorter pulls, customizable paddle buttons on the back, and the ability to customize your experience depending on the game you're playing through the use of individual profiles you can change on the fly. It also has a built-in battery that lasts up to 40 hours and can be recharged via the USB-C port.

VelocityOne Race Wheel & Pedal System

Turtle Beach's VelocityOne Race System makes a notable entrance into the sim racing arena, offering an affordable and comprehensive package for PC and Xbox gamers. With sturdy construction and integrated features, like a customizable full-color display, it stands out for its design that includes everything you'd need to get up and running with sim racing on an Xbox.

The direct-drive motor delivers up to 5.3 pound-feet of torque, while the Mag-Shift paddle shifters provide a realistic feel when making your way up and down the gearbox. Mounting options are versatile, ensuring secure attachment to various setups, while the three-pedal array provides a balanced blend of adjustability and simplicity. One of the nice surprises Turtle Beach threw in was a button box—a rare feature in this price range, considering most other manufacturers require you to purchase it separately.

Overall, the VelocityOne system offers a compelling plug-and-play option that rivals pricier alternatives in performance and features, which is why it's taken the top spot as our "most capable all-in-one system" in our Best Sim Racing Wheels roundup.

G920 Driving Force Racing Wheel and Floor Pedals

If the VelocityOne is a bit out of your price range, there's also the Logitech G920, a high-quality sim racing wheel that offers an immersive gaming experience. Designed for Xbox but also compatible with PCs, this racing wheel is the gold standard for entry-level sim wheels.

Logitech uses a gear-driven system for the G920, and while typically looked down upon compared to belt- or direct-drive wheels, it’s expected at this price point and still offers a dramatic improvement over using a gaming controller. I’ve used the G920 in the past and while there's a noticeable drop in performance compared to both belt-driven and direct drive wheels, it still offers fine performance at a great price. Some sim racing games, such as iRacing, will even have unique feedback modes that can make the gear-driven force feedback even more realistic.

The wheelbase and wheels are made of a combination of steel, plastic, and hand-stitched leather, while the three-pedal array uses mostly plastic and metal. Since the G920 is designed specifically for Xbox, it features all of the standard Xbox buttons you'll need to navigate the on-screen menus.

The G920 isn't as realistic as belt- or direct-drive wheels, but it still has a lot to offer considering everything included in the kit, making it a budget-friendly setup for anyone getting into sim racing. There is also a Playstation version, so make sure you get the right model for your gaming system.

Play & Charge Kit

The last thing you want in the middle of a gaming session is for your controller's batteries to die. If you don't care to have one of the above controllers, at least do yourself a favor by picking up this PowerA Play & Charge Kit.

This two-battery kit includes a pair of 1100-mAh rechargeable battery packs that seamlessly replace the entire battery section of your controller. They feature USB-C ports for charging between or during gaming sessions, meaning even if both of your batteries are dead, you can simply plug them into a nearby outlet or battery pack to keep gaming as long as you need. The batteries even work alongside PowerA's charging stand, which allows you to dock your controller more conveniently between gaming sessions to charge it without directly plugging it in.

Stealth Pro Noise-Canceling Gaming Headset

Turtle Beach knows a thing or two about high-end gaming accessories, so it should come as no surprise then that the Stealth Pro wireless headset is no exception. Built around 50-mm Nanoclear audio drivers, it features active noise cancellation up to 25 decibels, a detachable microphone with a cardioid pickup pattern, and a pair of quick-swap batteries that use the wireless transmitter to charge the extra battery, so you're never left with a dead headset.

The headset is adjustable and the ear pads are comfortable for extended periods. In our time with the headset, we appreciated the integrated dial for quickly adjusting volumes on the fly and the ability to activate noise canceling quickly with an on-ear button. The headset pairs with the Turtle Beach Audio Hub App (Android, iOS) to enable all kinds of customizations, such as EQ settings, button remapping, and more. While its included transmitter enables lag-free 2.4-GHz audio transmission for compatible systems (macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, Playstation, and Xbox), the headset also features Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity so you can use it with any mobile device or gaming console with Bluetooth connectivity.

