This Borderlands 4 Xbox controller costs more than the game, but it's actually pretty good value

With Borderlands 4 launching this week, now's a good time to upgrade your gear before heading out into the wastes of Kairos. For most hardcore fans, that might mean seeking out some Borderlands 4 merch and accessories, but that's surprisingly tough at the moment. Borderlands is one of the few big gaming franchises that isn't owned by a company like PlayStation or Microsoft that makes its own hardware, so you aren't going to find one of the stock Xbox controllers with an official Borderlands skin.

The third parties have you covered though, because PowerA has a new version of its wireless controller that's specifically trying to fill that void. As an added bonus, if you buy it from Best Buy right now, you'll get a free $10 voucher for the retailer. Haven't actually bought Borderlands 4 yet? Maybe you could put that $10 towards getting the game for cheaper?

PowerA Wireless controller for Xbox Borderlands 4 SE + $10 Best Buy voucher | $99.99 at Best Buy
A $10 voucher is a nice bonus here. Although I'd have liked a cheaper price and a flashier design, when you look at this controller in terms of features, it's actually pretty good value versus the Fusion Pro Wireless which is $150 for not much more functionality.

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The elephant in the room we have to address is the price of this controller, which seems a little high at first glance. Certainly, if there were an official Xbox controller with a licensed skin, it'd only be $70-80 based on other limited editions of the stock Xbox pad. That said, PowerA is actually offering more than just a standard controller here, and yes, while it might be more expensive than the game itself, which launches on September 12, it is a "pro" controller that will offer you more functionality.

In fact, the controller itself is a slightly more affordable version of the PowerA Fusion Pro Wireless controller, which is one of the best controllers I've used in recent times. The Wireless controller above doesn't have all of the same features. The ghost RGB isn't present, and the twisting thumbsticks from the PowerA OPS V3 aren't present either, but you still get four back buttons, and that's tricky to find for less than $150 in the Xbox market.

Looking at the other special editions of this controller, we can see prices start to come down over time, which is good news. The Pac-Man version is $89.99 at Best Buy, and the Fortnite version is $50.99 at Amazon. So, if you can wait, the Borderlands 4 version may get cheaper.

I do have to be honest; I think the design of this controller is a tad lacklustre for Borderlands. That franchise has such a distinct visual style, and yet the crunchy textures and vivid colors aren't really present here - in fact, the only thing that really gives it away is the Vault Hunters logo on the left of the grip.

Still, beggars can't be choosers. If you're keen for a new controller and want to celebrate the launch of a new game in one of your favorite franchises, I'm yet to spot a better option. That is, if you're willing to spend more on the controller than the game.

• View all Xbox controllers at Amazon
• Pre-order Borderlands 4
• PowerA Fusion Pro Wireless: $127 at Amazon

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