TechRadar Verdict
The Nacon Evol-X Pro controller for Xbox may be enticing thanks to its low price tag but don’t be fooled. Its relatively large size and poor quality modules - especially those shoddy sticks and triggers - have us recommending other controllers in its price range like the HyperX Clutch Gladiate instead.
Face and shoulder buttons feel pleasant
Multiple designs to choose from
Feels cheap overall
Triggers are mushy and the analog sticks are slippery
LED model’s lighting is uncomfortably bright
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The Nacon Evol-X Pro controller for Xbox marks the first time I’ve been seriously disappointed in the brand’s hardware. While Nacon controllers like theRevolution Xoften strike a balance between quality and affordability, the Evol-X Pro strays into the latter without offering much of the former.
Problems are initially apparent when you hold the controller in your hands for the first time. The Evol-X Pro is relatively large compared to the likes of theXbox Wireless Controllerand theGameSir T4 Kaleid, so unless you’ve got bigger-than-average hands, longer play sessions with the Evol-X Pro can be quite demanding.
Other design issues come to light when actually playing with the Evol-X Pro. Its analog sticks feel quite sensitive, and the triggers are rendered a bit slippery thanks to their large and sloped design. These problems did contribute to an unsatisfying play experience, despite the face and shoulder buttons feeling sturdy.
Price and availability
The Nacon Evol-X Pro controller is available to buy now from Nacon’s store for £27.99. At the time of writing, the gamepad isn’t available for purchase in the US or Australia; availability is currently limited to the UK and Europe.
At surface level, this is an exceptionally affordable price point, being among the cheapest controllers that are officially licensed by Xbox. The controller is also available in three distinct colorways: standard black, carbon black and LED Pro.
The Evol-X Pro’s price point may be tempting, but we recommend looking at other officially licensed Xbox controllers in this price range. Chief among those being theHyperX Clutch Gladiate, which sits in ourbest Xbox controllers guideand costs just $34.99 / £29.99 and offers an overall higher quality experience compared to the Evol-X Pro.
Design and features
It’s easy to raise an eyebrow at the Evol-X Pro out of the box, given its relatively large size when compared to most other official Xbox pads. For my average-sized hands, it was difficult to rest my palms against the controller’s grips, making my thumbs hover awkwardly in the space between the grips and the analog sticks.
And it’s not just the controller’s chassis that’s a little on the XL side; the triggers are questionably massive, wrapping under my index fingers almost in their entirety. Again, if your hands are on the larger side, this may make a degree of sense; I can imagine them fitting snugly under the fingers of such users. But for me, they felt as uncomfortable to rest on as the controller’s grips.
Things do improve in other aspects of the controller’s design, thankfully. Its face and shoulder buttons, as well as the d-pad, all feel perfectly fine and are of adequate size and quality. The central Home, Menu and Share buttons are also appropriately placed and I didn’t need to overly extend my thumbs to reach them.
Ancillary features include a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom of the controller - between the grips as standard - as well as two programmable buttons on the back that can be easily assigned by holding the rear Function button and your desired input on the front of the pad.
Now, I reviewed the LED Pro model of the Evol-X Pro, and I would strongly advise you to opt for one of the other color options available if you’re planning on buying. That’s because, while the translucent shell is quite nice, the LEDs inside are placed rather randomly, and no effort has been made to hide the fact that these are straight up just LEDs attached to the circuit board. It just looks rather cheap and cobbled together.
For comparison’s sake, check out how the GameSir T4 Kaleid approaches the same design philosophy: its gorgeous gold-on-black circuit board is flanked by RGB strips that look utterly fantastic and aren’t overly bright like they are on the Evol-X Pro. You can hit a button on the front of the pad to change the Evol-X Pro’s lighting patterns, but it really doesn’t affect the overall brightness too much.
Performance
If the Evol-X Pro felt adequately nice to play games with, I could forgive its design shortcomings. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case here. With the Evol-X Pro, the overall cheap-feeling design extends to its modules and in turn their overall performance.
The controller’s analog sticks feel a touch too sensitive. They rest in the deadzone just fine, and I didn’t encounter any stick drift in my time playing, but they do feel a little slippery during play, with even the slightest movements registering as inputs in-game.
This can be a problem in titles that require quite precise movement and/or dodging, such asLies of Por platformers likeA Hat in Time.And I would not recommend the Evol-X Pro for games that use the sticks as a means to input commands; that includes some of thebest fighting gameslikeStreet Fighter 6andGuilty Gear Strive.
The triggers, meanwhile, feel very mushy when pressed inwards. I found this to be an issue in shooters, especially, likePUBG: BattlegroundsandRemnant 2with weapons that required single shot or semi-auto fire. The Evol-X Pro doesn’t feature trigger stops, either, so you’ll often need a full press of the trigger in order to shoot, creating a degree of unresponsiveness while playing such games.
Should I buy the Nacon Evol-X Pro controller?
While the Evol-X Pro has its high points when it comes to the quality of its face buttons, shoulder buttons and d-pad, I find very little reason to recommend it beyond its affordability. And even then, similarly priced gamepads - like the HyperX Clutch Gladiate and8BitDo Pro 2- outclass it in almost every way.
Buy it if…
You’re on a very strict budget -The Evol-X Pro is impressively affordable, even if this comes at the cost of its overall quality. Still, it’s among the cheapest officially-licensed Xbox controllers you can buy today.
Don’t buy it if…
You want more precise controls -The Evol-X Pro’s modules are of a pretty rough quality, often lacking the immediacy and responsiveness you’d typically want from a gamepad’s analog sticks and triggers.
How we reviewed the Nacon Evol-X Pro controller
I tested the Evol-X Pro over the course of about a week, going back and forth between playing games onXbox Series Xand PC. I ensured to test the controller across a range of titles, from more casual offerings likeFall GuysandStardew Valley,to more demanding games likeLies of P,Elden RingandPUBG: Battlegrounds.
For alternative controller and accessory recommendations on Xbox, consider checking out our guides to thebest Xbox Series X and Series S accessories.
Rhys is TRG’s Hardware Editor, and has been part of the TechRadar team for more than two years. Particularly passionate about high-quality third-party controllers and headsets, as well as the latest and greatest in fight sticks and VR, Rhys strives to provide easy-to-read, informative coverage on gaming hardware of all kinds. As for the games themselves, Rhys is especially keen on fighting and racing games, as well as soulslikes and RPGs.
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