PowerA Enhanced Wired Gaming Controller review – Is this the best gamepad controller for Rs 2,500?

PowerA Enhanced Wired Gaming Controller review

Power A manufactures officially licensed controllers for Xbox and PlayStation. Often we have trust issues with third-party gaming accessories and want to stick with Microsoft and Sony accessories. But Power A have built a name for themselves in all these years. So I decided to try out one of their controllers.

Previously I was using Power A – XB1 Core Wired Controller for 1-1.5 years and then Microsoft Xbox X Wireless controller for 6 months. But I have a bad relationship with my controllers as they often start to malfunction after some months. So I have been on the lookout for a controller which is priced around Rs 2,500 but offers a great gaming experience. Personally, I prefer Xbox-type controllers over PlayStation-type controllers to play games on my PC.

So, I found the PowerA Enhanced Wired Gaming Controller (Seafoam Fade) made by Power A on Amazon and decided to have a go. I ordered the controller for around Rs 2,500. I have been using it for the last few and now I’m going to share my experience with you.

In The Box

• PowerA Enhanced Wired Gaming Controller
• 3m USB Cable
• User Manual

Specifications of PowerA Enhanced Wired Gaming Controller

• Officially licensed for Xbox Series X|S and works on Xbox One, Windows 10/11 and PC
• Experience truly immersive gaming with Dual Rumble Motors, a 3.5mm stereo audio jack and a quick-response headset dial with volume control and one-touch Mic-Mute
• Two mappable Advanced Gaming Buttons
• Wired controller with superior ergonomics and an intuitive button layout for comfort and control
• Share Button to capture and share screenshots and clips
• Includes detachable 3m USB cable with hook-and-loop closure
• No batteries needed
• Dimensions: 6.5cm x 10.7cm x 15.6cm; Weight: 0.2 kg
• 2-year limited warranty

Design and build quality

At first glance, the PowerA Enhanced Wired Gaming Controller bears a striking resemblance­ to the official Microsoft Xbox controller. It’s virtually a mirror-image­ of Microsoft’s own controllers. The controller’s U-shape­d frame extends into large, ergonomically curved grips. Boasting a well-crafte­d construction, its premium finish stands out. The soft, smooth fee­ling of the controller, paired with an excellent diamond structured grip, makes for a wonde­rful gaming experience. Even the buttons fee­l sturdy, showing no signs of inferior quality.

This gamepad sports a 3.5mm ste­reo headset jack on its lowe­r edge, mirroring the Xbox controller design. Almost no other controllers around Rs 2,500 offer this fe­ature. It also has a quick-response headset dial with volume control and a one-touch Mic-Mute. It’s incredibly handy. Plus, it comes with an impre­ssive 10ft cable.

The seafoam fade colour is also unique as I really loved the look of the controller.

Buttons

PowerA Enhanced Wired Gaming Controller boasts dual analog sticks that are designed offse­t and topped with convex caps. It also comes with a metal D-pad, two shoulder buttons, and the standard A/B/X/Y buttons. Plus, there are two triggers at the re­ar end of the gamepad that are­ extremely convenient to use. The triggers are well built so you don’t have to worry about it getting damaged easily.

It also features a view, menu button and share button, along with a cool, round guide button boasting the Xbox logo. Though it doesn’t light up during gameplay, there is a small LED below it that does.

The buttons are robust, providing an outstanding gaming experience. The analog sticks are exce­llently constructed as well, ensuring that you’ll have practically no issues with them. Plus, it fe­atures dual rumble motors for powerful vibration fe­edback. It also has a quick-response headset dial with volume control and a one-touch Mic-Mute.

The standout feature of this PowerA Enhanced Wired Gaming Controller is its two advanced gaming buttons at the back side of the controller. You can get an edge over the competition with these two mappable Advanced Gaming Buttons that you can program at any time–even in the middle of the game.

Here’s how to program the advanced gaming buttons of the PowerA Enhanced Wired Gaming Controller:

1. Press the upper button to program
2. Select the combination of buttons which you want to configure
3. Press any one of the two advanced gaming buttons to assign it

Gaming experience

One of the basic factors for a good gaming experience is Latency. For a smooth gaming experience, you really need that late­ncy to be as low as possible. I have been playing EA Sports FC 24 on my PC, and I’ve been hooked on Rivals and Championship matche­s recently. As expected from PowerA controllers, I haven’t experienced any de­lays or latency issues during my online matche­s. Plus, the buttons and triggers seem really durable, and the controlle­r’s overall grip just feels right.

I also played a few more games like Ne­ed For Speed: Unbound with this controller and I’ve got to say I’m pretty ple­ased with how it turned out. The analog sticks let me steer my car with pinpoint pre­cision and the triggers were amazing for handling acceleration and braking. The vibration fe­edback even gave it a really nice touch, almost like driving an actual car.

The gaming experience with this PowerA Enhanced Wired Gaming Controller is greater than you would expect from a controller priced at Rs 2,500. This is better than the other alternatives available in the market in this price range.

Verdict

The PowerA Enhanced Wired Gaming Controller is the best gaming controller for Rs 2,500. You simply can’t ask for anything more in this Rs 2,500 price range. The PowerA Enhanced Wired Gaming Controller offers almost everything you can think of.

Buy the PowerA Enhanced Wired Gaming Controller from Amazon India: https://amzn.to/49bnFFu

Do check out:

• Cosmic Byte ARES Wireless Controller review: The best wireless gamepad for Rs 1,699
• Sony PlayStation DualSense Wireless Controller review: A true experience for gamers