Welcome to my review of the Nacon EVOL-X Controller for Xbox and Windows. This controller is a budget-friendly wired controller brought to us by Nacon (obviously!). The EVOL-X controller incorporates all that has been learned from the previous Revolution X controller that was launched in 2021.
At the time of writing, this controller can be bought for around £33. Is it worth it though? Please continue reading to see what I thought.
The Hardware
So as you already know, this wired controller is officially licensed for use on the Xbox family of consoles. You can also use it on Microsoft Windows, which may also work on Linux. In my experience, it did work on Bazzite and SteamOS just fine.
The controller is plug-and-play, so there’s no messing around with any software or drivers to get it working. I much prefer this myself, as it can make it so much easier for those who are not as tech-minded as I am. As mentioned it is wired, but the good thing is that the cable is three metres long which is ideal for those who are a bit further away from their console. To add to that, the cable is detachable. Therefore if you should manage to break the cable, this will not be an issue. However, the cable is pretty tough so I can’t see you having any issues if I am honest.
Inside the box, we get the controller, the cable to connect it to the Xbox/PC, and the usual warranty/safety leaflet.
So the first thing I will say about the controller is that it’s surprisingly comfortable to use. Even for longer periods in one sitting.
Sometimes, fewer buttons are more.
The buttons are also a pleasure to use. The D-PAD is nice and quiet, and if you’ve read a review of mine before you’ll know that I love a nice quiet D-PAD! One thing I will say is that there are no customisable buttons. There are only the “standard” Xbox Series buttons here such as the share button, menu, options etc. But, that’s not a problem at all, especially at this price point.
As you can see, the thumbsticks are concaved to help your thumbs stay on the sticks. I feel that the button placement is very good, unlike the Nacon Pro Compact that I recently reviewed. The right thumbstick has the Nacon logo embossed onto it.
You may notice on the bottom of the controller that there is a 3.5mm headphone jack. This works just fine with a wired headset/earbuds on Xbox and Windows. It is also rated for Dolby Atmos so if you have a decent headset, headphones, or earbuds, then you will get the most out of them with this controller.
Time for the rear.
There’s not much going on around the back except some grooves that have been manufactured into the plastic. This helps you keep a good grip on the controller even when your hands are getting hot and sweaty, lovely.
The controller has four vibration motors in it, two in the palm grips, and two in the triggers (one left trigger, one right trigger). This will help you really feel the game you’re playing. During my time with this controller, I felt that the rumble effects were pretty good, especially for a sub £50 controller!
The trigger buttons also have extra grip on them thanks to lots of little bumps. You will notice this comes in very useful, especially for games such as Forza Horizon 5 and other racing games.
Conclusions
Overall I felt that the Nacon EVOL-X is a very budget-friendly controller. However, it feels like a more expensive controller when you’re using it.
I found that the only real flaw is that it’s wired. This is my fault, not the controllers, as I am not a huge fan of wired controllers. However, to be honest, a wired connection is to be expected at this price point.
If you wish to learn more about the Nacon EVOL-X controller, please visit the official site. You can also read our previous reviews.
I score the Nacon EVOL-X an 8/10.
A sample was kindly provided for us to review this product.
