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Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox One X stack - front right angle view Austin Pikulski/Vox Studios

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The best Xbox One accessories (2019)

Our favorite controllers, headsets, and storage devices

By Emily Heller

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Microsoft has long invested in hardware beyond its base Xbox consoles. The Xbox One generation in particular has seen some exceptionally good first-party peripherals, especially when it comes to controllers. The next wave of accessories indicates that Microsoft is continuing to make those investments — our colleagues at The Verge called the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, “simply the best Xbox controller you can spend your money on.”

While the next generation of Xbox is still a year away, the upgraded Elite Wireless is available now and will be compatible with both consoles. We’ve included it in our roundup of favorite Xbox One peripherals, which includes Microsoft’s own hardware as well as some quality third-party options. Whether you were an Xbox One early adopter or you just got a bundle for Christmas, these accessories are a great place to start if you’re looking to upgrade your setup.

Xbox One controllers

Most Xbox One consoles include a single Xbox wireless controller, with the exception of a few special edition bundles. It’s worth picking up a second gamepad for local multiplayer games like Borderlands 3. And if you’re looking to customize the design of your controller, there are practically endless color and pattern options available at the Xbox Design Lab.

Those looking for a premium Xbox One controller can check out Microsoft’s own Xbox Elite Wireless Controller. It’s one of the most impressive controllers on the market. It feels a little more solid than the Xbox Wireless, thanks to a steel frame, and it includes back paddles which are lifesavers when playing fast-paced shooters.

The company released a Series 2 version in November, which includes a rechargeable battery, new customization options, and Bluetooth connectivity.

Microsoft also offers an Adaptive Controller specifically built for players with mobility impairments that make it difficult to use a standard controller. It features two large customizable buttons and acts as a sort of base to attach other peripherals.

Xbox One controller charging

The Xbox Wireless controller is one of the few gamepads to still uses AA batteries. Microsoft also sells a rechargeable battery, billed as the Play and Charge Kit. It’s a great upgrade that keeps you from scrambling to find fresh AA batteries every time your controller runs out of juice.

If you’ve got two wireless controllers and prefer to let them live in a charging station, PowerA makes an officially licensed one that can accommodate both Xbox Wireless and the Xbox Elite controllers. Note that the setup includes two rechargeable batteries so there’s no need to pick up Microsoft’s Play and Charge Kit if you go with this option.

Xbox One headsets

Our pick for the best Xbox One headset is Astro’s 2019 upgrade of its A50 headset. From our headphones roundup:

Astro, now part of Logitech, is back this year with a brand-new version of its flagship A50. The audio issues that plagued it in the past are pretty much gone, and the battery life is much improved. It also includes an optical pass-through and a 3.5 mm input. The big selling point is the friendly toggle on the side to adjust the volume of game and voice chat audio.

If you’re looking for a cheaper headset without so many bells and whistles, Razer’s Kraken headset is a solid choice for the price. It’s got a retractable noise-cancelling microphone, cooling gel in the ear cushions, and best of all, the option to add pink light-up kitty ears.

Xbox One storage

New Xbox One consoles come with a standard 1 TB of storage, though if you have an older model, it may only have 500 GB. Either way, you’ll probably run out of storage, especially if you’re playing enhanced games on the Xbox One X, so it’s a good idea to pick up an external hard drive. While Seagate makes officially licensed game drives, we recommend a WD My Passport unless you’re especially tempted by one of Seagate’s special edition designs. WD’s is cheaper and does the job just as well.

Xbox One media remote

If your video game console is also your main entertainment hub thanks to streaming service apps, it’s worth picking up a media remote. PDP makes a universal remote specifically designed to control the Xbox One’s streaming apps and Blu-ray player.