Xbox’s smallest-ever controller is surprisingly comfortable - The Verge
By Google News Technology ·
Even though I knew Microsoft’s new Xbox Nano controller was tiny, I still gasped when I unboxed it a few days ago. The compact controller is small enough to slip into a pocket unnoticed, and it has been designed specifically for younger people, or for anyone with smaller hands. I’m not young, but I do have small hands, and I’ve been surprised at how comfortable the Nano is during gaming sessions. At just over 5 inches long, almost everything on this controller has been shrunk down somehow. The ABXY buttons are ever so slightly smaller than a regular Xbox controller, and the thumbsticks feel like miniature versions. Microsoft hasn’t changed the D-pad, though, or the size of the glowing Xbox button at the center of the controller. The big difference I noticed with the Nano over a regular Xbox controller was the size of the triggers. While they are fully analog and pressure sensitive, they have more of a click when you bottom them out compared with the thud on a bigger Xbox controller. They’re noticeably smaller, as you’d expect, and the bumper buttons above the triggers feel less clicky than the regular ones. I thought the Nano controller would feel awkward after a few hours of gaming, but the grips really help with comfort levels — a lot of smaller controllers sacrifice grips to keep the controller thin and lightweight. It does mean the Nano doesn’t sit flush on a table, but at 101 grams (0.22 pounds) it’s still really lightweight. [Image: https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/VLS_5919.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] [Image: https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/VLS_5914.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] [Image: https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/11/VLS_5913.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] [Image…
Originally published by Google News Technology