Feed aggregator

If Netflix lets Rian Johnson make Knives Out movies 'forever,' I know what sequel needs to come next.

Organizers said some 2,600 protests were planned in the U.S. on Saturday. The protests were largely peaceful, as demonstrators united in their stated aim to safeguard the country's democratic values.

(Image credit: Tasos Katopodis)

Virgin Media O2 acquires high-frequency mmWave spectrum to deliver 4Gbps speeds in dense UK locations.

A Man on the Inside season 2 arrives on November 20. Here's everything we know so far about the hit Netflix show's return.

Captery's efficient new AA/AAA battery promises a sustainable solution with ultra-fast charging and long durability.

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Oct. 19, No. 391.

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 19.

Nvidia partners with Samsung Foundry to expand NVLink Fusion, embedding custom silicon across AI data centers while controlling ecosystem access.

Cerabyte’s glass-based storage showcases permanent, low-energy data preservation, sparking new ideas for cloud infrastructure.

People gathered for pro-democracy protests across the country today.

(Image credit: Grant Blankenship)

Check out these five new Netflix movies if you want some perfect spooky vibes for October.

The GPD WIN 5 delivers workstation-class performance in handheld form, raising new questions about heat, practicality, and sustained usability.

Multi-device connecitvity bliss at 35,000 feet

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Oct. 19, No. 861.

Here are hints and the answer for today's Wordle for Oct. 19, No. 1,583.

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Oct. 19, No. 595.

Some handy inclusions can’t save the unsatisfying play experience provided by the PowerA Fusion Pro for Xbox.

PowerA Fusion Pro for Xbox: One-minute review

It brings me no pleasure to find that the PowerA Fusion Pro Wireless Controller for Xbox is the most disappointing product I’ve tested in the brand’s catalog to date. PowerA is admittedly a brand I’ve had mixed feelings about in the past. Sometimes it provides real winners, like the PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller, which I consider a solid alternative to the official Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. Other times it doesn’t quite hit the mark, like we’ve seen recently with the PowerA Advantage Switch 2 Wired Controller and indeed the Fusion Pro for Xbox here.

First and foremost, the best Xbox controllers should provide a satisfying play experience with minimal frustrations, but this PowerA pad is loaded with them. From its awkward d-pad and abrasive textured grips, to obnoxious Lumectra RGB lighting and trigger locks that simply don’t work most of the time, this is a controller that tries and fails to punch above its weight class with an absurdly high price tag to match.

It’s not all bad. You at least get a carry case and charging dock included in the box. Battery life is reasonably strong, and a neat audio switch lets you adjust headset volume or mute your mic in an instant. I also love PowerA’s quick-twist thumbsticks here, which provide three adjustable height levels. Plus, they’re Hall effect, meaning they’ll be able to resist stick drift much longer than traditional analog sticks. Still, these high points don’t do enough to outweigh the myriad frustrations I have with this controller.

(Image credit: Future)PowerA Fusion Pro for Xbox: Price and availability

• List price: $169.99 / £149.99 / AU$199.95
• Comparable in price to the Nacon Revolution X Unlimited and Razer Wolverine V3 Pro
• There are plenty of cheaper and better options available for Xbox and PC

I’d feel a bit more comfortable recommending the Fusion Pro for Xbox if it weren’t for that eye-watering price tag. At $169.99 / £149.99 / AU$199.95, it’s bordering on the premium territory of Xbox pads like the Nacon Revolution X Unlimited and Razer Wolverine V3 Pro.

If the Fusion Pro provided a stellar controller experience, the price would be an easier pill to swallow. The issue for PowerA is that there’s no shortage of superb Xbox and PC-compatible controllers like it that are available for less than half of its price, including the 8BitDo Ultimate 2, GameSir Kaleid, and even the official Xbox Wireless Controller.

PowerA Fusion Pro for Xbox: Specs

Price

$169.99 / £149.99 / AU$199.95

Weight

1.44lbs / 0.65kg

Dimensions

6.1 x 4.2 x 2.4in / 156 x 107 x 61mm

Compatibility

Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC

Connection type

Wireless (2.4GHz), Wired (USB-C)

Battery life

Around 30 hours

PowerA Fusion Pro for Xbox: Design and features

The initial package out of the box is promising. The PowerA Fusion Pro for Xbox comes with a carry case and bespoke charging dock, both incredibly useful accessories that I welcome with any gamepad. Both are solidly made, too. Especially the charging dock, which is well-built, unintrusive, and can sit in any gaming setup ready to charge your pad up via USB-C. The carry case, meanwhile, is sturdy and has a compartment for the USB-C cable.

The pad itself bears a striking resemblance to the official Xbox Wireless Controller, which certainly isn’t anomalous in the wider Xbox controller market. It does feel slightly weightier than Microsoft’s pad, owing to inclusions like trigger locks and a magnetic charging dock connector.

Carrying on with the good, the controller’s quick-twist thumbsticks are genuinely brilliant. Turning them clockwise raises the thumbstick shaft, while lowering it when turned counterclockwise. There are three height levels here, and I personally found the middle setting to be the most comfortable. They lock firmly in place after adjusting, too, so there’s no unnecessary fiddling.

Besides a handy headset audio adjustment switch, that’s about where my praise ends for the PowerA Fusion Pro. To that end, I simply could not get on with the abundance of RGB lighting here. By default, a bright rainbow effect coats the controller, revealing a preset tribal-esque silhouette. It’s a nice pattern, but I found it to be really distracting during play.

