Can I trade in a controller with stick drift?

Yes — drifted and damaged controllers are exactly what the program is built for. Condition affects the credit amount, but a drifting Xbox controller is still worth credit. It gets rebuilt with TMR anti-drift sticks before it goes back out.

How much is my Xbox controller worth?

Series X|S controllers pay the most — up to $45 with every problem reported and clean condition. Xbox One S controllers top out at $30. Cosmetic wear takes a small amount off (worn −$2, rough −$5), and there's no cap, so every problem you mark adds to the total. Use the trade-in tool for an instant estimate — you'll see the number before you commit to anything.

Do I have to send my old controller first?

No. Your Den-built controller ships to you first, and the prepaid return label arrives in the box. You send the trade back after your new one is in your hands.

What controllers do you accept?

Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One controllers, in conditions from like-new to drifted and cosmetically worn. If it's a real Microsoft controller, there's a good chance it's worth credit. We also take PS5 DualSense and PS4 DualShock controllers.

What happens to my old controller?

It goes through the Den: full teardown, deep clean, worn parts replaced, TMR anti-drift sticks installed, then tested against the same standards as every build. It comes out the other side as a Den Restored controller for another player.

Trade-In Guide

Xbox controller trade-in

Your old Xbox controller is worth money — even the drifted one. Here's how trading it in works, what it's worth, and why it beats buying new.

What your controller is worth

Credit is calculated per problem, with no cap — every issue you mark adds to the total, and cosmetic condition moves the payout. These are the rates as of today:

XBOX SERIES X|S

Drift $17 · Buttons $15 · Other $13 — up to $45 clean

XBOX ONE S

Drift $12 · Buttons $10 · Other $8 — up to $30 clean

Condition counts: Clean pays full, Worn takes $2 off, and Rough takes $5 off. A rough Series X|S with all three problems still earns $40.

Why trade in instead of buying new

A brand-new Xbox controller costs full retail and ships with the same potentiometer sticks that drifted on your last one. Trading in flips the equation: your old controller becomes credit, and what shows up is better than new.

Stock Xbox sticks wear out by design — a replacement off the shelf has the same parts that already failed you once.
Selling used controllers yourself means listings, lowball offers, shipping hassle, and no guarantee for the buyer.
Throwing it away wastes a controller that's one rebuild away from being tournament-ready.
Trading in turns dead hardware into instant credit toward a controller that's actually an upgrade.

The process

How the swap works

No forms · No waiting · New controller ships first

01
Get an instant estimate
Pick your controller model, mark what's wrong with it, and choose its condition in the trade-in tool. You see your credit estimate up front — no forms, no waiting for a quote email.
02
Your new controller ships first
Once your swap is confirmed, your Den-built controller is on its way to you before you send anything back. You're never left without a controller.
03
Send the old one back
A prepaid return label comes in the box. Drop your old controller in and send it off — that's the whole errand.
04
It gets rebuilt, not binned
Your trade goes through the Den: stripped, tested, rebuilt with new parts, and sent back out as a Den Restored build. Less landfill, more controllers.

Drifted? Still worth credit

Stick drift is the number one reason Xbox controllers get traded in — and it's not a dealbreaker here. Drift happens because stock sticks physically wear out, and worn parts are exactly what a rebuild replaces. Your drifted controller gets TMR anti-drift sticks installed before it goes back out, and you get credit for it either way.

AS-IS

Drifted controllers accepted

TMR

Installed in every rebuild

1ST

Your new build ships first

Fighting drift right now? Read how to fix Xbox controller stick drift or see why TMR beats Hall Effect sticks.

Your move

Lock your credit

Start a trade in

Get an instant estimate on your controller — takes about a minute. Add up to three trades and stack the credit.

Start trade in

See what you can get

Den Restored and Mamba Custom builds — every one Den-tested with TMR anti-drift sticks installed. Your credit applies at checkout.

Browse builds

Trade-in questions