The Xbox One Elite controller is massive update on quite possibly the best controller of this gaming generation, something that I have no trouble admitting my unrelenting biased opinion about.
It’s the kind of controller that established players in the third-party field should be worried about. After all, not only is the Elite controller properly customisable to a degree that pro gamers should be happy about, but it’s also priced at an entry point where you don’t have to mortgage the house to get one.
And it’s also a controller that was driven by the Xbox community, when designs for it were being thrown around. “Definitely from the community,” X-Boss Phil Spencer said to EDGE via GamesRadar.
There’s a lot of innovation that happens in the controller space – people want more customisation when they’re at the higher end, and they want to be able to make it their controller.
Whereas for me I take the default setup that I’ve learned. But you think about your eSport pro gaming, which is a very, very strong growth category: those people – a growing segment of our population – really care about making the controller feel exactly the way they want it to feel.
Spencer however, doesn’t see the standard Xbox One controller being phased out any time soon and seen as an inferior model when compared to the Elite version. And he’s right. The current Xbox One controller is just fine the way it is.
“I think that controller, especially with some of the recent modifications we made with the audio jack and the shoulder buttons, is the best controller, obviously, that we’ve made up until the point the Elite controller comes out,” Spencer said.
We look at the Elite controller as being for somebody who feels they’re an elite competitive gamer, and that’s great for them, but we’ll continue to be very supportive of our Xbox One controller. It’s what a vast majority of our gamers will be playing [for the] life of the console.
As much as I dig the Elite controller, I probably won’t get one, because I’m about as competitive as a toddler who won a participation award at a school derby when it comes to e-sports. And I totally earned that second-place medal when I took part in the under-9 boxing match last week.
Last Updated: July 13, 2015
Greylingad[CNFRMD]
July 13, 2015 at 09:35
The Microsoft controllers have always been the selling point of their consoles, they’re comfortable to the extent that you can spend hours playing a game and not have to ask someone to pry your hands from the controller because they went into an uncontrollable spasm…
Darren Peach
July 13, 2015 at 10:55
Funny, I always thought it was about….er….games….
Greylingad[CNFRMD]
July 13, 2015 at 11:20
Games, yes, spending hours playing a game whether it be with a keyboard and mouse or with a controller, not a toy, like the PS3 controller for example, they spent no time in making it more comfortable for the user, and guess what, they learnt from their mistake, hence the PS4 controller, suddenly something that actually fits your hands, not the clunky piece of plastic the previous version was….
Michelle
July 13, 2015 at 12:24
The X-button on my controller has become soft,like it’s worn,which is weird,I only use the X-button for reloading and XBOX said they can’t replace it as it’s more than 90days old.
I want to have this fixed ASAP.
Greylingad[CNFRMD]
July 13, 2015 at 12:35
Sheesh! That’s crazy! How old is your controller? Are they denying repairs/releasing new controllers on a 3 months basis? Because that is insane…
Michelle
July 13, 2015 at 12:58
Got it with the console in October 2014.I hate how it feels,luckily I have a spare controller,but still I want it repaired.
Their warranty is only for 90days 🙁 on controllers.
Maybe this is a sign to have the controller modded and have new buttons put in.
Greylingad[CNFRMD]
July 13, 2015 at 13:02
I’m really sorry to hear that! Really, but a three month warranty on a controller is ridiculous… And if ask for a quotation to have it repaired? They’ll probably charge you the price of a kidney and a little toe?
Michelle
July 13, 2015 at 13:04
Not just that,there’s the repair waiting period,which will probably be a couple of months as the HQ is in Jozi.
Greylingad[CNFRMD]
July 13, 2015 at 13:12
That’s insane! I’m really sorry about that too, and a new controller is around R800 – R900, so essentially they’re offering you two possibilities, one, go the repair route, and they charge you, firstly, a waiting period suited for the completion of a complete pyramid, and secondly at the price of a rather large pyramid, you could get a new one… I’m quite shocked really, I was expecting more from MS….
Michelle
July 13, 2015 at 13:27
I think they’ve had too many complaints with the controllers and decided to cut the warranty period…sigh,I’m quite disappointed.
Greylingad[CNFRMD]
July 13, 2015 at 13:32
I’m sorry, I wanted to get a X1 controller for PC, but if that’s their stance, well then I won’t be getting one of those… oigh…Though, I must say, those controllers are the most comfortable ones I have ever felt, like holding inflated satin, a thing of beauty…
Michelle
July 13, 2015 at 13:44
They are comfy,best to have my buttons replaced,send the controller to Gamerskins,have them replace it with bullet type buttons,that would look cool.
Greylingad[CNFRMD]
July 13, 2015 at 13:51
Hehe, yep!! That will look cool!
Richard
July 13, 2015 at 17:39
I can make a lot of money offering insurance on controllers for R20 per month. Maybe people will bite. It’d ridiculous that they only cover the warranty for 90 days I don’t buy that nonsense at all. If you looking for a spare controller takealot have a promotion with the charge kit.
Michelle
July 13, 2015 at 18:33
I’m waiting on the new controller that has the jack port,so that I dont have to get an adapter.I’m waiting on a quote from Gamerskins to fix my controller and mod it abit too.
