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I’ve been testing the Xbox Nano Controller, and one missing feature is holding it back

Otherwise, it makes a great impression.

Key art for the Xbox Nano Controller, showing it being pulled by a human hand from the front pocket of a green hoodie.

Xbox

Published: Saturday, 7 November 2026 at 8:00 am

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The Xbox Nano Controller is so tiny. That is stating the obvious, of course, but it is the first thing I thought of when I took it out of the box.

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Xbox sent us one of these mini new controllers, and you could even argue that it's cute. It's certainly stumpier than your standard Xbox controller, with the hand grips being noticeably smaller on this micro edition.

I've been trying it out, and I'm pretty impressed so far. There is one missing feature that irked me somewhat, but I'll come to that in a moment.

In terms of positives, the thumbsticks really surprised me. They feel great, as does the D-pad, as do the face buttons. They all feel premium and work exactly how you’d want them to.

The shoulder buttons and bumpers take some getting used to, on the other hand, with the LB and RB buttons being particularly small. But, as with anything, you adapt.

The Xbox Nano Controller alongside a normal Xbox controller, against a green background.

See what I mean? It's tiny! Rob Leane / Xbox

I was doing some testing on FC 27, which uses the shoulder buttons quite a lot, and after a couple of short matches, I wasn’t missing any button presses at all. I was still rubbish, but that's on me.

Playing on the Nano reminded me a of playing on an individual Switch Joy-Con. Once your fingers know where to go, the muscle memory kicks in and you won’t have any problems.

Compatibility-wise, it works on Xbox and PC, as well as iOS and Android (although I do always wonder how many people playing on mobile actually want or need a console-style controller for their mobile games of choice).

The only device I didn't manage to get it working on was Steam Deck, but it doesn't claim on the box to be a Steam Deck-compatible controller. Sadly, though, with my current home setup, Steam Deck compatibility would've come in super handy and earned this device a definite place in my regular rotation.

And yes, to loop back to my original point, there is one missing feature on the Xbox Nano Controller that does hold it back in my estimation - it doesn’t have a 3mm audio jack.

This might seem like a small oversight, but if you're a wired headphone person, it makes a big difference not being able to connect them, especially if you’re hoping to use the Nano Controller to get in some extra gaming hours while you’re on public transport.

Nobody wants to be that person with their audio blaring out on the bus, especially if you’re playing a chaotic-sounding game like a first-person-shooter. You’ll need to bring some Bluetooth headphones if you want to do that, and who can be bothered to connect multiple Bluetooth devices for one gaming session on the go?

That qualm aside, I did think the Xbox Nano Controller was pretty cool. It looks great, plays well, and it's pretty affordable at an RRP of £44.99 here in the UK.

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I'm not quite sure who this thing is for, though, truth be told. What's the actual audience for it? Is it retro gamers, is it people with small hands, or is it people that travel a lot? Is is all of the above? I don't quite know.

It's certainly a cheap way to bring one more player into your multiplayer sessions, so maybe it's also aimed at families or shared households that want to get bigger groups together for some simple games (one trailer for the device heavily featured Minecraft Dungeons, for example).

Essentially, if you want a little trinket for your collection, if you think the normal-sized Xbox controller takes up too much space in your bag, if you can think of a use-case for it in your life, why not check this out?

It's cheap, it does the job, and it even looks good propped up on a shelf. What more could you want? Well, except for a 3mm audio port…

The Xbox Nano Controller is out now and you can order yours today.

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Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of Rob Leane, smiling against a lime green background.

Rob LeaneGaming Editor

Rob Leane is the Gaming Editor at Radio Times, overseeing our coverage of the biggest games on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC, mobile and VR. Rob works across our website, social media accounts and video channels, as well as producing our weekly gaming newsletter. He has previously worked at Den of Geek, Stealth Optional and Dennis Publishing.

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