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

The colorful controller designs of the XBOX game have been on point for a long time. Since the introduction of the Xbox One generation, Microsoft has released many variations of its controllers, including limited editions and the Xbox Design Lab. The third-party range of Xbox controllers is more expansive than ever, and brands like PowerA are hitting budget friendly prices with slick new colors of its own.

The new colors for the Enhanced wired line include purple camo, lavender swirl, pink lemonade, and cotton candy blue. Pink lemonade seemed like the clear winner to me at first, but now having seen and handled all five colors in person, I can officially declare cotton candy blue as the best looker. It is a bold yet soft hue on this controller, even though it is a bit more sea foam blueish-greenish than its name suggests.

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The five pastel designs look great, with varied uses of gradients, mottled patterns, and/or two-tone contrast on front and back that give each one a unique signature. It's a shame that these controllers are still saddled with Microusb connections, but I'll give PowerA some credit for opting for a white cable with each one to better complement the light and airy look.

I would love to see a new version of the Enhanced wired controller that is upgrade to the newusb-c and squeezes in a few more rear buttons withoutcluttering things up. There is a lot to like about the new colors. The Enhanced wired controller is the best budget controller you can buy, thanks in large part to its very fair price, and it's also the best wired controller you can buy. I don't think these new colors will make a good thing better, but they are refreshing enough to make them feel better.

The PowerA Enhanced wired controller is a budget-minded controller with two buttons on its back. It is available in many colors and designs.

• $38 at PowerA
• $38 at Microsoft

The cool new pastels are readily available at many retailers, and it won't be a surprise if they start seeing discounts and sales of their own like many others in PowerA's lineup. They are a small breath of budget-tier fresh air, and they are a nice addition to a summer of gaming that has new local games such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge.

Antonio G. Di Benedetto took the photographs.