Seems like decent quality & good value for money. I only gave 4/5 stars because it bugs me the battery pack is built in, I would much prefer if the Elite came with a rechargeable pack that can easily be swapped for another when the battery becomes tired through use.
I recently purchased the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 — Core Edition in Red, and while the performance is top-notch, I’m starting to notice a recurring issue with durability. This is actually the second Elite Series 2 controller I’ve bought in the past year, and both have developed issues where they seem to split at the seams over time.
Don’t get me wrong, the controller feels fantastic in hand, and the customization options are excellent for fine-tuning your gaming experience. The Red edition also looks stunning and really stands out. However, considering the premium price tag, I expected better longevity.
If you’re looking for precision and comfort, this controller delivers. But if you’re like me and use it regularly, be prepared for potential durability concerns down the line. I’m hoping Microsoft addresses this in future versions because everything else about this controller is great.
The Xbox Elite Bluetooth Wireless Controller Series 2 – Core Edition (White) is a game-changer for serious gamers. I’ve used it on my Xbox Series X. The build quality is exceptional, with a premium feel and sturdy construction. The customizable buttons and adjustable-tension thumbsticks allow for a personalized gaming experience, enhancing precision and control. The battery life is impressive, lasting through long gaming sessions without needing a recharge. Additionally, the Bluetooth connectivity is seamless, ensuring a lag-free experience. The sleek white design adds a stylish touch. This controller is worth every penny for the enhanced performance and comfort it provides. Highly recommended!
I’ve had a black Elite controller with accessories pack for about fifteen months and the LB button stopped working. Managed a couple of temporary fixes but eventually the button stopped working. I decided to replace the controller as the standard XBox controller was not as good without the customisation of the Elite. This core controller is exactly the same but without the accessories-however, having these from my previous purchase saved me a third of the cost. Also purchased product insurance this time too as this is a common problem with the Elite controller.
I’m basing my review of this from comparing it to the RAZER WOLVERINE V2 CHROMA, the V2 Chroma is a much more comfortable controller to use, coming from the Razer this controller hurts my hands in competitive gaming, this controller is smaller and my hands seem to ache from gripping it where as the razer is bigger and lighter so even in the most intense competitive games I find I hold the Razer lightly and never seem to grip it with the same intensity that I do this controller but I also think this maybe down to the fact that I can play the game differently with this controller compared to the Razer the reason being the paddles on this controller are perfect where as the buttons on the Razer where paddles would be are too far for my fingers to reach. Although the Razer has an extra 2 buttons on top which are great for customizing for certain games pressing them means that you can’t press either the trigger or bumper at the same time meaning for certain games you are restricted compared to the smaller Xbox Elite controller. At the end of the day my hands hurt play MW3 with the Elite Controller and my scoring is not as good because of this where as with the Razer my hand never hurt even on long sessions but my style of play is different because I just can’t do what I can do with the Elite. One star deducted because of this.
A good controller all working fine a bit heavy in the hand but really comfortable windows software can be a pain to install it either works or doesn’t and if it doesn’t I just gave up after trying many hours to install it properly no answers on the internet fixed it for me
Bought for my son. Very well built and solid. Heavier than original Xbox controller and feels great to hold. He tells me his game play has drastically improved now he has a feel for it, and he was very good as it was so definitely worth the money. No paddles included!
Been humming and hawing about this purchase for weeks….prices were down a little and bought myself a little pressie……it’s good to able to customise the controller….its a little tighter than my standard controller…..was glad i was able to transfer my skull&co bluetooth adapter as I’m hard of hearing… so can use my hearing aids to good effect. worth the money
I’m not the biggest gamer in the world, but when my daughter decided to pour milk into my 3rd controller I pushed the boat out and got an elite 2 with the extra bits and bobs including a nice case to protect it from future child related damage!
What can I say? Being able to map functions to the paddles on the back, make the thumb sticks firmer and longer, and shorten or lengthen the triggers on the fly… Makes my terrible gaming just enough better that I can now enjoy it more!
