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The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller has turned heads for several reasons - not all of them good. While it’s generally agreed to be an excellent controller, there’s been a bit of an uproar surrounding its price. Put plainly, these things are not cheap.
The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 has been on the market for almost as long as the Series X/S console family. Enough players have given it a go to form an overarching consensus on its quality. Plenty of people have no doubt had their interests piqued, but blanched at the $179.99 price tag. Is the Xbox Elite worth its elite expenditure?
Features Overview
First, let’s talk about the proverbial bang for your buck. The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller sports ahigher-quality all-around build,and that quality will be reflected as soon as you hold it for the first time.
Solid Comfort, Additional Buttons
Thegamepadjust feels good, and anyone who enjoys the default Xbox controller style should be doubly impressed. This is partly thanks tothe rubberized grip- don’t worry, it doesn’t feeltoorubbery. It gives your palm more to latch on to without feeling awkward.
But there’s far more to this thing than a fancy finish.The hair-trigger locks have been shortened,which can help players tap these typically highly important buttons more swiftly. Microsoft advertises that you can ‘fire even faster’ as a result, and while the difference is arguably negligible, we have noticedsomedeviation.
More importantly, the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller sports paddles on its back side.Paddles are additional buttonswhich tend to resemble their namesake when viewed head-on.
Some third-party controllers include these but don’t quite accomplish the necessary comfort. Meanwhile, most players will find it fairly easy to get used to them.
If you’re not feeling the paddles, you canswap them out with alternative shapesand see if they suit you better - it’s all included in the package.
Customization is Key
Thejoysticks and d-pad are interchangeable,and the paddles serve aspotential remapping options for face buttons.Sometimes, the action(s) a game assigns to A, B, X, and/or Y feel better suited to something more akin to a shoulder button; the paddles are peak here.
Speaking of remapping, the fun doesn’t stop there. By downloading theXbox Accessories app, you can remap pretty much anything. You can also adjust thetension levelof your joysticks with several degrees of pushback.
These are the sorts of things that might not mean much to the average consumer. You can get by just fine with a regular Xbox controller. But then, this is the Elite controller, right? It’s geared toward those of us who want to go that extra mile.
Cost
The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller retails for$179.99 USD.For most of us, it’s a pretty penny, though we’d be remiss not to mention that we’ve seen it go on sale somewhat often.
If you’re budget-minded, but still feel like the controller’s worth the investment,keep an eye on Microsoft’s website,where you’re more likely to run into discounts than the various online giants like Amazon.
Is the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller worth so much cash?We’d lean toward yes,though one of the testimonials below should help to illustrate that not everyone here at TheGamer is fully positive about it.
There will be plenty of players who just won’t get enough out of the thing to justify the buy, and that’s perfectly OK. Like other Xbox controllers,this also works terrifically on PC,so that’s a doubling-down of good news for those whodothink they’ll take full advantage of what’s on tap.
Everyone else? Stick with the controller that comes packaged with your Xbox.
What People Are Saying
Still The Best Controller On The Market - Amanda Hurych
I’ve long held that the Xbox controller just felt more ergonomic than its PlayStation counterpart; the placement of the sticks in relation to the D-pad and letter keys just makes more sense.
The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller enhances every great aspect of the original, with a better textured grip and the ability to connect paddles that you can map to suit your playstyle preferences.
If you’re an Xbox person and you’re looking to have the best performing controller on the market, you’re able to’t go wrong with the Elite Wireless.
Not Worth It - Sean Murray
The Elite Series 2 was easily the best controller I’ve ever owned. I say was because it started suffering some technical faults about two years after I’d purchased it, which is one year outside of warranty.
For a $200 controller to last only two years without issues, I’d recommend getting the regular Xbox Series X Controller which has most of the same features but is a fraction of the price.
Fantastic Stuff, Even For Someone Like Me - Quinton O’Connor
I wasn’t sure whether I’d take to the Xbox Elite as well as I could have. Let me explain - I’m not much of a shooter-oriented gamer. I dabble in Halo Infinite, which is good fun, but haven’t expanded my scope much beyond that.
Many of the selling points here feel best-suited to players who invest a good deal in these more action-oriented titles. Yet, even as someone who mostly sticks to RPGs, this thing feels comfortable enough that it’d be hard for me to go back.
The button remapping and inclusion of paddles are both great features no matter what genre you’re playing, too - I never loved Skyrim’s console controls, for example. Now I can do something about that.
A Decent Upgrade Over Standard Controllers - Andrew Scariati
If you’re looking for a controller that offers additional mapping options for FPS titles and other reaction-based games, this is a solid point of entry. The controller’s weight can take some getting used to, and it is noticeably heavier than some other third party custom controllers.
The paddles are very close together, which can lead to some misclicks, but each of the four paddles can be individually removed to remedy this. If you game heavily every day, durability may become an issue, especially as the face of the the controller cannot be removed for cleaning..
If you want to test some more advanced settings without breaking the bank for an expensive custom option, then the Elite Wireless should be a good first step for you.
