I tested Nacon's new 'Revolution X Unlimited' Xbox controller — It nails the basics, but not the details

Controllers, controllers everywhere, but not a drop to drink. Or so the saying goes. Indeed, Xbox controllers are a dime a dozen these days, with solid third-party offerings all up and down the price spectrum.

For better or worse, the apex of Xbox controller goodness is often considered the Xbox Elite Controller Series 2, despite its very well-documented quality issues.

Without fail, after six months, your right bumper will die on an Xbox Elite Controller, and while it can be repaired, it's a headache to deal with for a $200 product.

What if there were an alternative that might not break?

Nacon has entered the arena with its own take on the "Xbox Elite" range, with a licensed offering complete with the official Xbox sticker.

This controller boasts many of the Xbox Elite features we know and love, complete with charging dock, interchangeable sticks, back buttons, and trigger locks. It also follows the $199 MSRP.

Is it worth the ask? This past weekend, I spent a good 40 hours trying to figure that out.

Jez Corden

I've tested more Xbox controllers than I remember, from the ultra-cheap budget picks to the eye-wateringly expensive joypads rich with over-the-top features.

Revolution X Unlimited: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A wireless controller for Xbox and PC gaming.
• Who is it for? Those looking for an alternative to the Xbox Elite Series.
• How much does it cost? $199.99 at MSRP.
• What did I like? Hall-effect sensors and LCD display.
• What did I not like? Shorter battery life than advertised.

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Revolution X Unlimited: Pricing & specifications

As noted, the Nacon Revolution X Unlimited is $199.99 at MSRP, although you can find it a little cheaper at some retailers. Nacon sells it through their own website, as well as across global retailers like Amazon US and Amazon UK.

The feature set is quite impressive, and beats the Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 in various ways, but not others.

On paper, it's a solid feature set for the price point, with a lot of add-ons and bells and whistles. I usually snobbishly turn my nose up at things like integrated LCD panels and the like, but found it quite useful and intuitive here for a variety of reasons.

First up, here's what I ultimately liked about the Revolution X Unlimited.

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Revolution X Unlimited: What I like

First, let's talk about the bare-bones basics. I spent around 40 hours over the past week testing this controller with a variety of games, coming in from my very battered Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 with a dying right bumper.

It was a night-and-day difference to finally play on something that actually functions, but beyond that, I was honestly impressed with how comfortable this controller felt.

Increasingly, third-party Xbox controllers are absolutely nailing their inputs. The joysticks, buttons, triggers, and the extra buttons on the Nacon Revolution X Unlimited are all stellar, and leverage Hall Effect activators to reduce wear and tear and drift.

It should theoretically last longer than traditional mechanical actuators found on the standard Xbox offerings, although I won't know for sure on that point without a time machine.

What I do know is that they're extremely comfortable, are well-positioned, have an ergonomic feel, and their positions are easy to commit to muscle memory thanks to their highly tactile design. It also incorporates Xbox's clip and screenshot button, which many third-party controllers omit.

I also found myself pleasantly surprised by the LCD display. Sometimes I think manufacturers are often guilty of overthinking their accessories in order to stand out in a busy crowd, but Nacon's display here is very intuitive and allows for quick and easy customizations on the fly.

A dedicated menu button coupled with the d-pad and ABXY inputs makes navigating the screen incredibly easy, and you can view pairing status, change keybinds, control mic volume, and more without leaving your game.

I'm also quite a fan of the charge dock Nacon put together for this one. I'm a sucker for a good charge dock, as I'm not a fan of cables draping all over the place.

The gold standard Xbox charge dock is the Xbox Elite Controller Series 2's, but Nacon's is no slouch, with solid rubber feet to prevent sliding and a decent weight. Top marks on this one.

Once I was in a game, it was quite easy to forget I was supposed to be reviewing a controller here. It's incredibly comfortable and feels at least on par with, if not better than, Microsoft's own heavily tested options.

Nacon thoroughly and completely nailed the basics with the Revolution X Unlimited, but it's when you get into the weeds that things start to get a bit grating.

