Microsoft needs to quickly add this key feature to the Xbox controller
An interesting conversation with my colleague Sean Endicott yesterday about Hall Effect controllers got the gears in my head turning. It started with Razer’s new, absolutely awesome Wolverine V3 Pro, a new wireless controller that includes the magic feature.
The conversation then came down to a pretty important question: “Why doesn’t Microsoft use this on the Xbox controller yet?”
Why actually?
The sad truth is that there are still not that many Xbox controllers that use Hall Effect sticks. Considering how much of an advantage this is over traditional analog sticks, why is this not more common? After all, the Xbox controller is not exactly known for its durability and long lifespan.
Xbox needs to start leading by example.
What is the Hall effect and why is it so important?
We have a detailed explainer article that you can read at your leisure, which explains exactly what the Hall effect is and why you might want to use it, so I won’t fill this page with words that one of my esteemed colleagues has already written.
But to summarize from the same article:
“Hall effect sticks allow you to achieve a much longer lifespan for your controller because they do not rely on physical contact between components.”
Anywhere there is physical contact, there is a point of failure. The more contact, the greater the chance of failure. Over time, traditional analog sticks develop the dreaded stick drift, which is where unexpected and unwanted movements occur. Since Hall Effect sticks have no physical contacts, there is nothing to wear out and stick drift is kept at bay.
Additionally, Hall effect sticks don’t suffer from dead zones as much as traditional analog sticks. They’re simply better in every way.
Interesting fact: Sega used Hall effect sticks for the Dreamcast back in the late 90s. Another plus point to make it the best console of all time.
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It sounds so good, why can’t we have it?
Some may wonder whether Hall Effect is expensive or not. Does it require you to buy a $200 controller like the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro? The answer is a resounding no. It’s almost certain that Hall Effect sticks are more expensive than traditional analog ones, but that doesn’t necessarily mean higher prices for consumers.
The Gamesir G7 SE is living proof. This is a $45 controller with Hall effect sticks. It’s excellent and so cheap that I bought one just to try it out, so it’s a nice bonus that I actually enjoy using it.
However, this is also living proof that Microsoft could and should do this with the official Xbox controller. Every time a new color variant is introduced, its price is inevitably higher than the Gamesir G7 SE and it uses inferior technology. If stick drift is as likely as the chance of day turning into night, why wouldn’t this be a wise investment? They work better and last significantly longer.
It’s almost as if the business plan is to make these things break so we’ll buy more of them. But hey, what’s a little electronic waste between friends?
Microsoft isn’t alone on this front, but given the focus of this site, it’s what we’re most interested in here. Sony doesn’t use reverb in the DualSense, and Nintendo’s issues with subpar analog sticks on the Switch are notorious. But there’s an opportunity to lead by example.
Instead of repainting the Xbox controller every month or two in a different (admittedly usually stunning) color, Microsoft needs to go back to development and make a meaningful change. Hall Effect is better for its players, so the company needs to get on board and do what’s right for them.
