11 of the best accessories for Xbox One

Thought buying a console and sticking it under the TV was enough to ensure a lifetime of happy gaming days? Alas, even with a handsome selection of games at your disposal, your setup won’t be complete without the right accessories. From controller upgrades to TV tuners, these are the best add-ons you can buy for your Xbox One.

XBOX DESIGN LAB CONTROLLER (FROM £70/US$80)

The video game industry is almost as bad as Batman when it comes to colour schemes. They can’t think of anything other than black, white or the occasional dash of silver. Fortunately, Microsoft has seen the light and offered up the creative freedom to customise your own Xbox One controller, via its Design Lab.

OFFICIAL XBOX ONE MEDIA REMOTE (£16/US$25)

While your Xbox One controller may be perfect for blasting aliens, it’s not quite as practical for Netflix navigation. This remote provides a handy alternative which is a pro at seeking out season two of Stranger Things. Take note, though: to use the remote for controlling your TV and volume, you’ll need the Kinect sensor.

XBOX ONE DIGITAL TV TUNER (£6)

Make that Xbox One work for its under-telly space by turning it into a media centre. Stick this USB tuner into the back and you’ll be able to receive live broadcasts through your console. It’ll do ‘live pause’ – for those urgent coffee breaks – and it’s also possible to ‘snap’ the TV streaming app whilst gaming, so you can enjoy Forza and re-runs of The Great British Bake Off at the same time. Need we say more?

CUSTOM XBOX ONE DECAL (US$20)

Still slumming it with an original Xbox One when everyone else is upgrading to an X? Redress that boxy inbalance with a custom decal from DecalGirl. Simply create a design or select one of the pre-rendered skins, then have it shipped straight to your door. It beats a brown paper bag, any day.

RAZER WILDCAT (£70/US$84)

If you fancy custom gaming kit without the price-tag of the official Elite controller, give the Wildcat a go. With four programmable buttons on the rear, as well as a built-in control panel for switching profiles, it’s also been sculpted to be as comfortable as possible to hold during those long button-mashing sessions.

TURTLE BEACH ELITE 800X (£160/US$225)

Want cable-free, 7.1 surround sound for your gaming cave? Turtle Beach’s 800X cans are truly opulent. Foam cushions mould to your head while complex drivers deliver 360-degree sound to ensure you get the jump on enemies coming from any direction. Chat volume also automatically adjusts itself to be heard above oscillating levels of gameplay noise.

VENOM TWIN CHARGING CRADLE (£15/US$22)

“Two at once? You’ve got to be joking!” We’re not – and neither is Venom. Put paid to DualShock 4 envy with this power solution for your controllers. With two rechargeable battery packs included, it’s as easy as sticking your handheld friends in the space-efficient dock. They’ll be juiced before you know it.

EVIL CONTROLLERS XBOX ONE CONTROLLER (US$164.99)

Sure, the official Xbox custom controllers look pretty lovely. What’s the problem? You can only change the colours. Evil Controllers will allow you to add extra buttons, increase the sensitivity of the triggers, and even remove the rumble motors if you think they interfere with your fragging. It has loads more customisation options than Microsoft, too.

TURTLE BEACH XO ONE AMPLIFIED STEREO GAMING HEADSET (£30/US$60)

Some might say it’s a litte miserly of Microsoft to ship the Xbox without a headset. The good news is that getting a decent one doesn’t have to cost and arm and a leg. Turtle Beach’s XO One is a brilliant balance of price and features. It’s even got an on-board audio controller that plugs into the bottom of your controller, allowing you to easily adjust the game/chat audio balance on the fly.

XBOX ONE ELITE WIRELESS CONTROLLER (£100/US$150)

Free yourself from the shackles of prescribed button placement: build yourself the controller you deserve. Or, rather, tinker and tweak this Elite controller until you’re happy with the layout. Fully customisable, with swappable thumbsticks and D-pads – including a new, faceted D-pad for greater control – it should allow any player to find their perfect fit.

SEAGATE 2TB GAME DRIVE FOR XBOX (£85/US$85)

A hard drive might not seem the most exciting add-on – until you realise it’ll carry more than 50 of you favourite games. USB 3.0 connectivity means you shouldn’t be kept waiting, whilst plug-and-play portability makes it a cinch for you to hop round Kevin’s for a mega-game fest. Until tea time, that is.