(Image credit: Xbox)

Xbox is full of surprises these days and while we've been expecting an announcement of a new Elite controller, it's actually another official gamepad that's broken cover first.

The Xbox Nano Controller is a compact pad that the company claims would suit a younger player or gamer with "smaller hands". However, I can see an immediate use for it – as an ideal companion to a TV or streaming device with Xbox Cloud Gaming support.

Priced at £44.99 / $49.99 and available to pre-order now, it comes with Bluetooth as well as the usual Xbox wireless connectivity. That means you can easily pair it with an Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, Samsung smart TV, or another device that supports Xbox's cloud service.

It features a similar button layout and thumbsticks to the usual Xbox Wireless Controller, but the body is truncated for a more pocketable form factor. That also makes it ideal for taking to a friend's home to play multiplayer games on their console.

All of the rest of the functionality is the same, so you don't need to learn anything new. Just hook it up and away you do.

One genuine upgrade over the standard controller is that it has a rechargeable battery, which charges through USB-C. You don't have to hunt for AAA batteries everytime it runs out.

The Xbox Nano Controller is available to pre-order in a large selection of countries, including mainland Europe, the UK, US and Canada. It'll ship from the beginning of November.

It looks like white is the only colour option at the moment, and there will be partnerships with Samsung and Meta for new owners of their respective devices to get the new controller and two-months of Xbox Game Pass for free.