SteelSeries Aeon Pro Review: $250 Controller Leaves Us Scratching Our Heads

Ever spent $250 on a controller and immediately wondered if you'd lost your mind? That's exactly where I landed after two weeks with the SteelSeries Aeon Pro. At $249.99/£229.99, it's the priciest gamepad I've reviewed in four years of doing this professionally. For context, that's about $50 more than a DualSense Edge, Nacon Revolution X Unlimited, or Razer Wolverine V3 and V4 Pro. It's $70 more than the Victrix Pro BFG and a staggering $170 more than the popular GameSir G7 Pro. Even against the most expensive PS5 controllers like the Scuf Omega and Razer Raiju V3 Pro, SteelSeries still comes in about $40 higher. I like the Aeon Pro, but when an Xbox Series X controller costs this much, it better not miss.

SteelSeries has definitely shot its shot here. The Aeon Pro feels distinct—it's not afraid to take big swings or do things differently. Its charging stand cancels out the need for a carry case because it holds all its parts together. Its removable battery ensures you never run out of charge. Its screen has a bold interface that flies in the face of most on-board gamepad menu systems. All of these things are impressive, but are they $250 impressive? I'm not so sure. Honestly, I think even a $200 controller is still way more expensive than it needs to be—especially when brands like GameSir, Gulikit, FlyDigi, and PowerA charge far less for much the same features on PC. So let me tell you why you should probably wait for a price drop on this one.

Design-wise, I'd love to say the Aeon Pro feels original since we haven't seen an officially licensed Xbox controller from SteelSeries before, but it's very reminiscent of the GameSir G7 Pro. That's hardly a bad thing—SteelSeries has managed to recreate some of the best parts of that popular controller. Particularly in the white colorway, its grey, textured grips are grabby, contrasting beautifully with its eggshell body that feels really sturdy. The G7 Pro and the OG Xbox Series X pad from Microsoft itself feel like inspirations here, but SteelSeries has absolutely souped up some of its parts in ways that feel unique.

For starters, there are four large, metallic back buttons on the rear. These aren't your average GameSir back buttons that hide away in the grips—these are loud, brushed silver paddles that don't try to blend in. They understand that largesse is easier for your fingers to find when they're wrapping around a controller, and they click in with absolute delight. They draw a lovely line between back buttons and back paddles. They're not quite the magnetic ones found on the Elite Series 2 or the Gulikit KK3 Max; they're non-removable and a signature part of the Aeon Pro's identity, but they're longer levers that actuate with more flexibility, feeling more premium than your average pro controller's back buttons. That metallic design flourish is present elsewhere too—the D-pad, triggers, and bumpers all have a brushed steel vibe, even if they're actually just a different type of plastic. It all offers a temperature contrast to the plastic and rubberized textures. If this were a cheaper controller, I'd be applauding the trickery, but at $250, I end up raising an eyebrow.

Thankfully, the microswitch buttons click with a deep, almost "thocc" sound like premium keyboard switches do, and they feel luxurious. Again, I don't know if I'd argue they feel and sound more premium than the ones on the Nacon Revolution X Unlimited priced at $200, and that's really the crux of the issue. It's got top-shelf features, but they're not worth $50 more than its competition. Unfortunately, there's a design flaw staring you in the face: the options and in-game menu buttons are at the bottom of the controller's body, not on either side of the integrated screen. I don't care who you are, how expensive your controller is, or how many fancy features you give it—those buttons should be at the top, not the bottom. Yes, I can adjust, but it is always, always objectively wrong to place them here. Twisting the knife is the fact that there's so much space at the top for these buttons to fit. The Aeon Pro has a deep and long face, which I enjoy the look of—I suspect this was to give the screen more room to glow, but when it isn't actually that large, it feels like there's a lot of dead space bordering it where functionality could have been squeezed in.

For years, some higher-end wireless Xbox controllers have shipped with charging stands, but SteelSeries has well and truly broken the mold. The charging stand here is the most robust offering I've seen, acting not only as a place to holster your peripheral between sessions, but a connection hub for your gaming platforms, and a hold-all for the swappable parts the Aeon Pro has at its disposal. The magnetic thumbstick tops are extremely convenient, too—I hate swapping out controller thumbsticks because it's such an anxiety-inducing process, so this is a welcome touch. Still, at $250, the Aeon Pro needs to be flawless, and it isn't. What do you think—is any controller worth this much? Will you be picking one up, or waiting for a sale?