If you own a gaming PC and an Xbox, you know the hassle. You either need two controllers or constantly have to re-pair the only one you have. You probably need a pro gaming controller that doesn’t throw as many tantrums across different gaming platforms.
Enter SteelSeries, a company that has made headsets and mice for years. It’s entering the gaming controller market with a model that ships with a special dock that makes your life easier.
So what does $260 actually buy you?
The controller is called the Aeon Pro. While it’s a fairly standard pro gaming controller, what sets it apart is its dock with dual USB-C inputs. You can connect the dock to both a PC and an Xbox at the same time, then switch between them with the press of a button.
SteelSeries calls it the QuickSwitch Dock, a patent-pending first for the controller market. No unplugging the receiver or re-pairing Bluetooth is required.
As for the controller itself, it has earned praise for its build quality in every hands-on so far. It sports textured grips, tactile microswitch buttons and back paddles, and Hall effect thumbsticks with fully analog Hall effect triggers.
How does it compare?
Apart from the dock, the Aeon Pro also hides another unusual trick up its sleeve. It’s the hot-swap philosophy SteelSeries also uses in its headsets. The controller ships with two batteries. So, while one of them charges in the dock, the other could power your gaming sessions.
One battery lasts 11 to 14 hours between charges. Combined, that’s 22 to 28 hours of gaming (depending on whether you’re using a 2.4 GHz wireless connection or Bluetooth). Finally, the controller also has a small but useful OLED display, which helps you access profiles, switch between devices, and monitor battery life.
That said, the SteelSeries Aeon Pro is priced at a steep $259.99 in the US, a little more than what you’d want to spend on a controller. That price puts the Aeon Pro roughly $60 above rivals like the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro and Scuf’s lineup.
I’d say that the controller is a solid first swing at the pro controller market. It is strong on connectivity and performance, which should matter most to its target audience. If you split time between Xbox and PC, the dock alone might justify the cost. However, everyone else has cheaper options available in the market.