It’s so well made, like amazingly accurate machining and the grip is so much more conformable!
I couldn’t rate this more highly to anyone no matter if you’re a big gamer or not!
I’ve had this for a little over a year at this point, probably got over 1000 hours of use out of it across various games. Its responsive, well built, feels good in my hands and the back paddles have improved my gaming experience a lot. The adaptive triggers are also fantastic, allowing for snappy digital like presses for shooters and analog pressure sensitive control for fine adjustments in driving/racing games.
However, I am experiencing some inputs not registering (unsure whether thats software or hardware). No stick drift for me, but I rarely every have drift problems with any controllers so dont take my experience as gospel. And god forbid you drop this damn thing and have both sticks and the D-pad ping off under furniture. Also kinda sucks that you cant remap the paddles to alt functions or macros without 3rd party software, but thats a very gamer problem.
Overall, very good controller, just a bit on the expensive side if you’re prone to breaking things.
Very big upgrade from the Xbox controller with the back paddles to the buttons on the controller feeling very high end, like all controllers unfortunately they end up with stick drift but 5 weeks of gameplay still haven’t got it touch wood
I had the elite controller 1 a few years ago and decided I would upgrade again to this one. I would say this is much better value for money than buying the full version as you can buy the back paddles from other brands cheaply so it still works out cheaper than the full version. My only complaint is my D-Pad doesn’t seem to be perfectly set. It leans to the left which is pretty annoying but all in all it’s a good controller. Comes with a charging cable and a key to adjust the stick sensitivity. It also has an integrated battery too which is a first for Xbox controllers.
Great controller battery lasts forever but hands get sweaty and grips don’t really help. When pressing the A button softly it only registers when I have to really hit it to register as pressed.
Overall i like it.
Feels like aim assist on Call of Duty is stronger than on my previous controller.
Drifting not a big issue (for now) but i would expect for this price as a new controller to work perfectly…
Fully customizable and i love that.
Bought as a gift for my 12 year old sons birthday and he couldn’t have been happier. It is great quality and lovely to hold compared to normal controllers. If buying the white one you need to buy the accessory kit separately that contains the charger, paddles for the rear and carry case. As a non gamer myself I can appreciate the beauty of this and can see the value in the product.
This is my second elite 2 controller. I had my first one for a couple of years and it served me well. Some of the buttons weren’t working properly and the paddles weren’t working great. To be fair I did drop it a couple of times, but it seemed unaffected.
Anyway they are brilliant controllers. Everything just feels much nicer than the basic normal controllers. The paddles on the back make a huge difference. For example being able to push a paddle to run instead of clicking down on the analog stucks really saves my thumbs. I regularly use all paddles and they help me out a lot.
Battery life is really good, can go days without charging, maybe weeks depending on use.
A few negatives though…
The bumper buttons are prone to failure
The paddles might need to be replaced as the metal wears down after a while
They are very expensive controllers but worth it for me as they make playing much more comfortable
I love the feel of this controller, however I wish that it was possible to map the paddles to different functions rather than just duplicating buttons from the face of the controller.
The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – Core Edition is an absolute gem for gamers seeking the ultimate control and customization experience. If you already own the original Elite controller, this upgraded version serves as a perfect replacement, taking your gaming to new heights.
The Series 2 – Core Edition retains all the exceptional features that made the original Elite controller so beloved. The build quality is outstanding, with a premium feel and solid construction that ensures durability and longevity. The controller’s weight and balance are perfectly calibrated, offering a comfortable and ergonomic grip for extended gaming sessions.
What sets the Series 2 – Core Edition apart is the range of enhancements and refinements it brings to the table. The first noticeable improvement is the adjustable tension on the thumbsticks, allowing you to fine-tune their resistance to match your playstyle. This level of customization grants you an unprecedented level of precision and control.