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Revolution X Unlimited: What I dislike

Whether it's a combination of the LCD display, the inexplicable single RGB light ring around the right joystick, or a simple oversight — the worst thing about the Nacon Revolution X Unlimited is undoubtedly the battery life.

Listed as 10 hours, I managed to deplete the battery quite easily in 6-7 hours with some hardcore Torment 4 Diablo 4 dungeoneering. Now, I'm sure I could pump that up a bit if I disabled the LCD screen or the RGB light ring, but if I'm going to have to do that to achieve the listed battery life, why did Nacon include them in the first place?

You can opt instead to do your configurations on Nacon's Revolution X Unlimited PC app on the Microsoft Store, but man, I think it might be the slowest accessory update experience of my entire life.

And considering the fact that this product is quite new and likely going to need a lot of updates, it was quite painful to have to wait almost an hour for my controller to fully update via this app.

I'm not sure if Nacon's servers are super slow or if there's just something wrong with the app itself, but prepare yourself for a very slow updating experience if you grab this one.

I'm also not a huge fan of aspects of its visual design. The shell itself is attractive, but Nacon really, really wants you to know it's a Nacon product.

There's not one, not two, but three Nacon logos on the main controller, including the LCD panel, and then another huge "Revolution X Unlimited" haphazardly printed across the charging dock.

It's subjective, but I think it looks gaudy when companies emblazon their branding so hard across their products as if they were manufacturing a t-shirt or something. There's nobody to advertise to in my bedroom, Nacon! Make it look sleek instead!

Speaking of my bedroom, for all the configurability Nacon throws at this product, they joined Razer in the cardinal sin of having a bright and unconfigurable flashing charging light while it's docked.

So, if you're like me and you game in your bedroom and prefer it to be actually dark when you're sleeping, be aware that the Nacon Revolution X Unlimited comes complete with free nighttime disco lighting when you're not using it.

I'm also not a fan of the fact that you need to use two USB ports to get the most out of this on Xbox. The low-latency mode on PC is welcome, but it's a tad annoying that it doesn't support direct Xbox wireless connectivity. If you've already got other accessories connected to your Xbox, be aware of this one.

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Revolution X Unlimited: Also consider

The Nacon Revolution X Unlimited has the Xbox Elite Series Controller 2 firmly beat on inputs, I would say. Hall Effect sticks are grand, and the LCD display and charge dock are also well-designed and easy to use.

The big downside is the battery life, which depletes in 6-7 hours with average use. If you're someone who games across short sessions, this isn't necessarily a big deal, but as someone who often hits 12 hours per play session, it eliminates the Nacon Revolution X Unlimited from my options, potentially.

The similarly priced Razer Wolverine V3 Pro also suffers from a shorter battery life than the Xbox Elite Controller Series 2, which can run a whopping 30 hours on a single charge, but at least it gets a full day on a single charge.

It doesn't have a charge dock, sadly, but you can at least charge it back up without triggering a localized rave in your bedroom. I think the Nacon Revolution X Unlimited is almost there, but some of the details let it down.

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Revolution X Unlimited: Should you buy it?

✅ You should buy this if ...

• You like the design and functionality of the LED screen.
• You want an Elite-style Xbox controller experience with Hall Effect quality.
• You want a controller that you can use on multiple devices easily.

❌ You should not this if ...

• Battery life is a sticking point for you, because the Nacon Revolution X Unlimited is sub-par here.
• You want to set it up in a bedroom, since the LED charging light is a bit like having a personal disco you can't turn off.

Let down by some of the finer details, the Nacon Revolution X Unlimited is a decent controller that might be ideal for living room casual play. It's easy to set up and configure, and is great for 6-7 hour sessions with a comfortable ergonomic feel and a high amount of customizability.

The RGB light ring doesn't add anything to the product, particularly since it's oddly attached to only one joystick. You can't turn it off while charging either, making it unsuitable for those who prefer to actually sleep in the dark. It also takes up two USB ports on your Xbox, while many competing products only take up one.

I think Nacon came very close to joining the ranks of the best Xbox controllers here, but some of the downsides and oversights are something that perhaps can only be repaired in a future iteration. It's overall a very solid Xbox controller, I'm just not sure it's $199 solid.

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