There have been several indications over the last year that Microsoft was hard at work updating the Xbox One Elite controller. Now the Chinese website Baidu has leaked images of an alleged new version of the high performance controller. As with all rumors from the internet, I suggest taking this with a grain of salt unless an official announcement is made. With that out of the way, let’s have a look at what you may be holding in your hot little hands next year.
Rechargable Batteries
I can tell right away that if true, this will be one of the more polarizing aspects of a new Elite controller. Many gamers – myself included – prefer to have batteries that can quickly, easily and cheaply be swapped out. Other players swear by controllers that can simply be recharged. The new controller is said to have a rechargable battery that is not intended to be removed. Let’s hope that the battery life on this one will be decent.
Bluetooth With Windows 10
This will be a very welcome addition, if true. I’d hope that Microsoft will develop drivers so the new controller can be used with mobile devices as well.
3-Position Hair Trigger Switches
The Elite controller has two positions for the hair trigger switches. The idea is that you can fire faster from the triggers because there is less travel room for them to cover while the switch is engaged. Having a third position will give players an option for how quickly the triggers can be engaged.
Three Profiles
The new controller will supposedly allow you to save your preferred settings for up to three different games at a time on the controller itself – presumably with an option to save additional settings either on the console itself, a PC or in the cloud. Saving settings on your controller is helpful when taking it to a tournament or a friend’s house.
Improved Paddles
One awesome feature of recent high performance controllers is having paddles on the back. You can remap buttons to these rear paddles. The new controller is said to be more comfortable when accessing the paddles.
It is my belief that the Xbox One Elite controller is the best first party controller of this console generation and the possibility of an improved version piques my interest. If Microsoft is indeed preparing this controller then let’s hope for improved quality assurance and Design Lab options.
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