Additionally, the addition of the three-profile switch on the controller’s faceplate makes switching between personalized configurations a breeze. Whether you prefer different setups for various genres or share the controller with friends, this feature streamlines the process and ensures that your preferred settings are always at your fingertips.
The Series 2 – Core Edition also boasts an extended battery life, which is a significant improvement over its predecessor. With up to 40 hours of gameplay on a single charge, you can immerse yourself in your favorite titles without interruption, ensuring that the controller is always ready for action when you are.
Overall, the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – Core Edition is a worthy successor to the original Elite controller. If you already own an Elite controller, this upgraded version serves as a perfect replacement, taking your gaming experience to the next level. Its exceptional build quality, customizable features, and extended battery life make it a must-have for gamers who demand the best in performance and versatility.
First things first, remember this is the core edition so you get none of the additional accessories the black one has but as you can see in my images, you are able to buy the component kit separately and attach them as normal, this controller is only missing the additional components, nothing else, still has all the other features.
It feels great and secure while in use, the rubberised grips and textured sticks and triggers helping it feel secure and precise whilst playing your favourite games, being able to adjust the trigger threshold to respond instantly (similar to the click of a computer mouse) will be super useful in shooters when shooting first can dictate a win or loss.
The battery is very impressive and leads to me not having to charge it for weeks and if you do have to charge, the long and braided cable it comes with will ensure you can play whilst charging.
Using the Xbox Controller app you are able to fully re-map every button on the controller to suit what your needs are perfectly, you can save these modifications as a profile, which you get three off and can switch between by the little button in the middle. Speaking of the app, it also allows you to change the colour of the Xbox button with millions of possibilities. (The colour is saved to the individual profiles so you will have to make sure each profile has the button colour you want)
Being able to adjust the thumbstick tension has been super useful for me in first person shooters, finding the most hardest tension to be useful for precision, though a guide/indicator of tension level would have been appreciated.
Overall an impressive controller and easily upgradeable with the component kit, would recommend.
The Elite Series 2 Core is the best controller for able-bodied players.
The controller can help some disabled players too.
In other cases the Xbox Accessibility Controller will be better for some disabled players.
I’ve had the Elite Series1, Elite Series 2, & now the Elite Series 2 Core, & the core a much better controller, due to improved durability as they discovered that the hand-oils of some people could cause the soft plastic grips to expand on previous models, which lead to the grips coming off. This issue has been resolved thankfully.
Previous model directional-pads, & paddles are all compatible, though some sticks from previous models are not due to a change in the amount of internal threads for some reason? The core has 3 threads, I believe the previous models had 4 or more. You will need to purchase an accessory pack if you do not have one, though they are not required.
Sadly they have not yet added magnetic Hall Effect sensors & still use potentiometer sensors in their analogue sticks. I expected this to be the standard by now in 2023, but its still not the case, & the change is well over-due. (This applies across the industry).
Make sure to configure your controls in the Xbox Accessories App, & make sure to set the colour of your Xbox Nexus button to add a little personality too.
ecieived this yesterday by a amazon delivery driver had to give him a code to accept the delivery as a “high value” item, opened the box which was security sealed so overall good so far, well packaged and no damage to controller or box, first time when i went to connect this to my xbox one x console it wouldnt turn on so had to manually turn my console on without the controller and still wouldnt connect, so i plugged in the supplied cable and turned on the controller with it connected to cable and then it needed a software update with didnt take too long, after the update it then went through the various settings (vibration.and control set up options) its a complicated and time consuming process just to adjust your settings with various screen options (menu) so many to go through just to customise your preffered settings, the good things about it is that you can change the coulor of the xbox logo and customise and give your controller a name, the weight of the controller is noticiable compared to my other controller its the batttery inside with feels slightyly heavyer, the only downside to this is that you cant change the battery inside which would of been a good option, i wonder how long the rechargable battery will last
before the controller is no longer fully charging. with the included accesories you can customise the thumbshifters,or add paddles to the rear, i took the rear paddles off as they affected my game play but you can manually lock these through the controller settings on your xbox console (which is even more time consuming) to update and install softwear you need to connect your controller to your xbox console through the supplied cable) for some reason it didnt connect wirelessly first time, overall good build quality but could do with a few adjustments maybe a manufacturing problem when you change the thumbshifters they can come abit loose if you use them through heavy use whislt playing gta5 or forza.
