Microsoft announced the Xbox Nano Controller on October 14, a smaller version of the standard Xbox pad priced at $49.99, with pre-orders opening the same day.
The controller is due to ship November 4, according to retailer listings and reporting by God Is a Geek. VGChartz, which covered the announcement on October 14, says it launches in November and lists availability across dozens of markets, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Germany, France and much of the rest of Europe, with more countries to follow.
What Microsoft is selling
VGChartz reports the Nano is just over 5 inches long and weighs 3.5 ounces. It keeps the layout and buttons of the current Xbox controller, and the German outlet PC Games puts the input count at 18 (God Is a Geek repeats the figure in its headline). We could not confirm the exact breakdown of that count from the sources we checked.
Other details, as reported:
- Battery: built-in and rechargeable, charged over a USB-C port on the back. PC Games and retailer listings say no cable is included.
- Action Button: programmable, with screenshots and gameplay capture among the examples cited in reports. Assignments can also be changed in the Xbox Accessories app.
- Connectivity: Xbox Wireless for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, and Bluetooth for Windows PCs, Android and iOS phones, and select smart TVs, per PC Games.
- Colour: white only, according to retailer listings.
PC Games reports that Microsoft positions the Nano mainly at younger players and people with small hands, and a pocketable pad is an obvious fit for portable play.
Bundles and where the Xbox Nano Controller fits
In the US, VGChartz reports, select Samsung TVs bought this holiday season will include a special Nano Controller plus two months of Game Pass Ultimate. Meta Quest purchases will include the controller and two months of Game Pass Ultimate for new members. Details and eligible models were not spelled out in the coverage we reviewed.
The Nano is not a replacement for the full-size pad, and it is not pitched as a premium one. PC Games framed the reveal as a surprise for fans who had been waiting on an Elite Series 3, but that is the outlet's framing, not a Microsoft statement. Microsoft has not confirmed a new Elite controller in anything we have found, so we are not treating one as real. If you want a high-end Xbox pad today, our Elite Series 2 price watch covers what it costs, and the wider picture is in our Xbox hardware roundup for October 2026.
The honest caveat is that nobody outside Microsoft has published hands-on impressions yet, so comfort, stick feel and battery life are all unanswered, and a $49.99 price tag for a smaller pad will draw its share of side-eyes next to the full-size model. Reviews should start appearing around the November 4 ship date, and we will update this piece when real battery and latency numbers arrive.
Sources: VGChartz (Oct. 14, 2026); PC Games (pcgames.de); God Is a Geek (Oct. 2026); Dexerto (Oct. 14, 2026, press image); retailer listings (Currys, JB Hi-Fi)
