Microsoft threw down the gauntlet during their 2019 E3 press conference, boasting that their upcoming Xbox One Elite Series 2 Controller would seize the crown for the finest controller within the gaming market, bar none, full stop.
Chest-thumping is all well and good for the press releases, but we the people demand results! Actions speak louder!
The much-hyped controller finally dropped this last month and boy was I excited to get my hands around it. After some field testing, the Elite Series 2 proved to be a formidable piece of hardware that I soon became attached to, mostly due to an exciting list of improvements over the Series 1. These improvements were defined as minor tweaks and in other ways as fantastic, cutting edge innovations. Listed below are ten of the controller’s finer features that stepped my gaming experience up considerably.
The arrival of PlayStation's equivalent controller has got us thinking that it's about time we started to hear about an 'Xbox Elite 3 Controller' from Microsoft. While we certainly have a feature list that we'd love to see implemented, we primarily want Xbox to focus on two main improvements.
The first one is pretty obvious, an Elite 3 should (and would, you'd think) be built around the Xbox Series X|S pad. After a couple of years we're now fully adjusted to any subtle differences the new controller offers — like a slightly slimmer build and the prominent share button — so we're more than ready for a DualSense Edge competitor that's properly 'next-gen'.
However, the second key focus has to be around properly fixing all of the issues we saw with the Elite 1 and 2 controllers. Yes, these are more complex devices than normal gamepads, and yes the DualSense Edge is yet to stand up to the test of time, but the simple fact is these things should be very reliable given the prices we're being charged for them.
It's about time for Elite 3 anyway, but you've got to be thinking the praise DualSense Edge is getting will force their hand.
An elite 3 is definnatly coming at some point.
It seems the edge is an amazing controller with one shortfall of a very bad battery.
If Ms can find the middle ground and improve on the elite 2 while maintaining great battery life that will take it over the edge.
Neither is for me though, way to expensive for an uncompetitive gamer who mostly plays sp games anyway
the only praise worthy thing about the edge is the removable analog sticks. Other than that it is a DS5 with back buttons but with higher price and shorter battery life.
Lol c'mon darthv72, let's be a bit more honest here. If you actually read the reviews there are more differences than that - adjustable trigger tensioners for starters.
As for the battery life, if you're a competitive gamer and you're willing to shell out $200+ for a controller, you're not playing wirelessly. You're doing whatever you can to gain a competitive advantage - and that means minimising input lag, which in turn means you play wired. The same goes for any controller.
@darthv72 When you've got a dedicated Xbox website effectively praising the PlayStation DualSense Edge premium controller and yet you are downplaying its merits then perhaps it's time to ask 'am I being disproportionately critical?'
@sully, i am being honest. The replaceable analog sticks are a praise worthy feature. The back buttons and trigger sensitivity switches are all just PS take on the XB elite controller.
@venom, they can like it all they want, it doesnt change my view on the subject. Im not downplaying anything, just telling it like it is. Just as the elite is a higher priced XB controller with back buttons... so is this.
The Elite 3 would probably be close to the same price if they add the same features like the Dualsense Edge controller. It would also have a shorter battery life as well if they add similar features like the dualsense edge. Just saying
The edge is 4 hours. The elite series 2 is 40 hours. A touchpad and some fancy triggers does not equate to a 90% decrease in battery.
@above
Let’s not make a mountain out of a molehill. The dual sense edge should last around 12 hours.
No reviews have said it's 4 hours. I'm sure it's a great controller but don't fudge the figures, it's worse than the dualsense.
So in other words, you're saying that Xbox gamers will have to....
..... Wait for E3. 😎
Don't @ me, I don't live here.
Reliability is the most important thing to improve, but how do you market that without admitting you have a quality issue? Outside of that either swapable thumbsticks or that magnetic no-contact switch thumbstick design that ppl have been talking about would be good
Odd about the quality issues with the Elites, I'm using the red Gears of War controller and have done since it released way back when with no issues (well apart from me breaking the shoulder button rocker by dropping it, easily replaced though thank god).
Yeah the OG Xbox one controller was super reliable for me, Elite series 2 I've had replaced twice. It's the crappy shoulder buttons that always go for me, terrible design. Stick drift I've never had any issues with at all.
I've haven't had any issues with my elite 2 either. The controller is awesome and yes I prefer it over my ps5 controller.
I might just be me or it could be fanboys just don't want to admit it but the adaptive triggers on the ps5 controller are annoying more than anything and I don't find they add any depth to a game at all, after a while you don't even realise they are doing anything anyway.
HZD 2 when you use your staff to open the doors and the triggers get a little stiff and that's it!
I actually like the PS5 adaptive triggers depending on the implementation (mainly first party titles). I think overall the Edge will be the better controller but the reviews I've watched have put the battery life as worse than the dualsense at about 4 hours, the series 2 is 40 hours and I refuse to believe that adaptive triggers and rumble means 10x less battery. That really isn't good enough, but if it's more reliable than the elite series, then maybe the less battery life will be worth it to some people.