i personally dont think its worth the overpriced controller retail price it should of been 100.00 which i think i a reasonable retail price with the v.a.t included. its a good controller but hopefully if this one is good enough i may order a second one depending on the rechargable battery and connection issues.
i would reccomend this if your a hardcore gamer.
With my old Xbox One controller wearing out, I decided to treat myself and pick up an Elite 2 controller for use on my PC (ironically to play PlayStation titles).
It’s a lovely controller to hold. It feels solid and premium; the entire surface, barring the bumpers, triggers, and the panel between them (which all have a metallic feel) has a rubberised feel to it, with the actual grips being textured.
On the rear there are extra controls – four ‘paddles’, which at first feel unintuitive to use until you figure out which fingers to use, and a pair of toggle switches which control how sensitive their respective triggers are. I’m yet to find a use for the paddles (which can be removed, if you’d rather), but I suspect they’d be great for things like manual gear shifting in driving games.
On the front there’s a button which lets you shift between one of three ‘profiles’. The thumbsticks and D-pad can be removed and swapped for any of the included alternatives, including a more traditional D-pad and less traditional (for Xbox controllers, at least) convex sticks. Personally, I quite like the default metal plate-style D-pad.
Also, good news for PC users – setting the pad up is as easy as pairing any Bluetooth device (assuming you have Bluetooth). You don’t need any extra software to get going, unless you want to modify the control profiles and/or update the firmware.
The pad comes with a solid-feeling case, with room inside to store everything that comes with it. The included charging station (for the built-in rechargeable battery, which I haven’t had to recharge since buying it over a week ago) fits into the case magnetically, and holds the pad itself in place while it’s in the case. All of the replacement button parts are plugged into a holder at the bottom, and there’s a netted pouch on the lid which can hold the button removal tool and the USB cable. It’s snug, but it all fits well.
However – I can’t see myself using the extra features all that much, to be honest. Perhaps I’ll change my mind once I’ve played something that might use the paddles on the back, but for the most part I’ve just been using it as a traditional control pad so far. Which makes this an extremely expensive controller. Is the premium feel worth the extra money? If you can’t see yourself using the extra features, it might be worth looking at one of the more conventional – and cheaper – pads instead.
It’s a nice, but unnecessary, luxury.
Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission says:
I’ve always liked Xbox joypads, and just use them on my PC.
So when old XBOne pad died, thought I’d splurge and get myself an Elite model.
First off – it feels really nice in the hands. Slightly rubberized and textured ‘horns’ for your hands to feel, slightly heavier feeling and lovely blacked-out face-buttons. It looks and feels like quality.
Personalization options are pretty comprehensive:
1) D pad defaults to the octagonal look you’ll see in the product-shot, but you can change it to a normal cross. Indicentally, both are metal, and feel lovely.
2) Joysticks can have their tension adjusted. By default regular, but can be tightened up to ‘springier’
3) Alternate joysticks provided, which like the D-pad just snap on with magnets. Also get a pair of sticks similar to the 360 one (smoother, without edge texture). Another with a long stem, so more movement. FInally one with a rounded mushroom tip.
4) On the back you have the 4 removable paddles, that you can map to other joypad inputs (although annoyingly not keyboard strokes, macros etc)
5) Sliders on the back to adjust the depth of the trigger pulls.
6) PC software also allows some adjustment of the acceleration from linear presses on joypad and triggers (i.e. You can make it twitchy). Also allows you to dampen/turn off vibration and dim xbox button light. The aforementioned button mapping can switch anything around – and you can even set buttons to a ‘shift’ function, and assign other buttons to different presses depending if ‘shift’ is held or not. Finally lets you save these settings to ‘profiles’ you can cycle through on the pad.