It's by no means cheap, but it's a robust system that offers impressive sound and a crystal-clear microphone. Best of all, despite being officially licensed for Xbox Series S/X consoles, it features a range of connectivity options, ensuring you're not limited to one console.

If you'd like to take a peek at other Xbox headset options, check out our roundup of the Best Xbox Headsets.

Green Backlight Keyboard

Whether you're trash-talking another player online or struggling with the on-screen keyboard while typing in your passwords, having a full QWERTY keyboard at your fingertips is a wonderful addition to any gamer's arsenal. This option from TiMOVO is a no-frills, reasonably priced plug-and-play keyboard that fits the bill.

Thanks to its integrated connections, there's no need for additional batteries, and an included receiver means a near-zero delay between pressing the backlit keys and the text appearing on-screen. Sure, it makes the controller bulkier, but that's a small price to pay if you're planning on being a trash-talking keyboard warrior.

WD_Black 1TB C50 Expansion Card

Whether you opted for the Xbox Series X or Series S, odds are you'll hit a point where the onboard storage simply isn't enough for your gaming needs. While not as flexible as Sony's Playstation, which can handle standard SSDs, Xbox offers a solution in the form of plug-and-play SSDs that work like a massive memory card. Western Digital has been making expansion drives for years, so it makes sense the company would be one of the first to introduce a third-party option for Microsoft's latest console in the form of the WD_Black 1TB C50.

As the name suggests, this expansion card adds 1 TB (1000 GB) of additional storage so you can keep more games and downloadable content saved offline and ready for use whenever you need it (a more affordable 512-GB version is also available; $75 at Amazon). Upon release, these expansion cards cost a pretty penny, but the price has dropped significantly, making it a reasonable way to stretch your storage regardless of which Xbox model you went with.

Media Remote Control

One of the great things about the Xbox is its ability to function as a multimedia streaming device in addition to being a game console. While any controller will navigate through the menus, sometimes you might want a basic remote to kick back and watch your latest binge on Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, or Hulu. Enter the Tyadas Media Remote Control.

This remote takes on the standard form factor of most television remotes but features all the buttons you'd need to navigate through the Xbox menus. So, while it doesn't necessarily add any new or improved features, it's a nice quality-of-life product for enjoying your Xbox beyond the latest game.

FPS Freek

While gaming controllers have come a long way from the days of the Playstation 2's Dual Shock controller, the analog sticks are still relatively primitive. Thankfully, third-party manufacturers such as KontrolFreek have stepped up to the plate with add-on accessories such as the FPS Freek to improve the feel and function of analog sticks.

These rubberized snap-on thumbstick attachments feature a knobbed design that increases control thanks to the added surface area and grip, compared to the flatter design of standard Xbox controller analog sticks. In addition to providing improved comfort and dexterity, they also add a layer of protection so the stock analog sticks should last longer, particularly for those who enjoy snacking while gaming.

FAQs

What are the essential accessories for Xbox gaming?

Essential accessories for Xbox typically include an additional controller, a gaming headset, a charging station for controllers, and an external hard drive to expand storage capacity. However, what you need will depend on your overall gaming environment, style of play, genre of game played, and other elements that might be specific to your playing style.

What are some accessories to enhance Xbox gaming comfort?

Accessories like gaming chairs and controller grips can boost comfort during long gaming sessions. Gaming chairs offer ergonomic support, while controller grips provide a more secure hold and reduce hand fatigue. Alternatively, a good couch with some drinks and snacks nearby can get the job done. We're not gatekeepers of how you game.

How do I set up my Xbox gaming space for an optimal experience?

Ultimately, that's up to you. That said, we like to focus on getting a comfortable seating arrangement, proper lighting, and a quality display or monitor. Cable-management accessories can help keep wires organized, and a stable internet connection ensures smooth online gameplay as well.

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