HexGaming Xbox Advance Controller Review: ‘In the shadow of Elite’

HEXGAMING XBOX ADVANCE CONTROLLER REVIEW FOR XBOX SERIES X|S, XBOX ONE, AND PC.

After reviewing the HexGaming Rival PS5 controller and still daily driving it right now, I must say that I was excited to get my hands on the company’s Xbox Advance pad. However, the Xbox market is a much more challenging place to succeed in when compared to PlayStation, as there are not only many third-parties selling enthusiast-level controllers, but also Microsoft itself with its Elite Series 2 pad. Can HexGaming’s product stand up to the others? It’s time to find out in this HexGaming Xbox Advance Controller review.

Dressed to impress

The HexGaming Xbox Advance Controller review process started off well enough, with the product box being much more premium than the others that I’ve seen. It’s a proper branded box that the controller sits snugly within. Then there are the extra thumbsticks and a manual.

Taking the pad out of the packaging is an exciting part of this process, as customers can pick and choose from a wide variety of designs and colors for each aspect of the controller, from the face buttons to the triggers to the shell itself.

The HexGaming controller builder makes personalization easy with a live visualization of the changes being made. What’s more, it also displays the current configuration’s price, to make the price of upgrades clear. This should stop people getting too crazy with their customization, as the price tag can rapidly increase by up to $100.

I went for the Samurai Blue option, which is mostly stealthy black with a small amount of blue accent color. The “HexGaming” branding is tastefully added to the design. It looks pretty fantastic to me!

Under the hood

Sure, it’s pretty, but how does it enhance gameplay? Well, the HexGaming Xbox Advance Controller has a number of features that set it apart from a regular Xbox pad.

The first and most impactful is the back-button system. These remappable rear buttons can be configured easily and on the fly. Once programmed, the four rear buttons can be pressed to activate “A,” “B,” and many other functions, without the need to take your thumbs off the analog sticks. This is huge for first-person shooters like Halo Infinite and Fortnite, where the ability to jump, adjust aim, and shoot all at the same time can mean the difference between winning and losing gunfights.

The next most significant feature is the ability to easily swap out thumbsticks. Extra thumbsticks are included in the box, with additional height and scoop options. This is great for those who prefer a different shape to the surface of their sticks or desire more height. It also means it’s easy to swap out the thumbsticks when they eventually start to wear down after many hours of use.

Another nice addition is the grip. It’s a minor addition, but it has a major impact on overall comfort while playing. I feel like all stock pads should consider a more grippy surface, as they are all currently made with slippery plastic. Good move, HexGaming!

Last and unfortunately least in the features list is the trigger control mechanism. This is intended to prevent the triggers from pushing down too far into the controller, allowing for a quick rebound and resulting in a rapid fire. Instead of pushing down entirely, the triggers are instead limited to just pressing in enough to actuate. Unfortunately, my unit has very stiff trigger stops rendering them almost impossible to enable. It feels like I’m going to break something with how hard I’m trying, so I’ve given up. Hopefully other units aren’t like this!

It’s a shame that the trigger stops don’t work properly on my unit, as being able to enable and disable the trigger stops would be a very useful feature. Previous solutions were permanent, meaning you either had trigger stops or you didn’t, which could lead to some limited compatibility in racing games and other genres. It’s a good idea, but it hasn’t been executed very well here.

License to kill

With the trigger stops sadly disabled, it was time to grind out many hours in Halo Infinite. A custom pad like this comes in extremely useful for shooters like this, as bouncing around while aiming is literally what this game is all about. The HexGaming Xbox Advance Controller gives a clear advantage during each encounter, with the back-buttons being the standout feature.

Fortnite is similarly enhanced with a controller like this. With that game also having building mechanics, the four total buttons on the back of the pad come in very useful for quick builds and jumping. It’s perhaps even more useful in this game than it is in Halo!

After tens of hours of use, this controller still looks brand new. There’s zero wear on the analog sticks and the grip is still very grippy.

HexGaming Xbox Advance Controller Review: Is it worth buying?

With a starting price of $169.99 for the black version with no different color or material options selected, HexGaming has chosen a decent enough price. However, the costs quickly begin to stack as users explore customization. As the price starts to rise, the Xbox Elites Series 2 begins to cast a shadow over this product, albeit with limited personalization when it comes to colors but an important additional 9 months of warranty (HexGaming offers 3 months). What’s more, the existence of budget paddle-toting controllers like the PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller makes back paddles less of an exclusive feature.

As mentioned at the top of this review, the Xbox market is a tough place for a premium custom controller to succeed in, especially when compared to the PlayStation side. Despite this, HexGaming has produced a solid offering here and I’m sure those who want extreme customization will be interested. However, the pesky trigger stop issue that hindered my enjoyment, coupled with the presence of many compelling competitors, makes it tough to fully recommend.

Custom Xbox Advance Controller review unit provided by HexGaming.