Review: PowerA Fusion Pro Wireless Xbox Controller

Game controllers continue to creep up in price, and sometimes it feels like it’s hard to justify. Especially with stick drift looming over the longevity of a potentially expensive controller, I wouldn’t blame you for just grabbing whatever is on sale.

The PowerA Fusion Pro Wireless is one of the few controllers I've used that actually feels worth it. At $150, it certainly isn’t cheap, but it does come with an impressive set of features that cover a wide range of gamers, deep customization, durable Hall effect sensor joysticks, and an intriguing invisible RGB lighting setup. Wired or wireless, this is my favorite new game controller, and it comes equipped with everything you need to get going.

New Sticks

When you’re spending well over $100 on a game controller, you want to know it’s built to last, and durability is the main pitch here. Even the best physical joysticks will wear out eventually and develop drift. Hall effect sensors, which rely on magnets, should have a much longer lifetime. They have a super smooth feel, which is kind of hard to describe, but definitely stands out next to a standard Xbox controller. We have a great explainer on exactly how they work, as well as their benefits and limitations, if you want to learn more.

One other big advantage of the PowerA Fusion Pro is that you have precise control over the inner and outer dead zones on each stick. There’s no way to set this from the controller itself, so you’ll have to do so in the software, but I imagine if you’re getting to that level of specificity, you’re already digging around in those settings.

There are three height settings on the sticks, which range from “a little short” to “teetering,” and changing the height is as easy as lifting and twisting. I’m not totally sure why you’d need to adjust the sticks that quickly, but I do appreciate that doing so is easy.

Triggers and Buttons

I’m really impressed with every button and bumper on the Fusion Pro. The face buttons in particular have a quiet, respectable click to them, and they spring back up nicely. There’s a dramatic scoop to the shoulder triggers that leave a nice rest for your fingers. Overall, it’s a very comfortable controller even after a few hours.

I’m particularly pleased to see a volume adjustment and mic mute tucked away down in front. I often wear a headset while I’m playing on the couch, and I hate having to pause to turn down a loud moment or mute myself before crunching on a snack.

My only minor complaint here has to do with the trigger locks, which don’t automatically change when you adjust the lock levers. You’ll need to make sure the profile you’re currently using has the matching dead zone set, otherwise the triggers either won’t work or will fire halfway down. This opens up the possibility of more precise dead zone settings, but can also be awkward if you change them and forget to switch profiles.

Speaking of profiles, the controller can store three profiles at a time, and you can quickly cycle through them by pressing the button on the back. These let you save trigger settings and the back buttons, which you can set on the controller without any software. The software lets you save as many as you like, but you’ll have to pick three at a time to keep on the controller.

Getting Lit (or Not)

With the LEDs turned off, it’s nearly impossible to tell there are any lights under the face, which is an impressive trick. They’re essentially invisible unless you hold a flashlight directly on certain spots of the plastic, something I haven’t seen before on any other gaming or computing gear.

With the lights turned on, it’s a little much for me to look at. The skull and sinew look is a gamer classic, but it doesn’t fit all that well with my current adult aesthetic. It’s hard to criticize a controller for not being to my personal taste, and with the lights off, it’s like they aren’t there at all.

It has a clean, semi-matte finish around front and a lightly textured back that’s harder than most, which I prefer to the softer rubber that other models have, which get grubby over time. Both materials on the PowerA Fusion Pro Wireless feel premium and don’t get greasy or sweaty after long sessions. The grips also have a slightly wider arch than some of my other controllers; as someone with big hands, I find this a lot more comfortable .

I always forget to plug in my controllers, so I’m glad there’s an included charging cradle in the box. The actual charging portion is magnetic, so you can use it without the cradle, and there’s a spot to store the dongle so you don’t lose it. PowerA quotes the Fusion Pro Wireless at 30 hours of battery life, and in practice the charge lasts long enough that it only ran out after multiple days of purposefully not putting it on the magnetic dock.

Great to Use

PowerA includes a 10-foot braided USB-C cable, as well as a small USB dongle with a pairing button for low-latency 2.4 GHz. Both worked seamlessly and without any extra software or steps, on my desktop as well as my Xbox Series X. Best of all, everything except the cradle fits nicely into the included carrying case. This all sounds like minor stuff, but it comes together to make a real difference in daily use, and it’s clear some actual thought was put into the user experience.

This is a seriously premium controller with great joysticks, long battery life, and wireless support for both PC and Xbox. I have trouble finding much that I don’t like about it. My only quibbles with the Fusion Pro Wireless are mostly ironed out once you have your profiles set up. I can forgive the over-the-top lighting, which feels almost like a party trick for someone who prefers classic black controllers.

If you’re considering an upgraded controller for your Xbox Series X/S or your PC, I’m happy to recommend the PowerA Fusion Pro Wireless. I can understand not wanting to spend over $100 on a controller for your system, in which case, I’d recommend checking out some of our other favorite controllers. For the price, I think you’re getting quite a lot. It’s premium and durable, has a great feature set, and comes fully equipped with all the extra bits and bobs.