Microsoft's Xbox Nano Controller is a $49.99 pad shorter than most phones, out in November

Microsoft opened pre-orders on 14 October for its smallest controller: 18 inputs, Bluetooth, a built-in battery and an Action Button. It reaches the UK in November; no pound price yet.

AI-drafted from 4 sources. This story was written with AI from the outside reporting listed under Sources, and checked by automated tools before it went up. The originals have the full detail.

Microsoft announced the Xbox Nano Controller on 14 October, a smaller and cheaper pad that it calls its smallest controller yet. The Xbox Wire post puts it at "a little over 5 inches in length and just 3.5 ounces", which is roughly 13cm and 99g, and says it is "lighter and shorter than most modern smartphones". It keeps all 18 standard inputs of a full Xbox pad, so the layout is the familiar one at a reduced size.

Pre-orders opened the same day at $49.99. Microsoft says it goes on sale "beginning in November" in a list of markets that includes the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and much of Europe, with more to follow. The post gives no pound or euro price and says pricing varies by country, and the UK product page did not show one when we read it on 15 October.

What it connects to

The pad has Xbox Wireless and Bluetooth, a built-in rechargeable battery and a programmable Action Button that Microsoft says can be set for screenshots, gameplay capture and other shortcuts. The UK product page lists compatibility with Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox on PC, Windows, Android and iOS, and its header adds select smart TVs. Buttons can be remapped in the Xbox Accessories app. The same page says a USB-C cable is needed for charging and is sold separately, so check the box contents before you order one as a gift.

The Verge notes that, unlike most Xbox controllers, the Nano does not take AA batteries or need a separate charging pack. It also reports that a leak earlier this year showed a tiny screen for indicating cloud or console connection, and that the shipping model has no screen. It says the USB-C port sits at the rear next to a pairing button.

Phones, handhelds and the cloud

Microsoft pitches the Nano at "younger players, smaller hands, or anyone seeking something portable for play on the go". Neither Microsoft page mentions a phone clip or mount, and neither names handheld PCs. The compatibility list does name Windows and Android, the systems most of the handhelds in our database run, but Microsoft makes no specific claim about them.

In the US, Microsoft is pairing the controller with two months of Game Pass Ultimate for new members when people buy select Samsung TVs this holiday season, and says players in select regions can use their "monthly cloud playtime" through the Xbox app on Samsung's Gaming Hub. A similar US offer comes with the purchase of a Meta Quest.

Neither Microsoft page gives a battery life figure.

Sources

• Meet the XBOX Nano Controller (Xbox Wire)
• Discussion: Meet the XBOX Nano Controller (Reddit)
• XBOX Nano Controller (Xbox)
• Honey, Xbox shrunk its controller (The Verge)

Image: Microsoft