The LeadJoy Xeno Plus

DISCLAIMERS:

• I received my unit for free from Leadjoy in return for a review.
• I am not officially associated with any controller company and all opinions are based on my personal experience and I try not to have bias towards any company.

Hello controller addicts! So Leadjoy is a brand new name in the space but definitely NOT new faces, the R&D team are ex-BIGBIG WON (MOJHON) veterans which already had me curious the moment I heard about it. The Xeno Plus is their first serious swing at a dedicated controller and honestly? I went in skeptical, came out impressed. $60 for what's inside this thing is kinda wild. Let me break it all down.

MAIN FEATURES:

• JS13 Pro TMR joysticks (12-bit, 4096 steps)
• Dual-Mode triggers: Hall linear + microswitch lock
• Mechanical microswitch ABXY face buttons (0.5mm actuation)
• 4 remappable rear buttons
• 1000Hz polling rate (wired & 2.4GHz wireless)
• 6-axis motion control (native + simulated gyro)
• Bluetooth + 2.4GHz + Wired
• PC / Switch / iOS / Android
• 1000mAh battery (~30hrs)
• Charging dock included

WHAT'S IN THE BOX?

• Leadjoy Xeno Plus controller
• Smart Charging dock (USB passthrough, dongle slot built in)
• R10 dongle
• USB-C cable
• D-Pad Cap
• User manual

No carrying case but given everything else that's packed in here it's a pretty understandable omission. The dock is a genuinely nice touch though, probably my favorite budget controller dock I've used, it's actually harder to put the controller in wrong than right which sounds minor but I love that design philosophy.

ERGONOMICS: smaller than you expect, better than it looks

how it sits in the hand

First thing you notice is it's a bit smaller than a typical Xbox-style pad. The grip angle is slightly stunted too. People with larger hands will feel it more than average sized hands, and if you're a claw gripper like some folks, the bumper placement is gonna take some adjustment. That said the weight is really well balanced. Not trying to be a premium heft controller but doesn't feel cheap light either, just... right. Build quality is solid. The plastic shell is high quality for the price even if it's fully plastic. The laser etched grip texture on the rear is so subtle you almost can't feel it which is a bit of a miss, definitely felt smoother than I'd like. One screw hidden behind a sticker during disassembly, tbh most brands do this but still annoying.

The joystick rubber caps are actually some of the best default caps I've touched. Super grippy, nice texture. The underlying plastic has this circular depression in the center that could show wear long term but easily solved by just swapping caps when needed.

STICKS: the main event

those JS13 Pro TMR modules up close

JS13 Pro TMR modules. 12-bit resolution, 4096 step input. No inner dead zone, the stick responds immediately to literally the slightest touch. For FPS players this is a big deal. The linearity is genuinely impressive, micro-adjustments feel clean and repeatable. Tension is around 65gf, even resistance all the way around.

One thing I did notice: on the left stick between roughly 90°-180° the input distance registered slightly shorter than the rest of the circle. Could be magnetic interference from the adjacent hall trigger magnets, could be a beta unit quirk, could be a firmware thing. The fix is easy, extend the outer deadzone in software and it compensates fine. I didn't notice it meaningfully in actual gameplay after adjusting. Worth mentioning though especially for people that depend on very repeatable micro-adjustment muscle memory.

Latency wise this thing is genuinely top tier. Around 6ms average over 2.4GHz wireless which is well under what most people will ever notice. Comparable to controllers costing 2-3x more.

FACE BUTTONS AND D-PAD: punching above their weight

The ABXY uses a double layer microswitch setup, plunger into silicone membrane into switch. The silicone does mute the tactile feedback a bit compared to bare microswitches. Still satisfying, still notably better than most controllers in this range. Pre travel is minimal. They feel premium for the price.

D-pad is a round shield style. Not designed with fighting games in mind, works really well for directional inputs in FPS though. Sturdy, reliable, feels a step above budget but not top tier.

TRIGGERS AND BUMPERS: the best and the weakest

rear layout

Dual mode triggers are a standout feature. Hall linear mode gives you smooth analog input for racing/flying, physical microswitch lock turns them into instant digital buttons, perfect for FPS. for FPS. The trigger locks feel absolutely top tier. Instant actuation, super satisfying click. Default trigger deadzone is 5-95 which I'd recommend keeping, at 0 they fire from the tiniest touch which takes adjustment.

Bumpers are the weakest part. Require more force to actuate than everything else, the angle makes them awkward especially if your hands are larger or you grip differently. They use microswitches but the design makes them feel the most muted. Manageable but I hope Leadjoy revisits the bumper angle in V2.

REAR BUTTONS: sneaky great

4 rear buttons arranged in a low profile row across the back. The outer two closest to the grips feel legitimately amazing, no membrane, immediate tactile click, laser etched grip texture that basically grabs your fingertips. Could spam them all day. The inner two (L4/R4) sit a bit further inward and take a few sessions to adjust to but they do work. After a week of use all 4 are usable, the inner placement is just less ideal ergonomically.

SOFTWARE: best in class at this price

The PC and mobile app is seriously impressive for a first release. More fine-tuning options than pretty much anything else I've used at this level. Deadzone control, stick curve customization, button remapping to keyboard/mouse/macros, turbo/rapid fire (5x/10x/20x/30x), 3 onboard profiles, gyro tuning. There's also an AI Visual Recurve feature that reads your actual in-game stick response via phone camera and generates a compensating curve, it's experimental and kinda clunky to set up but conceptually this is really cool and solves a real problem of games having inconsistent built-in stick curves. The app also has an AI assistant to help tune for specific games.

Minor translation hiccups here and there, clearly a new app, but the bones are excellent.

BATTERY AND WIRELESS

1000mAh battery, rated ~30 hours. In extended sessions (8-12 hours) the battery held up fine, never saw a low battery warning across multiple long sessions. Connection over 2.4GHz was rock solid. Tested at 12ft from the dock with dongle plugged in, zero drops or hiccups.

CONCLUSION

For $60 this thing really shouldn't exist. TMR sticks, dual-mode triggers with microswitch locks, modular motion control, best-in-class software, genuine 1000Hz polling on wireless, you're looking at internals that show up on controllers at $80-100+. The cost savings show up in the plastic shell feel and bumper ergonomics, not in performance. That's exactly the right trade to make.

FPS players are going to get the most out of this, the sticks and trigger locks are tuned perfectly for it. Claw grippers or big-handed folks might find the bumpers frustrating. And if you're coming from a more expensive pad expecting premium materials, manage expectations on feel vs function.

I can't think of another controller at this price I'd recommend over it. A few things to iron out for V2 but as a first controller from a new brand? Genuinely one of the better launches I've seen.

RATINGS:

PRICE/VALUE: 9/10 The internals-to-price ratio is almost embarrassing. A few material quality trade-offs are the only thing keeping this from a 10.

ERGONOMICS: 7.5/10 Well balanced, comfortable grips for average hands. Smaller frame and bumper placement hold it back for larger hands and claw grip users.

FUNCTIONALITY: 9/10 Dual-mode triggers, 4 rear buttons, modular motion modules, gyro, remapping, macros, it does a lot and most of it well.

PERFORMANCE: 9/10 Top-tier latency, excellent TMR sticks, 1000Hz wireless. Minor left stick input distance quirk on some units.

SOFTWARE: 9.5/10 Best customization app I've seen at this price tier. A few translation quirks being the only real issue.

OVERALL: 9/10