Officially licensed by Microsoft, the Rare 40th Anniversary Edition comes with a matching charging dock, premium components--including back buttons, Hall Effect sticks, and a metal D-pad--and is presented in a striking blue-and-gold color scheme with symbols and artwork nodding to the Microsoft-owned studio's storied history. Though best known today as the studio behind Sea of Thieves, Rare has a back catalog of classics like Donkey Kong Country, GoldenEye 007, Banjo-Kazooie, Conker, and Perfect Dark.
The Backbone Pro Xbox Edition looks like an improvement over the pre-existing One controller in nearly every way. It's still a USB-C shell that wraps around a phone or related device, but the actual controller is now more in league with an actual Xbox gamepad. It features full-size control sticks, hall effect triggers and two customizable back buttons. Most of the inputs can be remapped.
It's pretty rare to see Xbox controllers go on sale during the year. Usually, discounts come around Prime Day or Black Friday and that's about it. So it's smart to jump on deals when they happen, especially for the latest gear like the 2025 Xbox controller. This new model is no longer limited to Xbox consoles alone: you can now play on multiple devices from Windows PCs to iOS and Android smartphones, even Fire TV sticks, smart TVs, and virtual reality headsets.
