You can jam a phone in your pocket, sure, but good luck stuffing a regular Xbox game controller in there. On Wednesday, Microsoft announced the release of the Xbox Nano controller, the console’s smallest yet. It’s just over 5 inches long, weighs 3.5 ounces and is lighter and shorter than most modern smartphones.
For comparison, an iPhone 18 Pro is 5.9 inches long and weighs 7.4 ounces. A current standard Xbox One wireless controller is just over 6 inches long and weighs 9.9 ounces without batteries.
Microsoft says the Nano controller has all 18 standard gameplay inputs, referring to the physical buttons and triggers on the controller, and they match up with the layout on the standard version. A programmable Action Button can be customized to support features such as taking screenshots, capturing gameplay and other shortcuts.
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The Xbox Nano controller comes with a rechargeable battery and can connect to compatible devices via Xbox Wireless and Bluetooth.
“While there are third-party mini Xbox controllers, they’re almost all wired,” says Josh Goldman, CNET managing editor for computers and gaming. “The Xbox Nano supports official Xbox Wireless without the need for an additional wireless adapter, plus it has Bluetooth. This makes it not only a great option for taking over to a friend’s house for gaming, but for travel in general, so you can use it for playing on a phone or tablet, too.”
The Xbox Nano controller is priced at $50, and US gamers can preorder now on the Xbox site. It will be available in other markets, including Australia, Canada and the UK, beginning in November. Pricing and availability vary by country.
The Xbox Nano controller and two months of Microsoft’s Game Pass Ultimate will be included with the purchase of select Samsung TVs this holiday season. (We review Game Pass here, calling it pricey, but a useful add-on for gamers.) The Xbox app is available through the Gaming Hub built into Samsung TVs. Another holiday offer will include the Nano controller and two free months of Game Pass Ultimate for those purchasing a Meta Quest headset.
Gael Cooper
CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." She's been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She's Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she'll be first in line. See full bio