SteelSeries Announces The Stratus XL Wireless Gaming Controller

By Kevin Mitchell Posted on June 16, 2015

Prior to the official opening of the showroom floor at E3 2015 in Los Angeles, SteelSeries (known for their PC gaming headsets, mice and keyboards) have announced an all-new bluetooth enabled wireless gaming controller; the Stratus XL. The controller was specifically designed with PC and Android gamers in mind, allowing you to use the controller not only for your favorite PC game, but with any Android powered device, including Amazon Fire TV and Ouya.

“Play all of your controller-enabled Steam games with the Stratus XL for Windows & Android, which leverages the Microsoft XInput game controller API. With XInput, the Stratus XL will function just like a console-style gaming controller on PC. Supported by the SteelSeries Engine software suite, gamers can personalize the controller, adjust joystick settings and sensitivity levels, and invert the axis.”

The Stratus XL combines key features from both the PlayStation and Xbox branded controllers, allowing for precise tweaking through the SteelSeries Engine software. This allows for precise customization of deadzones and sensitivity of both the triggers and the analog sticks on a per game basis. The clickable analog sticks are located right next to each other, in similar fashion to Sony’s DualShock 4, along with two shoulder buttons on top and two analog trigger at the rear of the controller. The labeling mimics the DS4 setup (L1, L2, R1, R2), while the four gray face buttons match what is being used on the Xbox One and Xbox 360 controllers. The three smaller buttons located at the center of the controller allow for easy navigation in games, and for use with Steam Big Picture Mode.

The Stratus XL is powered by AA batteries, the Stratus XL is capable of being used for 40 hours of gameplay before needing replacement batteries. Due to the nature of the Bluetooth connection, you’ll be able to connect multiple devices at the same time for local multiplayer. The Stratus XL will cost $59.99 and will be available in July. Visit the SteelSeries homepage for more information.