PowerA Wired Controller for Xbox Core Blush Review.

It’s not surprising that we’ve used a lot of Xbox controllers throughout the years, given that we’ve been gaming on Microsoft’s consoles since the original Xbox.

In that time, we’ve made the most of The Duke, the standard offering for Xbox 360, through the Xbox One redesigns and those that come with the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, and we’ve even used some third-party pretenders, alternatives to the Xbox Elite controller, which should be considered the pinnacle of Xbox controllers.

We’ve also used a lot of PowerA controllers. Some of these have been optimized for Game Pass play, while the MOGA XP-Ultra exemplifies the power of the cloud. However, there was also the tiny Nano Enhanced, a Cuphead-themed edition, and the Spectra Infinity, which had dazzling lighting. For the past few weeks, we’ve had another PowerA controller in our hands: a lovely pink one.

PowerA Wired Controller Core Blush.

That is PowerA’s basic cable Controller in Core Blush (Pink), an Argos-exclusive Xbox controller that eliminates any unnecessary features to return us to what is essential in our gaming lives: a simple, everyday cable controller. There are no programmed back buttons, trigger stops, fancy lighting, or, frankly, anything here. At least not physically. However, for $24.99, if you’re a casual gamer looking to expand your Xbox controller collection and don’t mind being tethered to a wire, it’ll suffice.

The PowerA Wired Controller Core Blush, a very lightweight controller, connects to your Xbox controller via a 10-foot wire. It connects to the controller via USB-C (a wise decision that we anticipate will be implemented by 2024), with the other end plugged into the USB-A connector on your preferred console. From there, setup is as basic as it gets, with an Xbox Nexus button in the centre.

In fact, if you’ve used an Xbox controller in recent years, everything about this will be familiar, with only the black-on-pink color scheme distinguishing it from any other ordinary Xbox pad. That means you’ll have the standard size in your hands, with great thumbsticks (nicely concaved and textured), a d-pad, and face buttons that complement the face.

It also looks fantastic, with the dramatic contrast of pink and black, and the dark face buttons with gray lettering appear classy against the pink backdrop. The Menu, View, and Share buttons, which are the least used on this controller, merge in with the same pink tone as the base.

PowerA Wired Controller Core Blush has all the buttons you need.

Triggers and bumpers are located around the top of a glossy black visor. On a personal level, we believe that each trigger on any controller should come with some texture as standard, so it’s a little disheartening to see that those provided here are smooth as well. However, those impulse triggers are attractively shaped and depress quickly, so allowing a pass is acceptable. The Wired Controller also includes some rumble motor awesomeness, which feels okay but isn’t the most dramatic feeling, instead rumbling around in the background as you reduce the power in something like Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown.

The controller’s bottom features a 3.5mm audio jack. To be honest, that’s all you get with the PowerA Core Blush: no gimmicks, no true selling point. Aside from the low price of $24.99, of course.

For many, that would suffice. However, for those who identify more with the ‘Pro’ gaming culture, this may feel a little lacking. For us, it’s all been fine, especially because the 10ft cable is just about the appropriate length for us to sit back on the sofa, connected to our Series X, and power through sessions like there’s no tomorrow. Again, the presence of a cable will be a highly subjective issue; some may be unable to accept the fact that the flexibility of a wireless connection is not available. It does mean that your inputs to the PowerA Wired Controller Core Blush will be as immediate as possible.

Those are also valuable inputs. Even though it all seems quite plasticky in the hand, with plenty of clicky and tappy movements, we’ve had no problems using it. Again, if you’re accustomed to microswitched face buttons, Hall-Effect thumbsticks, and the like, you might be disappointed, but sometimes the simplest things in life are the best.

A glossy black visor.

The PowerA Wired Controller Core Blush would be simple if not for the free PowerA App for Xbox. Install this on your console, and you will be able to personalize and customize this controller using software. This means you may play about with trigger settings, button remapping, thumbstick deadzones, vibrations, and other features. That’s fine if you need it, however – without being harsh – the PowerA App is rather bad. It’s a pain to navigate, cumbersome at best, badly set up, and with a shaky UI at worst. If you truly need to change how PowerA has preset their Wired Controller, you’ll be frustrated as you navigate in, out, and around various options. The only true saving grace is that after you’ve configured things as you want, you shouldn’t have to go back into the App and do it again.

Thankfully, the PowerA Wired Controller in Core Blush looks excellent. That’s a huge relief from all of the App crap, and it goes without saying that every gamer should have some pink in their lives.