SteelSeries is stepping into the Xbox controller market today by launching the new Aeon Pro, a very competitive and feature-rich multi-platform gamepad. It sports an onboard OLED display and menu system, very tactile microswitch back paddles and buttons, a charging dock, and a hot-swappable battery system, but its price is going to reserve it for the wealthiest of gamers.
At $259.99 / $229.99, it's by far the most expensive controller I've come across in my four years of reviewing them professionally. I have to admit, from a quick hands-on, it feels like an excellent gaming peripheral, but it's going to take some miracles during testing for me to recommend something like this at full price.
Fans of clicky microswitch buttons will be very happy with the Aeon Pro, since it has them all over, including its four back paddles. These aren't the exact same as the magnetic ones found on the DualSense Edge and Elite Series 2, but they're longer, metallic levers that actuate with a tactile click, so they feel very similar.
The Aeon Pro is available in all-black, which is very reminiscent of a classic Xbox controller, but it's also got a white and grey colorway that looks almost identical to the GameSir G7 Pro.
Uniquely to the recent controller market, the Aeon Pro has a removable battery in order to follow the same design philosophies as SteelSeries headsets and mice. By allowing for hot-swapping and supplying you with two batteries in the box, you can ensure that one always stays charged so that, in theory, you never run out of power.
There's a rather chunky charging stand for the Aeon Pro which might just be one of the stars of this very pricey show. Obviously, you can charge the controller on the stand, but there's also room to store and charge up the additional battery, and magnetically attach the swappable thumbstick tops - a favourite feature of mine.
Around the back, you can connect a PC and Xbox via separate USB-C ports, meaning you don't need to swap a USB dongle from the back of your console to the back of your PC if you're swapping platforms. The charging stand acts as your receiver, a bit like the Steam Controller and its puck.
Going back to them briefly, I am a real fan of the thumbstick tops being magnetically attached. Most of the time, these are plastic slots that need to be clicked into place at a specific angle, and there's always a slight fear of breakage when you attach or remove one from a controller. Magnetic ones make them easier to use, and a convenient charging stand will ensure you don't lose the spare ones.
Rather disappointingly for such a premium controller, the Aeon Pro uses Hall Effect thumbsticks - hardly a dealbreaker, but for something so expensive, I'd want top-of-the-line TMR sticks instead.
As well as the onboard menu system, which comes with a few prebuilt button profiles for different gaming genres, you can also access the SteelSeries GG software to fine-tune thumbstick deadzones and other elements of the pad.
Like I say, the Aeon Pro is a feature-rich controller with a lot of really impressive elements, but at $259, it's got a lot to prove. I look forward to testing it out properly and seeing if it's worth its weight in gold. What do you think?
If this seems a little pricey, I'd also recommend looking at the best TMR controllers, the best PC controllers, and the best PS5 controllers.
