The Hyperkin Xenon is a recreation of the original Xbox 360 controller for modern gaming consoles; it works with the Xbox Series X/S as well as PC and Xbox One. Named after the original Xbox 360 motherboard The Hyperkin Xenon follows in the footsteps of the Hyperkin Duke. Like that controller, the Hyperkin replicates the best parts of the Xbox 360 controller, but adds a few modern conveniences such as menu, share, and view buttons along with a USB-C port on the back.

The Hyperkin Xenon retails for $49.99, certainly more than other wired Xbox controllers from 8BitDo, PowerA, and PDP. Still, the nostalgic feeling of playing with a controller that comes in several iconic colors and is a faithful reproduction of the original Xbox 360 controller may be worth it if you grew up playing many classic titles on Microsoft's second console It's not. Our Hyperkin Xenon review will help you decide if this retro-style wired controller is one of the best PC game controllers and worth buying for the Xbox Series X/S or PC.

The Hyperkin Xenon retails for $49.99 on both Amazon and Hyperkin's website. In addition to the controller itself, it comes with a 10-foot USB Type A to USB-C cable for connection to an Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, or PC.

The design of the Hyperkin Xenon looks exactly like the original Xbox 360 controller. The red, white, and pink versions of the controller have a two-tone gray or white bottom, while the black version has only one color.

Because they replicate the original Xbox 360 controllers, the face buttons are smaller than those on the Xbox Series X/S controllers. Similarly, the thumbstick has no grip at all, and the Xbox button in the center of the controller sticks out instead of being recessed like on Microsoft's newest controllers. Also, there is no green ring around the Xbox button to indicate which player it is, instead there is only a single white LED above it.

On the back of the Hyperkin Xenon is a sticker with the Hyperkin logo and the name of the controller in the exact same place it was on the wired Xbox 360 controller. To make it easier to connect the best gaming headsets and headphones while using the controller, the company added a 3.5mm audio jack in the center.

The Hyperkin logo is etched into the top of the controller between the two bumpers, with a recessed USB-C port below it. However, they still protrude enough that we were able to use a third-party USB-C cable during testing without any problems. There are also analog triggers on both sides, which are much snappier than those on the Xbox Series X/S controllers and require a bit more force to push all the way in.

The USB-C cable included with the Hyperkin Xenon is the same color regardless of which controller you choose. It is also nice that Hyperkin includes a matching cable tie to keep the cable neatly wrapped when the controller is not in use.

A wireless version of the Hyperkin Xenon would have been great, but like other third-party controllers for the Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft does not allow the use of its own Xbox wireless technology. In fact, the only third-party controller for the Xbox Series X/S that is wireless is the 8Bitdo Arcade Stick for Xbox, but it uses the included dongle to get around Microsoft's restrictions regarding wireless controllers.

In terms of features, the Hyperkin Xenon is unremarkable; it works exactly like the Xbox 360 controller, but is compatible with newer game consoles and PCs running Windows 10 or Windows 11. A rear paddle or rear buttons would have been nice, but adding them would have taken away from what Hyperkin is trying to accomplish with this controller.

Other than removing the light ring around the Xbox button and adding a USB-C port and headphone jack, the only other way Hyperkin changed the design of the original Xbox 360 controller was to add the Microsoft Xbox Series X/S controller's was the addition of the "View," "Share," and "Menu" buttons found on Microsoft's Xbox Series X/S controllers. These new buttons are placed in a way that makes sense and does not detract from the Hyperkin Xenon's design; Hyperkin did something similar with the Duke, but the company added a central display showing the original Xbox's startup animation. For better or worse, you won't find anything like that here.

The Hyperkin Xenon is an officially licensed controller, so it worked right out of the box when plugged into my Xbox Series S. I was able to play older Xbox 360 titles as well as the latest Xbox Series X/S optimized games without any problems. I also liked the convenient 3.5mm headphone jack for when I wanted to play with headphones at night.

While testing the Hyperkin Xenon, I played a few Xbox 360 games available through Xbox Game Pass, but spent most of my time playing Skate 3. Playing EA's skateboarding game with a controller is a great way to get a feel for the Xbox 360 It felt just as good as it did when I first played it when it was first released on the Xbox 360.

I had originally played Rocket League on PC in 2015 with an Xbox 360 controller, so I decided to boot up on the Xbox Series S and play a few games with the Hyperkin Xenon. This felt just like it did a few years ago, and I really enjoyed playing Rocket League with the controller.

Compared to the Xbox Series X/S controllers, the Hyperkin Xenon is much lighter as it is a wired controller that does not use batteries. It is surprisingly comfortable and I like that the face buttons are a bit smaller. However, I missed the grip provided by the etching on the handle of the Xbox Series X/S controllers. However, the matte finish on the front of the Xenon and the glossy finish on the bumpers, triggers, and back of the controller make it less tiring to hold in the hand for long periods of time. We also found the rumbling sound of the Hyperkin Xenon to be a bit stronger than the Xbox Series X/S controller when playing certain games like Skate 3.

To complete the test, I connected the Hyperkin Xenon to my PC and loaded the Gamepad Tester. The average error rate for the controller's joystick was 1.3% and 1.2% (which is very good), and all buttons and rumble motors worked with this tool. Despite being a remake, we were surprised that the Hyperkin Xenon showed up as an Xbox 360 controller in the Gamepad Tester.

Hyperkin's Xenon is, as the company says, a recreation of the Xbox 360 controller, with a few modern conveniences added. Unlike the Hyperkin Duke, which has a micro USB port, the Xenon's USB-C port is much more convenient, and the included cable is more than long enough if you want to use the controller while playing on the couch. The buttons are responsive, and the joystick, triggers, and D-pad are nearly identical to those on the original Xbox 360 controller.

Whether it makes sense to buy Hyperkin's Xenon depends on how much time you've spent playing on the Xbox 360 and whether you have fond memories of that controller, if you want to recreate the feeling of playing Halo 3 back when it launched, like back in 2007, Since it is highly unlikely that Microsoft will make a mini-Xbox 360 anytime soon, getting this controller is the closest you will get to playing Xbox 360 in 2023. The nostalgia alone helps justify the high price of the Hyperkin Xenon.

If you have nothing to do with the Xbox 360 and its game catalog, but still want a wired controller for the Xbox Series X/S or PC, you're likely better off with the HyperX Clutch Gladiate or a controller in the same price range. Nevertheless, Hyperkin has successfully recreated the classic controller once again, and playing modern games with the Hyperkin Xenon will certainly be easier than trying to do so with the Hyperkin Duke.