7) Nice charging dock (that can sit in the nice case, or on your desk) – and a lovely long braided USB-A->C cable (the joypad has a USB-C socket on it).
I might have missed something out – but it’s a premium product with lots of nice ways of tweaking it.
Minor complaint – button mapping just lets you move button presses around. Using a PC, I’m used to being able to put macros/anything on any button. Now I could see why they might not want to allow this on a console (unfair advantage) – but makes little sense on PC.
Major complaint, for me – I’ve left every single configurable option (after a bit of playing) as “How it is on a regular joypad.” I’ve even removed the paddles on the back, and switched to the cross D-pad. Now this might just be to keep my muscle memory happy, and it’s nice to have options in the future – but was a very expensive way to find out the OG pads are pretty optimal already.
If you can live without the rechargeable system, paddles, adjustments, button-mapping & metal d-pad – you can specify a regular joypad from XBox’s Design Labs that looks nearly the same (grippy sides and metallic triggers included). For half the cost.
Returning this didn’t cross my mind (OK it did, but just for a second) – but I’d have a careful think as to exactly which of the features you’re buying this for.
Seems like decent quality & good value for money. I only gave 4/5 stars because it bugs me the battery pack is built in, I would much prefer if the Elite came with a rechargeable pack that can easily be swapped for another when the battery becomes tired through use.
Don’t get me wrong, the controller feels fantastic in hand, and the customization options are excellent for fine-tuning your gaming experience. The Red edition also looks stunning and really stands out. However, considering the premium price tag, I expected better longevity.
If you’re looking for precision and comfort, this controller delivers. But if you’re like me and use it regularly, be prepared for potential durability concerns down the line. I’m hoping Microsoft addresses this in future versions because everything else about this controller is great.
The Xbox Elite Bluetooth Wireless Controller Series 2 – Core Edition (White) is a game-changer for serious gamers. I’ve used it on my Xbox Series X. The build quality is exceptional, with a premium feel and sturdy construction. The customizable buttons and adjustable-tension thumbsticks allow for a personalized gaming experience, enhancing precision and control. The battery life is impressive, lasting through long gaming sessions without needing a recharge. Additionally, the Bluetooth connectivity is seamless, ensuring a lag-free experience. The sleek white design adds a stylish touch. This controller is worth every penny for the enhanced performance and comfort it provides. Highly recommended!
I’m basing my review of this from comparing it to the RAZER WOLVERINE V2 CHROMA, the V2 Chroma is a much more comfortable controller to use, coming from the Razer this controller hurts my hands in competitive gaming, this controller is smaller and my hands seem to ache from gripping it where as the razer is bigger and lighter so even in the most intense competitive games I find I hold the Razer lightly and never seem to grip it with the same intensity that I do this controller but I also think this maybe down to the fact that I can play the game differently with this controller compared to the Razer the reason being the paddles on this controller are perfect where as the buttons on the Razer where paddles would be are too far for my fingers to reach. Although the Razer has an extra 2 buttons on top which are great for customizing for certain games pressing them means that you can’t press either the trigger or bumper at the same time meaning for certain games you are restricted compared to the smaller Xbox Elite controller. At the end of the day my hands hurt play MW3 with the Elite Controller and my scoring is not as good because of this where as with the Razer my hand never hurt even on long sessions but my style of play is different because I just can’t do what I can do with the Elite. One star deducted because of this.
A good controller all working fine a bit heavy in the hand but really comfortable windows software can be a pain to install it either works or doesn’t and if it doesn’t I just gave up after trying many hours to install it properly no answers on the internet fixed it for me
Bought for my son. Very well built and solid. Heavier than original Xbox controller and feels great to hold. He tells me his game play has drastically improved now he has a feel for it, and he was very good as it was so definitely worth the money. No paddles included!
