The XBox Elite Controller Is Truly Worthy Of The Name
A couple weeks before E3 began, pictures were leaked out of a new XBox controller called the Elite controller. It had a headphone jack. That was the only discernible difference.
E3 is now here, and Microsoft has revealed the Elite to the public. It’s…it’s….wow. It certainly has a headphone jack, and it also has….everything else.
The thumbsticks are interchangeable and swappable; six are available in ascending sizes so they can be customized for all thumbs. The D-pad is interchangeable too (and you will want to do this because the one on the Elite is trash — but that’s the only downside). The triggers have a “hair trigger lock” that makes them adjustable. The sensitivity of every button and trigger is adjustable too, and the buttons are reassignable for different games — the controller can remember individual settings for up to 255 of them. The only thing it doesn’t do is warm itself on cold days and blow AC air on hot days. Even if you don’t own an XBox One and have no plans to, the Elite controller will be compatible with Windows 10.
Ready to buy one? You might want to hold off until you hear this last part. Microsoft also revealed the price of the Elite: $150 per controller. This is actually MORE than the Wii U gamepad costs, and that thing has a touchscreen built into it. Few gamers are going to jump at the chance to buy a controller at the cost of more than two actual games, especially when there are other controllers that cost far less out there — even if their parts are permanent.
The controller has the potential to be a game-changer, but the price gouging may sink the revolution before it can even begin.