Costs way too much though, considering that the series 2 was £170 at launch (can be found at £140 new ATM) it's way overpriced at £210. Baring in mind the series 2 comes with more customisable hardware, the same if not more software features and something I really like but it's not essential, the magnetic wireless charger. But if the dualsense edge is more reliable which I assume it will be for the price, it might be worth once the price comes down.
without next-gen features, its going to look really silly next to the edge controller
your best bet is for sony to release a set of xbox drivers for the edge controller
It's not technically competing with Sony directly, so it's not a big deal. The target audience for Elite controllers are people that either have Xboxes already or game on a PC.
"your best bet is for sony to release a set of xbox drivers for the edge controller"
That will literally never happen. Third party developers cannot create input drivers for Xbox lol.
Your best bet for a new Xbox controller is clearly from Xbox.
@orchard
Love how people are disagreeing with your facts. Typical community response 🤣
Orchard has a fan club. @Orchard, try posting "1+1=2" and see how many disagrees you get ;-)
They'll launch an Elite 3 at some point this gen, and probably a refreshed base controller too.
Disagree with the base controller, I think they will just stick the existing one, series 3 is a cert though.
Also I thought the Sony fanboys hated me even though I own and love my PS5 but just don't like anyone who has a Xbox or a PC. But damn they hate you my guy 😂
Haha, I know right!
And yeah I could be totally wrong on the base controller, I just hope they've been beat up enough over re-shipping the XB1 controller that they might refresh it.
But agree that Elite 3 will definitely come.
Sony revealed the details of its DualSense Edge wireless controller, so it's natural to compare it to the Xbox Elite Controller Series 2.
It’s a nice looking controller but they lost me at $199. It’s just too much imo. The Elite Series 2 is $155 on Amazon.
...if only elite series 2 had replaceable thumb sticks if things go wrong. But at either price... NOTHING should go wrong. They should be built to be worth that level of price.
Hopefully they do a Series 3 with Hall Effect analogs. That would solve the drift issue completely.
I feel like if you are spending the money for a pro controller I would rather have the ability to pay 20 to replace the sticks off something breaks for whatever reason then buying a while new controller. I have yet to find a single thing I couldn't accidentally break... Besides my phone and it's gonna have to self destruct before I replace it.
I can pay to have the thumb sticks replaced on my elite two controller for the price difference of the two controllers
1-$200 for controllers
2-$400 for expansion packs
3-Games filled with micro transactions
4-Launching games that aren't ready
5-Play it safe sequels only and even if new IP don't take risks
6- try to find the one game everyone is willing to play so the most amount of money could be generated
This is what gaming has become
200$ controller is totally optional and not necessary to play on PS5 that comes with a controller . I get expansion packs and MTs and the rest but an optional controller you don’t need I don’t understand the hate for it really . If they were releasing more controllers than games I would understand but PS isn’t …
Add to that, we’re headed for a very probable world wide recession. But they are still nickel and dimeing us.
If the elite was worth buying, Ie not faulty, your arguments would be correct..
now, we have to see if the PlayStation is not..
If it is not, it is automatically the better of the two.
The elite series two is still junk as still is having button latency and the r2 trigger scrapping out. Issues
I have had no problems with my elite series 2. The back buttons have tremendously helped my finger placement fatigue.
The A button wouldn’t register sometimes and the RT started squeaking badly within a week. Ended up just returning it. Sad because the controller felt great.
Mannnn I just can’t swing them prices for a controller. Didn’t do it for the elite, won’t do it now.
The xbox just feels more comfortable, having the left thumbstick in the upper left corner. I used to always own playstation consoles, but when I got my hands on a 360 controller, I was hooked ever since.
This exactly. Your thumb is in the same location on each hand. It either feels better up or down. So either the PlayStation controller is perfect for thumb position and the Xbox controller is 50% correct, or the PlayStation controller is completely wrong for thumb position and the Xbox controller is 50% correct.
You see my name, notice it has the word engineer in it?! I'm an Industrial Design Engineer.
Having the thumbsticks not in a parallel arrangement both helps the brain distinguish each hand's indivifual role / function, aswell as parallelise the nature of the control, because by lowering the right thumb you put the right hand in a defensive or a contemplating position and by placing the left thumb in an upper position you have the hand pointing forward in a movement-like directional position.
ALSO if you do notice how you hold the remote while your body is resting, the weight is on your right hand which rests lower that the left hand, while the left hand is more active ... AS IT SHOULD BE since you move energetically but execute commands cautiously.
Symmetry delutes it's function if there is a reason of purpose. USE YOUR BRAIN.
@ActualEngineer
Hmmm, nope. No one gets confused on left and right. Your brain already does this for you. Asymmetrical controls work in an industrial environment for safety hazards such as low light conditions or reducing a bad habit of operating controls the wrong way. Such as trying both hands on the left hand side of equipment that purposely splits them apart by function. The grips will be shaped in a way to know it's on the left or right side. The seat you are in will direct your body as well to know what is in front, and therefore left and right. In this case those controls tend to be less oftenly made as anything but a generic knob shape that your hand won't differentiate.
