Hands-on with PowerA’s new pastel-colored controllers for Xbox and PC

When it comes to colorful console designs, the Xbox game has been around for years. Since the Xbox One generation, Microsoft has released many fun skins for its consoles – including limited editions and the Xbox Design Lab And this momentum has not slowed with Xbox Series X/S consoles. Meanwhile, the third-party range of Xbox consoles is More expansive than everAnd brands like PowerA are hitting budget-friendly prices with their own cool new colors, like the latest version Pastel PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller Kit $37.99 For Xbox and PC.

Announced back in March As a spring collection, it includes these new pastel colors for the improved wireline purple camouflageAnd the lavender swirlAnd the Pink lemonadeAnd the pastel dreamAnd the blue cotton candy. Pink lemonade seemed like the clear winner to me at first with its bright yellow to pink hue, but now that I’ve seen all five colors and handled them personally, I can officially declare cotton candy blue the best look. It’s actually a bit more sea foam than green and blue as its name indicates, but regardless, it’s a bold yet soft monochrome color on this console.

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But all five pastel designs look great overall, with various uses of gradients, spotted patterns, and/or two-tone contrasts on the front and back giving each one a unique signature. Sure, it’s a shame that these controllers are still burdened with outdated Micro USB connections, but I’ll give some credit to PowerA for choosing at least a white, detachable cable with each one to better complete the light, airy look.

I’d still love to see a completely new version of the improved wired controller finally upgraded to USB-C and maybe push in some customizable back buttons without messing things up too much. But regardless, there’s a lot to love about the aesthetic of these bright new colors. The upgraded wired controller has been our top pick The best budget Xbox controller you can buy, thanks in large part to its very fair price while installing the basics for a wired console. I can’t say these new colors go so far as to make the good thing even better, as they are functionally similar, but refreshing enough to somehow make them feel better.

Enhanced PowerA Wired Controller (Pastel Colors)

The Enhanced Wired PowerA Controller is a budget wired console for Xbox and PC that connects via Micro USB and features two customizable buttons on the back. It is offered in various colors and licensed designs.

These cool new pastels are now readily available at many retailers, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they started seeing discounts and sales of their own like many others in the PowerA lineup. It’s a little breath of fresh air from the budget category, and it’s a great addition to a summer of games featuring new local multiplayer games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge (A good reason for the need for additional, affordable consoles, as they support up to six players on Xbox and PC.)

Photo by Antonio J.D. Benedetto/The Verge