You can change the RGB pattern profile (or switch it off entirely) via a dedicated button on the rear of the controller. I opted to keep it switched off, as some of the other pulse-like patterns weren’t much better.

The overall feel of the controller leaves much to be desired, too. The textured grips feel just a little too rough on my hands, making for rather uncomfortable long play sessions. The d-pad is also fairly listless, feeling fine on one end while awkwardly spongy and hard to press on the other. Admittedly, this could be an issue with my unit specifically, but something to keep in mind if you’re planning on buying.

(Image credit: Future)PowerA Fusion Pro for Xbox: Performance

Despite my criticism, I can at least say the PowerA Fusion Pro does get the job done as a controller. If you can ignore the awkward d-pad and abrasive textured grips, performance is perfectly reasonable across the board.

A major gripe here, though, is that the 3-step trigger locks just don’t work. When set to the midpoint, you have to squeeze the triggers really quite hard to register the press. And on the most acute setting, the triggers stop working entirely.

This was the case across multiple games I tested with the controller, including Halo Infinite, Fortnite, and Final Fantasy 14 Online. I like a shallow trigger in games like these, as it lets me fire weapons (or access hotbars in the latter’s case) a good deal quicker, but I was unable to do this on the Fusion Pro.

On a more positive note, the Fusion Pro’s battery life exceeded my expectations, coming in at around 25-30 hours when used wirelessly via a 2.4GHz connection. I tested the controller over the course of a week, across both Xbox Series X Digital Edition and PC, and found I didn’t have to charge the controller until my very last few sessions with it. Impressive stuff, and beats many other Xbox controllers - both cheaper and pricier than this one - on battery life overall.

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the PowerA Fusion Pro for Xbox?Buy it if…

You really, really like RGB
I can’t lie, the RGB pattern itself on the PowerA Fusion Pro is really quite lovely, and I like the underlying tribal-like pattern. For me, it’s just a bit too distracting during gameplay, but might be worth checking out if you like color-filled controllers.

Don’t buy it if…

There are better, cheaper options available
You don’t have to spend a fortune on a quality Xbox or PC pad. Most GameSir and 8BitDo controllers, for example, come in well under $100 / £100 while still being replete with desirable features.

Also consider...

I’m being honest here; the PowerA Fusion Pro for Xbox would be a hard sell at most price points. Consider these two excellent alternatives if you’re currently shopping for a new Xbox and/or PC gamepad.

PowerA Fusion Pro

Nacon Revolution X Unlimited

8BitDo Ultimate 2

Price

$169.99 / £149.99 / AU$199.95

$199.99 / £179.99 (around AU$229)

$59.99 / £49.99 (around AU$90)

Weight

1.44lbs / 0.65kg

0.72lbs / 0.33kg

0.54lbs / 0.25kg

Dimensions

6.1 x 4.2 x 2.4in / 156 x 107 x 61mm

6.5 x 4.5 x 2.2in / 164 x 115 x 56mm

5.7 x 4.1 x 2.4in / 147 x 103 x 61mm

Compatibility

Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC

Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC

Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC

Connection type

Wireless (2.4GHz), Wired (USB-C)

Wireless (2.4Ghz, Bluetooth), Wired (USB-C)

Wireless (2.4Ghz, Bluetooth), Wired (USB-C)

Battery life

Around 30 hours

Around 10 hours

10-15 hours

Nacon Revolution X Unlimited
A superb premium controller and one of the brand’s best-ever. This Xbox and PC controller’s unique selling point is its handy on-board LCD display, which lets you quickly customize aspects of your pad and gameplay sessions, including button mapping and headset volume. It’s a real winner for the price.

Read our full Nacon Revolution X Unlimited review

8BitDo Ultimate 2
For a more budget-friendly choice, I can’t recommend the excellent 8BitDo Ultimate 2 enough. Pleasant and subtle RGB ring lights, drift-resistant TMR thumbsticks, and sublime build quality make this one a real budget powerhouse.

Read our full 8BitDo Ultimate 2 review

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the PowerA Fusion Pro for Xbox

• Tested for one week
• Played several games across Xbox and PC
• Compared to competitors from Razer, Nacon, 8BitDo, and more

I used the PowerA Fusion Pro for Xbox for a week in order to write this review. During that time, I played a wide range of titles on Xbox Series X Digital Edition and PC, including Fortnite, Silent Hill f, Tekken 8, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and much more besides.

Given this controller’s high price point, I compared it directly to similarly priced Xbox gamepad competitors like the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro and Nacon Revolution X Unlimited. These pads are slightly pricier, but offer more satisfying play with better build quality and high-end features (not to mention trigger locks that actually work).

Even then, I found a lot more to love with cheaper controllers, including the GameSir Kaleid and 8BitDo Ultimate 2. Both offer sublime features like Hall effect or TMR thumbsticks, clicky microswitch-powered buttons, and a tasteful amount of RGB that isn’t overly distracting to the eye.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed October 2025

The two survivors of an American military strike on a suspected drug-carrying vessel in the Caribbean will be sent to Ecuador and Colombia, their home countries, President Trump said.

(Image credit: Mark Schiefelbein)

AMD’s Helios rack blends Meta’s ORW standard and MI450 GPUs, promising open AI infrastructure as Oracle commits massive GPU resources.