Been humming and hawing about this purchase for weeks….prices were down a little and bought myself a little pressie……it’s good to able to customise the controller….its a little tighter than my standard controller…..was glad i was able to transfer my skull&co bluetooth adapter as I’m hard of hearing… so can use my hearing aids to good effect. worth the money
What can I say? Being able to map functions to the paddles on the back, make the thumb sticks firmer and longer, and shorten or lengthen the triggers on the fly… Makes my terrible gaming just enough better that I can now enjoy it more!
It’s so well made, like amazingly accurate machining and the grip is so much more conformable!
I couldn’t rate this more highly to anyone no matter if you’re a big gamer or not!
Great controlled – would highly recommend for playing cod once you get use to the back paddles.
I bought this controller because on my original Elite controller the LB and RB broke after a while.
If you buy this controller, you will need to buy the paddles and charger separately.
I’ve had this for a little over a year at this point, probably got over 1000 hours of use out of it across various games. Its responsive, well built, feels good in my hands and the back paddles have improved my gaming experience a lot. The adaptive triggers are also fantastic, allowing for snappy digital like presses for shooters and analog pressure sensitive control for fine adjustments in driving/racing games.
However, I am experiencing some inputs not registering (unsure whether thats software or hardware). No stick drift for me, but I rarely every have drift problems with any controllers so dont take my experience as gospel. And god forbid you drop this damn thing and have both sticks and the D-pad ping off under furniture. Also kinda sucks that you cant remap the paddles to alt functions or macros without 3rd party software, but thats a very gamer problem.
Overall, very good controller, just a bit on the expensive side if you’re prone to breaking things.
Very big upgrade from the Xbox controller with the back paddles to the buttons on the controller feeling very high end, like all controllers unfortunately they end up with stick drift but 5 weeks of gameplay still haven’t got it touch wood
I had the elite controller 1 a few years ago and decided I would upgrade again to this one. I would say this is much better value for money than buying the full version as you can buy the back paddles from other brands cheaply so it still works out cheaper than the full version. My only complaint is my D-Pad doesn’t seem to be perfectly set. It leans to the left which is pretty annoying but all in all it’s a good controller. Comes with a charging cable and a key to adjust the stick sensitivity. It also has an integrated battery too which is a first for Xbox controllers.
Great controller battery lasts forever but hands get sweaty and grips don’t really help. When pressing the A button softly it only registers when I have to really hit it to register as pressed.
Overall i like it.
Feels like aim assist on Call of Duty is stronger than on my previous controller.
Drifting not a big issue (for now) but i would expect for this price as a new controller to work perfectly…
Fully customizable and i love that.
Bought as a gift for my 12 year old sons birthday and he couldn’t have been happier. It is great quality and lovely to hold compared to normal controllers. If buying the white one you need to buy the accessory kit separately that contains the charger, paddles for the rear and carry case. As a non gamer myself I can appreciate the beauty of this and can see the value in the product.
Anyway they are brilliant controllers. Everything just feels much nicer than the basic normal controllers. The paddles on the back make a huge difference. For example being able to push a paddle to run instead of clicking down on the analog stucks really saves my thumbs. I regularly use all paddles and they help me out a lot.
Battery life is really good, can go days without charging, maybe weeks depending on use.
A few negatives though…
The bumper buttons are prone to failure
The paddles might need to be replaced as the metal wears down after a while
They are very expensive controllers but worth it for me as they make playing much more comfortable
I love the feel of this controller, however I wish that it was possible to map the paddles to different functions rather than just duplicating buttons from the face of the controller.
The Series 2 – Core Edition retains all the exceptional features that made the original Elite controller so beloved. The build quality is outstanding, with a premium feel and solid construction that ensures durability and longevity. The controller’s weight and balance are perfectly calibrated, offering a comfortable and ergonomic grip for extended gaming sessions.
What sets the Series 2 – Core Edition apart is the range of enhancements and refinements it brings to the table. The first noticeable improvement is the adjustable tension on the thumbsticks, allowing you to fine-tune their resistance to match your playstyle. This level of customization grants you an unprecedented level of precision and control.