This already does apply to all controllers by the way. Try holding the left side of your controller with your right hand. You can differentiate it, right? Are you confused by what side is what if you go to hold the controller in the dark? Nope. The left hand is actually not more active in many games. The right analog has more precise movement most of the time while the left is normally held in one direction with no effort for accuracy.
Also, you don't make something parallel by changing the whole layout. It's less parallel because the layout is not mirrored.
Nope. I don't rest that way at all. If the controller is making you rest a certain way then this is how you know it strains your hand out more and your body is not comfortable or able to find a resting position with either hand lower than the other. This is a realistic engineering argument because an ergonomics engineer can tell you the left analog being higher but with the same hand grip means you are naturally extending your thumb north to move the stick. The natural resting motion of your thumb is more suited for a playstation analog layout.
I know you're either over-complicating or trolling but still this is how misinformation spreads, lol.
@ActualEngineer
If you introduce assymetry into the mix, than you're risking of alienating some people, just like ergonomic mouses only for right-handed.
@ActualEngineer:
I am Batman and your comment sounds more like Feng Shui than engineering to me. But that may just be, because I've used both types of controllers and never had any issue using either configuration. To be fair, that may be because I'm super intelligent (being Batman and all) and my brain manages to adapt to the seemingly impossible task of moving one thumb in a slightly different position, without rendering my hands dysfunctional.
Do you expect an ergonomic analysis of the grip posture and the stresses to the individual tendons, of me?! Your cns is trained to function in a certain way, at all times and under every condition. When it comes into contact with something unnatural, it can adapt and create a new neural path for it BUT there is no point in doing so since you can just leverage a better hand posture by moving the damn thunbstick in the upper left position, so that the position of the stick and the overall thumb movement express a better parallel towards the physiology of the function at hand (literally lol). What you said about industrial controllers had NOTHING to do with industrial design - industrial design is the architecture of goods consumed or used by a sentient being, but I have to say that it was a nice try in sounding credible. In the end it is the analog to the physiology that is not right when you have to extend your thumb to go right and withdraw for left, it is simply a neurological mindf**k to which your brain has been adjusted to. Also you are stressing the metacarpophalangeal joint aswell as the extensor and abductor tendons in your thumb. ALSO the upper position provides a higher level of control.
Now this is enough time I'm willing to spend, arguing with little kids in the comment section.
What a shame that you couldn't coherently convince people so resorted to attempting to degrade those responding to your points.
My comment was definitely in jest because of your wording however, but I raise the question of other devices. If we remove the controller for a moment and think of everything else we use two hands for including our phones, symmetry is key. Even the mighty apple hasn't tried to rebrand in the name of ergonomics and psychological use.
I have to disagree. XBOX left Analogue just doesn't work for me, i like using claw grip and playstation is just better at it. Keeping your thumb in place at the analogue stick and pressing d-pad using index finger... you can't do this whit Xbox, clawgrip on Xbox is just bad!
I concur. I'm pretty sure they went assymetrical just because playstation already had the best symmetrical placement.
@ActualEngineer I bought a Series X almost a year ago and you're wrong. Maybe if you would've said, "in my opinion," but you didn't. I play shooters with the L1/R1 to zoom and shoot. I can't do this with the Xbox controller because of the placement of the left stick, my finger always slips off the zoom button (LB).
Hey actualengineer.
One your opinion isnt everyone elses
Two pretty sure engineers can be wrong. Wouldnt be the first time.
You think you have seen stuff when physicists fight, but you haven't seen jack until you see two engineers fight 😅
If the battery is at least 20hrs then it's a day one but they haven't said anything about it yet so...
I might as well just get that back button attachment mod on amazon at this point, I can't stand the horrid short battery on PS controllers and constantly seeing that low battery indicator every couple of gaming sessions I do...
Having two controllers and charging station completely negated the issue with battery for me. Charging station especially. I have the official one and dropping the controller on it is effortless.
some out of date controller vs the latest and greatest tech on the market
do people really compare ladas to a rolls royce
Images of Microsoft's upcoming white variant of the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller have been leaked online, and they're absolutely stunning.
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I hope they fix the reliability issues as I'm on my third controller and it's the only controller I've ever had with issue during my time with them. Stick drift, faulty button, coming apart to name a few things. But the white looks awesome and as soon as they release a white series x I'm all over it lol
It’s like a hit or miss with these controllers. I’m still using my elite one and got it day one of release.
Are these pretty good? The Ps5 one is beautiful, very sad I cannot use on the Xbox. Are these a good substitute? (Ignoring the vibration stuff)
They have not been reliable. To the point that the legal system had Microsoft extend their warranty knowing that they can be faulty.
Saying that, I do love my elite 2 controller and what it offers. Although I do run into the faulty button reading from time to time but I am not a competitive player and it is what it is.
because it's way different than the 10 other controllers MS has made this gen?
Tried to go in BestBuy the other day to grab one and they were all sold out. Tried to get one shipped to me and they had none in the warehouse either...I dont know who's buying these but they are flying off the shelves.