It's that time of year when all the retailers start early-launching their Black Friday deals. The last 24 hours have seen Nintendo, Walmart, Secretlab, and now Best Buy kicking off their Black Friday offerings, but not all are made equal. In fact, after scouring the shelves at Best Buy, we've only found one Xbox Series X controller that's at a low enough price to recommend, and it's the same price at Amazon.
Fret not, gamers, because it just so happens that it's the weekend before the arrival of GTA 6, and the Xbox gamepad in question is one I've already recommended this week in my roundup of the best controllers for GTA 6.
It might be the best of a weaker selection of deals at Best Buy, but it's one I'd still happily recommend to gamers for the second time in a week - whether they're returning to video games for the first time in years, or they're sprucing up their setup to mark the occasion.
You're getting a hell of a bargain with the RXU dropping to $150. It's got Hall effect thumbsticks (which have more precision than a standard controller and are immune to stick drift), six extra buttons for you to map, and a screen and menu system built into the gamepad itself.
It also comes in a carry case with weights you can add to the grips, thumbstick width adjustments, different thumbstick tops, a cable, a charging stand, and a wireless dongle. You're getting a lot for your money here - especially when more recent options like the SteelSeries Aeon Pro are trying to charge you $100 more than this for a very similar product.
Whether you go for Amazon or Best Buy is up to you. At Amazon, you can get the RXU in either its original black colorway or in its special Xbox 360 Anniversary variant for the same $149.99 price. At Best Buy, I'm only seeing the original black version at that price.
Why would I recommend it for GTA 6? Well, it's obviously going to only be useful for Xbox players at the moment until Rockstar remembers how big the PC gaming market is, so keep that in mind. But the RXU has a lot of premium feel to it, which goes hand-in-hand with a blockbuster game you're probably going to set aside a good chunk of time to play.
Of all the controllers I've reviewed, the RXU has the best-feeling microswitch buttons I've found. A super light actuation, a short travel distance, a really satisfying, almost mouse-like click, with the sort of membrane cushioning feel you'd enjoy if you're used to Xbox and PS5 controllers from the olden days. It's also perfect if you have larger hands since it's quite a chunky controller that offers crunchy feedback through its motors. And its triggers are well-shaped for all the driving you'll do around Vice City.
Want a faster response when you're shooting? The microswitch trigger stops will see to that.
For more, take a look at the best PS5 controllers, the best PC controllers, and the best TMR controllers. We're also rounding up the best headsets for GTA 6 as well.
