You don't need much to get started playing the best Xbox Series X games once you've got the console in your hands. But if you really want to take your gaming experience to the next level, there are plenty of accessories out there that can completely change how you use your console. There are some obvious picks like checking out the best Xbox Series X controllers or best headsets, but there are some other accessories you may not think of that could truly level up your gaming.
The Series X comes with a new controller, so why should you invest in a premium controller for a hefty $180? The Elite Series 2 from Microsoft is the most premium controller on the market. Aside from remarkable build quality, this controller is designed for customization. You have the replaceable thumbsticks, completely remappable buttons, a 40-hour rechargeable battery, adjustable triggers, and three unique profiles to customize these presets. That alone makes this a tempting buy, but what really pushes it over the edge are the back paddles. These four extra paddles on the back can be mapped to any other function on the controller. For example, this can allow you to keep your thumb on the right thumbstick to aim while doing a melee attack in a first-person shooter instead of moving it off to hit a face button. It is such a simple concept, but somehow one that hasn't become mainstream.
Headsets are a far cheaper and convenient way to get a fully surround-sound and immersive experience with your games that doesn't require investing in expensive speaker systems. The official Xbox headset is not only far more affordable, but it doesn't skimp out on features. It comes with a great mic for online play, surround sound, and overall high-quality audio to get you immersed. You can even use dual connections to talk with friends on the phone while gaming all at once.
While generally comfortable, it is a bit small and can feel tight over longer play sessions.
If you're sticking with the traditional Xbox Series X controller, then you should at the very least invest in the rechargeable battery and USB-C cable. Microsoft has once again opted to make their standard wireless controllers powered by normal AA batteries. Once those bite the dust, it will be up to you to continue replacing them every so often to stay in the game. Depending on how much you play, buying more batteries can get expensive and wasteful quickly. This kit will solve both of those problems for you. Plus, you can even continue playing while it's charging so you're never left waiting to play.
The Series X comes with an internal hard drive of 1TB. That may sound like a lot, but even toward the end of the Xbox One and PS4 generation, games were getting so large that dedicated gamers needed to add on more space to keep more than a handful of major titles on their systems at once. We can only expect the current generation to see game sizes continue to expand as they push graphics and scale further and further. Thankfully, Microsoft realized space would be a problem and planned accordingly by including a special storage slot on the Series X for you to insert extra storage. The Seagate Storage Expansion card is an officially licensed storage expansion that is as easy to install as plugging it in to double your storage space.
Let's cut to the chase here. You bought your Series X to play games on. Yeah, you can use it to watch movies and TV and browse the web, but its primary function is to play games. If you somehow haven't heard about Game Pass or are new to the Xbox family of consoles, then this should be on the top of your list. Sometimes referred to as the "Netflix of games," Game Pass is your subscription service that instantly adds hundreds of games to your library for a monthly fee. These games include titles from every Xbox console, from the OG Xbox up to the Series X, for you to browse, download, and play whenever you like. New titles are added monthly, and Microsoft has promised that every game made by one of their first-party studios will be available on Game Pass the same day as release.
While gaming is likely the primary function of your Series X, we can't ignore how great of a media device this box is. Since you can get essentially every major streaming service on your console, it just becomes that much more convenient to use it to watch all your favorite shows and movies. Using your gaming controller to navigate these services can be awkward and cumbersome at times, which is why the PDP Talon Media Remote is a perfect accessory to have on hand. This remote was made specifically for the Xbox, complete with the branding and face buttons, but designed like a traditional remote. This makes it way more intuitive and comfortable to use for media purposes than a gaming controller, especially if you live with others who are not gamers and just want to use it for streaming.
A rechargeable battery is good for many people, but not ideal for people who aren't within reach of an outlet to plug in if your controller runs dry. Instead, if you snag a PowerA Dual Charging Station and make that the place you set your controller down after each gaming session, you should never have to worry about a low-battery message popping up in the heat of battle. If it does, you can still hotswap to a second controller you leave charging on the second slot as a backup.
Jesse Lennox covers all things gaming but has a specific interest in all things PlayStation, JRPGs, and experimental indies. Jesse has been writing about games for over 10 years, starting off as a volunteer and eventually finding his way into doing it full-time. He is constantly striving to push his boundaries in what he covers and finds thought-provoking and important angles to highlight within the games industry.
Originally double-majoring in English and Education, Jesse came into games media as a profession by accident. After an unfortunate layoff, he took his passion for writing about games seriously and was lucky enough to find Digital Trends and other outlets such as Pocket-Lint, Classic Nerd, and Gamepur to write for. He has held numerous writing positions, as well as several editing roles, and is always on the hunt for new opportunities to grow his skillset.
Based in Colorado, Jesse spends at least two hours every morning training in the gym to set his mind straight before a full day of writing and gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Imagine tapping a Zelda icon on your iPhone and jumping straight into Hyrule. A new open-source project called nxnative makes that possible by repackaging Switch games you’ve bought into apps for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with no emulator in the middle.
Why does this run so well on Apple devices?
The Call of Duty franchise has held a special place in my heart ever since I played my first Black Ops game back in 2010. That game's campaign was something else, with twists and turns that culminated in a mind-blowing finale. We can all admit that compared to those older campaigns, the recent CODs have been lackluster at best, and a complete and utter disappointment at worst. The reboot of Modern Warfare did give me some hope, as the first two installments were actually quite good, but the third game left such a bad taste in my mouth that I wasn’t exactly expecting much from Modern Warfare 4.
After recently finishing the campaign, I can say that this installment is nothing like the recent releases and instead feels closer to the franchise’s roots. For the first time in a long while, the campaign comes across as well-crafted rather than rushed to hit a release date. It arrives three years after MW3, and you can see exactly where all that time went. It seems the studio finally made listening to player feedback a priority.