Additionally, the addition of the three-profile switch on the controller’s faceplate makes switching between personalized configurations a breeze. Whether you prefer different setups for various genres or share the controller with friends, this feature streamlines the process and ensures that your preferred settings are always at your fingertips.
The Series 2 – Core Edition also boasts an extended battery life, which is a significant improvement over its predecessor. With up to 40 hours of gameplay on a single charge, you can immerse yourself in your favorite titles without interruption, ensuring that the controller is always ready for action when you are.
Overall, the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – Core Edition is a worthy successor to the original Elite controller. If you already own an Elite controller, this upgraded version serves as a perfect replacement, taking your gaming experience to the next level. Its exceptional build quality, customizable features, and extended battery life make it a must-have for gamers who demand the best in performance and versatility.
It feels great and secure while in use, the rubberised grips and textured sticks and triggers helping it feel secure and precise whilst playing your favourite games, being able to adjust the trigger threshold to respond instantly (similar to the click of a computer mouse) will be super useful in shooters when shooting first can dictate a win or loss.
The battery is very impressive and leads to me not having to charge it for weeks and if you do have to charge, the long and braided cable it comes with will ensure you can play whilst charging.
Using the Xbox Controller app you are able to fully re-map every button on the controller to suit what your needs are perfectly, you can save these modifications as a profile, which you get three off and can switch between by the little button in the middle. Speaking of the app, it also allows you to change the colour of the Xbox button with millions of possibilities. (The colour is saved to the individual profiles so you will have to make sure each profile has the button colour you want)
Being able to adjust the thumbstick tension has been super useful for me in first person shooters, finding the most hardest tension to be useful for precision, though a guide/indicator of tension level would have been appreciated.
Overall an impressive controller and easily upgradeable with the component kit, would recommend.
The controller can help some disabled players too.
In other cases the Xbox Accessibility Controller will be better for some disabled players.
I’ve had the Elite Series1, Elite Series 2, & now the Elite Series 2 Core, & the core a much better controller, due to improved durability as they discovered that the hand-oils of some people could cause the soft plastic grips to expand on previous models, which lead to the grips coming off. This issue has been resolved thankfully.
Previous model directional-pads, & paddles are all compatible, though some sticks from previous models are not due to a change in the amount of internal threads for some reason? The core has 3 threads, I believe the previous models had 4 or more. You will need to purchase an accessory pack if you do not have one, though they are not required.
Sadly they have not yet added magnetic Hall Effect sensors & still use potentiometer sensors in their analogue sticks. I expected this to be the standard by now in 2023, but its still not the case, & the change is well over-due. (This applies across the industry).
Make sure to configure your controls in the Xbox Accessories App, & make sure to set the colour of your Xbox Nexus button to add a little personality too.
before the controller is no longer fully charging. with the included accesories you can customise the thumbshifters,or add paddles to the rear, i took the rear paddles off as they affected my game play but you can manually lock these through the controller settings on your xbox console (which is even more time consuming) to update and install softwear you need to connect your controller to your xbox console through the supplied cable) for some reason it didnt connect wirelessly first time, overall good build quality but could do with a few adjustments maybe a manufacturing problem when you change the thumbshifters they can come abit loose if you use them through heavy use whislt playing gta5 or forza.
i personally dont think its worth the overpriced controller retail price it should of been 100.00 which i think i a reasonable retail price with the v.a.t included. its a good controller but hopefully if this one is good enough i may order a second one depending on the rechargable battery and connection issues.
i would reccomend this if your a hardcore gamer.
It’s a lovely controller to hold. It feels solid and premium; the entire surface, barring the bumpers, triggers, and the panel between them (which all have a metallic feel) has a rubberised feel to it, with the actual grips being textured.
On the rear there are extra controls – four ‘paddles’, which at first feel unintuitive to use until you figure out which fingers to use, and a pair of toggle switches which control how sensitive their respective triggers are. I’m yet to find a use for the paddles (which can be removed, if you’d rather), but I suspect they’d be great for things like manual gear shifting in driving games.
