3D-Printed at Home Before Microsoft Greenlit It: How Lead Designer Ryan Whitaker Built the 101g Xbox Nano Controller as a Side Project
Released worldwide on November 4, 2026 for $49.99, the Xbox Nano Controller stands as the smallest first-party gamepad Microsoft has ever built. While our initial coverage of the pocket-sized Xbox Nano Controller highlighted its sub-100-gram footprint and travel-ready form factor, a new retrospective in Xbox's official 25th anniversary magazine reveals that the device did not start as a corporate mandate. Instead, lead designer Ryan Whitaker began building early prototypes at home on his personal 3D printer long before Microsoft officially greenlit the project.
From Off-Hours 3D Prints to an Official First-Party Xbox Gamepad
According to Whitaker's account in the 25th anniversary publication, the idea stemmed from recognizing the physical limits of a one-size-fits-all hardware philosophy. While the standard Xbox Wireless Controller remains the benchmark for most console and PC players, Whitaker noted that its full-sized grips and bulk can feel intimidating, uncomfortable, or cumbersome to pack for younger players, users with smaller hands, and commuters.
Working independently on his own time, Whitaker used his home 3D printer to mock up compact shells and experiment with condensed button geometries. When Xbox hardware leadership later asked the design team to explore an approachable, ultra-portable first-party controller capable of welcoming new audiences, Whitaker already had physical 3D-printed prototypes ready to demonstrate how a pocketable Xbox layout could work in practice.
Custom Processor, Low-Profile Thumbsticks, and All 18 Standard Inputs in 101 Grams
Rather than simply shrinking an existing Xbox Series X|S shell, Microsoft engineered the Xbox Nano Controller from the ground up as an entirely new first-party architecture. Measuring just over 5 inches (12.7 cm) in length and weighing roughly 101 grams (3.5 ounces), the chassis is shorter and lighter than most modern smartphones while preserving all 18 standard gameplay inputs:
- Lower-profile clickable analog thumbsticks engineered to fit flush inside a pocket or backpack without snagging.
- Full analog triggers (LT and RT) paired with standard LB and RB bumpers, avoiding the digital-only trigger compromises common on miniature third-party pads.
- A hybrid D-pad, ABXY face buttons, system keys, and a programmable Action Button that can be mapped to screenshots, video capture, or custom shortcuts.
- A dedicated custom processor developed specifically for the Nano, paired with an internal USB-C rechargeable battery and tri-mode wireless support combining Xbox Wireless, Bluetooth, and Direct-to-Cloud Wi-Fi (Cloud Connect) to cut Xbox Cloud Gaming input latency.
Check Availability of the Xbox Nano Controller on Amazon→
"We're Not Trying to Have Someone Win a Call of Duty Tournament With This Thing"
Whitaker was candid about the engineering trade-offs required to keep the controller compact and priced at $49.99. Microsoft never envisioned the Nano as a replacement for its flagship gamepads or high-end competitive hardware. "We're not trying to have someone win a Call of Duty tournament with this thing," Whitaker explained, emphasizing that esports-grade ergonomics were never the target.
Instead, the team prioritized portability and effortless local multiplayer, making it easier for families and friends to keep an extra controller on hand for couch co-op sessions in titles like Minecraft Dungeons II or on-the-go cloud play in Forza Horizon 6. Whitaker also shared an unexpected behavioral quirk observed during prototype testing: when testers picked up the Nano for the first time, many instinctively pulled the tiny controller toward their chest and squeezed it. For the design team, that immediate tactile reaction confirmed that the home-printed concept had evolved into a genuinely inviting piece of hardware.
My Take on the Spec Sheet
In an era where first-party console accessories usually go through endless corporate focus groups before a single prototype is milled, learning that the Xbox Nano Controller started on Ryan Whitaker's home 3D printer makes its design make a lot more sense. From a hardware perspective, what separates the 101g Nano from disposable travel gamepads isn't just the smaller shell: it's the fact that Microsoft engineered a dedicated processor, preserved true analog triggers, ditched AA batteries for internal USB-C charging, and packed in Direct-to-Cloud Wi-Fi silicon. It won't replace an Elite Series pad for competitive shooters, but as a $49.99 travel and Smart TV cloud companion, it's one of the smartest passion projects to come out of Redmond's hardware labs in years.
PC hardware enthusiast and competitive gamer, Arthur 'Heimdall' splits his time between France and the UK working in enterprise B2B software solutions. A business school graduate passionate about component benchmarking, he has been building, modding, and tuning PCs since childhood, optimizing every thermal degree and millisecond of display latency. An avid gamer across Assassin's Creed and sandbox titles, he forged his alliance with Grimtag and Chaya during late-night World of Warcraft raids before joining Pro-Gamer.
