I’ve misplaced depend of what number of instances I’ve tried to cram a full-size Xbox controller into my laptop computer bag for a weekend away. When you’re packing a laptop computer, a digicam, and an infinite nest of charging cables, a normal controller is only a chunky piece of {hardware} that takes up far an excessive amount of room.
Microsoft appears to have realised it is a widespread downside and has simply introduced the Xbox Nano Controller. It’s a genuinely pocket-sized gamepad that guarantees full performance with out the same old bulk.
Priced at A$79.95, the Nano is launching in Australia this November. The advertising pitch is straightforward sufficient. Microsoft is concentrating on frequent travellers, cloud gaming followers who play on cellular units, and youthful avid gamers who wrestle with full-sized {hardware}.
This final level is an enormous one for households. I play video video games with my daughter and whereas she manages nice with a normal Xbox controller, the bodily stretch between the thumbsticks and the shoulder buttons has been too large for her fingers.
Now because of the brand new official controller direct from Microsoft is strictly what mother and father have been asking for.
What you get for the cash
Whenever you begin shrinking tech, the primary query is at all times about what options ended up on the slicing room ground. Fortunately, it seems like Microsoft has managed to maintain the core expertise utterly intact.
The Nano measures somewhat over 5 inches lengthy and weighs a tiny 100 grams. That makes it considerably lighter and shorter than the smartphone sitting in your desk proper now. Regardless of the extreme bodily shrinkage, Microsoft has saved all 18 customary gameplay inputs. You aren’t shedding any performance to avoid wasting area.
You get the acquainted asymmetrical thumbsticks, the usual 4 face buttons, each triggers, and the bumpers. It’s a formidable engineering effort to pack the usual Xbox structure right into a footprint this small. In a pleasant contact, Microsoft has additionally added a programmable Motion Button. You may map this new button to particular shortcuts, like taking fast screenshots or recording gameplay clips without having to navigate the dashboard menus.
“As we speak, we’re introducing the Xbox Nano Controller, designed to suit almost each pocket and price range. Its compact design gives an incredible possibility for youthful gamers, smaller fingers, or anybody in search of one thing moveable for play on the go.”
James Hunter, Basic Supervisor, Xbox.
Lastly shifting previous disposable batteries
One in all my ongoing frustrations with the usual A$99.95 Xbox Wi-fi Controller is the facility scenario. In 2026, it’s truthfully wild {that a} premium piece of shopper tech nonetheless ships with disposable AA batteries within the field. You both have to purchase a separate play-and-charge package or put money into rechargeable batteries to keep away from producing fixed e-waste.
Fortunately, Microsoft has ditched that legacy customary right here. The Nano Controller contains a built-in rechargeable battery proper out of the field. This makes excellent sense for a controller designed round journey and portability. When you’re sitting in an airport lounge or a resort room, you wish to cost your gear by way of a normal USB cable, not run out to a comfort retailer searching for contemporary batteries.
For connectivity, the Nano helps each the proprietary Xbox Wi-fi protocol in your console and customary Bluetooth. This dual-mode wi-fi is important. It means you’ll be able to go away it paired to your Xbox Collection X in the lounge, however then simply join it to a pill or a laptop computer whenever you wish to stream video games by way of Xbox Cloud Gaming on a flight.
A push for cloud gaming
The discharge of the Nano Controller additionally highlights Microsoft’s ongoing push to make Xbox Cloud Gaming mainstream. The corporate desires you taking part in video games on {hardware} you already personal, whether or not that may be a pill, a telephone, or a wise TV.
Within the US, Microsoft is even bundling the Nano Controller with choose Samsung sensible TVs and Meta Quest headsets this vacation season to encourage folks to attempt Recreation Move Final. Whereas now we have not seen these particular promotional bundles confirmed for Australia simply but, the technique is obvious. They wish to decrease the barrier to entry, and an reasonably priced, moveable controller is an enormous piece of that puzzle.
The underside line for Australian avid gamers
At A$79.95, the Nano sits neatly beneath the worth of a normal Xbox controller. We might want to get hands-on with it to see how the smaller thumbsticks really feel throughout prolonged gaming classes, however the early indicators are extremely optimistic.
It’s clearly not going to interchange an Elite Collection 2 for somebody taking part in aggressive multiplayer shooters. The shape issue is just too small for grownup fingers to make use of as a main every day driver. Nevertheless it doesn’t must be that. In case you want a secondary pad for native co-op video games, otherwise you simply need one thing light-weight that slips simply right into a backpack alongside your laptop computer, this seems like a extremely sensible purchase.
Pre-orders are open proper now forward of the total Australian retail launch in November. You probably have youthful youngsters stepping up from pill video games to full console titles, this is likely to be the perfect {hardware} buy you make this yr.
For extra info, head to Xbox.