On the front there’s a button which lets you shift between one of three ‘profiles’. The thumbsticks and D-pad can be removed and swapped for any of the included alternatives, including a more traditional D-pad and less traditional (for Xbox controllers, at least) convex sticks. Personally, I quite like the default metal plate-style D-pad.
Also, good news for PC users – setting the pad up is as easy as pairing any Bluetooth device (assuming you have Bluetooth). You don’t need any extra software to get going, unless you want to modify the control profiles and/or update the firmware.
The pad comes with a solid-feeling case, with room inside to store everything that comes with it. The included charging station (for the built-in rechargeable battery, which I haven’t had to recharge since buying it over a week ago) fits into the case magnetically, and holds the pad itself in place while it’s in the case. All of the replacement button parts are plugged into a holder at the bottom, and there’s a netted pouch on the lid which can hold the button removal tool and the USB cable. It’s snug, but it all fits well.
However – I can’t see myself using the extra features all that much, to be honest. Perhaps I’ll change my mind once I’ve played something that might use the paddles on the back, but for the most part I’ve just been using it as a traditional control pad so far. Which makes this an extremely expensive controller. Is the premium feel worth the extra money? If you can’t see yourself using the extra features, it might be worth looking at one of the more conventional – and cheaper – pads instead.
It’s a nice, but unnecessary, luxury.
So when old XBOne pad died, thought I’d splurge and get myself an Elite model.
First off – it feels really nice in the hands. Slightly rubberized and textured ‘horns’ for your hands to feel, slightly heavier feeling and lovely blacked-out face-buttons. It looks and feels like quality.
Personalization options are pretty comprehensive:
1) D pad defaults to the octagonal look you’ll see in the product-shot, but you can change it to a normal cross. Indicentally, both are metal, and feel lovely.
2) Joysticks can have their tension adjusted. By default regular, but can be tightened up to ‘springier’
3) Alternate joysticks provided, which like the D-pad just snap on with magnets. Also get a pair of sticks similar to the 360 one (smoother, without edge texture). Another with a long stem, so more movement. FInally one with a rounded mushroom tip.
4) On the back you have the 4 removable paddles, that you can map to other joypad inputs (although annoyingly not keyboard strokes, macros etc)
5) Sliders on the back to adjust the depth of the trigger pulls.
6) PC software also allows some adjustment of the acceleration from linear presses on joypad and triggers (i.e. You can make it twitchy). Also allows you to dampen/turn off vibration and dim xbox button light. The aforementioned button mapping can switch anything around – and you can even set buttons to a ‘shift’ function, and assign other buttons to different presses depending if ‘shift’ is held or not. Finally lets you save these settings to ‘profiles’ you can cycle through on the pad.
7) Nice charging dock (that can sit in the nice case, or on your desk) – and a lovely long braided USB-A->C cable (the joypad has a USB-C socket on it).
I might have missed something out – but it’s a premium product with lots of nice ways of tweaking it.
Minor complaint – button mapping just lets you move button presses around. Using a PC, I’m used to being able to put macros/anything on any button. Now I could see why they might not want to allow this on a console (unfair advantage) – but makes little sense on PC.
Major complaint, for me – I’ve left every single configurable option (after a bit of playing) as “How it is on a regular joypad.” I’ve even removed the paddles on the back, and switched to the cross D-pad. Now this might just be to keep my muscle memory happy, and it’s nice to have options in the future – but was a very expensive way to find out the OG pads are pretty optimal already.
If you can live without the rechargeable system, paddles, adjustments, button-mapping & metal d-pad – you can specify a regular joypad from XBox’s Design Labs that looks nearly the same (grippy sides and metallic triggers included). For half the cost.
Returning this didn’t cross my mind (OK it did, but just for a second) – but I’d have a careful think as to exactly which of the features you’re buying this for.