UltraAtomic
July 13, 2015 at 19:34
90 days are only for controllers you bought separately. If there bundled with the console they have a year warranty. Still sucks, because my titanfall controller looks awesome, but doesn’t work. Not to mention they don’t “FIX” special edition controllers. Sooo! My TF controller is just sitting there looking good :/
Michelle
July 13, 2015 at 19:46
Well this one came with the console so they should replace it then.I’ll contact them again tomorrow.
Michelle
July 13, 2015 at 19:46
Well this one came with the console so they should replace it then.I’ll contact them again tomorrow.
Evil_Annie_2015
July 13, 2015 at 16:08
For a controller they give you a three month coverage, after that you have to pay to have it fixed. I do not like this guarantee at all, and this is one of the things that still holds MS back in terms of being seen as a gamer friendly company. Oh, and I forgot its terrible customer service.
Greylingad[CNFRMD]
July 13, 2015 at 17:51
Aah, Microsoft Customer service, I had to deal with them once, when Games For Windows Live still existed, needles to say, that if you do message them, after about the 6th or 7th mail going unanswered, using rather profound language all caps doesn’t help much, it’s even worse when you phone them and use said language and all caps words, with lots of exclamation marks, I might add….
Admiral Chief's Adventure
July 13, 2015 at 10:14
“I’m about as competitive as a toddler who won a participation award at a school derby”
LOOOL
HairyEwok
July 13, 2015 at 10:33
Did Steam do the whole buttons-under-the-controller thing first or XBone? Either way too many buttons now to press, but then again i guess that’s the only way you can make casual console games harder for those hardcore players.
Untold Stories
July 13, 2015 at 12:22
It was Xbox. The buttons are actually not a new thing. The 360 European controller actually had an option to buy the control with buttons on the back of the control. It was priced at $90. But since that control has been out it hasn’t been implemented until recently with the steam and x1 pro control
sublimetalmsg
July 15, 2015 at 00:50
Because PC is for Hardcore players? No idea where you are headed with this but please indulge me.
HairyEwok
July 15, 2015 at 10:50
I said absolutely nothing about PC in the first place so you’re just assuming I meant PC. Second I was implying on the hardcore CONSOLE gamers that could use the extra buttons to up the scale of difficulty on normal casual games.
sublimetalmsg
July 15, 2015 at 20:15
Well thank you for indulging me
WitWolfy
July 13, 2015 at 10:36
Wanna get my self a CronusMax Plus dongle and use this baby on my PS4.
Guild
July 13, 2015 at 10:50
Be cheaper buying a Scuf
WitWolfy
July 13, 2015 at 11:22
A Scuf? Oh well too late now, already ordered a CronusMax through Xmods.
Guild
July 13, 2015 at 12:12
It’s about R2100 for one. Pretty much the same as the XBox Controller and where the idea comes from. Check https://www.evopoints.co.za/store/#/scuf-gaming
WitWolfy
July 13, 2015 at 13:31
So Scuff controllers work on both consoles?
Guild
July 13, 2015 at 14:27
Nope. You need to buy either a Scuf for the XBox or PS4. So it’s dependent on how much the XBox Elite Controller sells for. I bought a Scuf for my PS4 and I’m happy with it. If the combo of the CronusMax and the Elite Controller come in cheaper than a Scuf then go for it since you have more options available.
Digi V
July 25, 2015 at 07:37
don’t listen to this idiot. if you were to add on the specs that is in the xbox one elite (which the scuf doesn’t have all those specs even possible) it’d cost you well over $200 for a very inferior product.
All scuff does is add paddles to the back that don’t even make sense. Look at the placement of them. They also take forever and have horrible customer service. If you order their thumbsticks (which rip easy) you can’t even order replacements, you’ll have to send the controller BACK to them and wait for their terrible turnaround time.
Trust me dude. I’ve had all 3 major third party controllers (Scuf, Cinch, Battle Beaver) and even though battle beaver was awesome this xbox one elite controller wipes the floor with all of them
WitWolfy
July 13, 2015 at 13:37
I dunno the CronusMax cost R800 without shipping.. This Scuff is quite expensive…
WitWolfy
July 13, 2015 at 13:37
I dunno the CronusMax cost R800 without shipping.. This Scuff is quite expensive…
Digi V
July 25, 2015 at 07:37
you don’t know shit. shut up
Guild
July 25, 2015 at 16:13
LoL If you can read I said a Scuf is cheaper than an XBox One Elite Controller. $109 for standard Scuf whereas the Elite Controller is $149. Plus he wants to use it on a PS4 so he is going to need use the CronusMax to interface which might not work with mapping all the functions since it’s untested. He doesn’t have an XBox One.
Digi V
July 27, 2015 at 04:07
That’s irrelevant that it’s cheaper. It doesn’t have the same features at $109 dollars. And he’s an idiot for having a PS4 if he wants to play with an xbox remote. Makes no sense.
Geoffrey Tim
July 13, 2015 at 15:34
Remeberm the Cronus Max is an earlier version of the Titan one, and as I said in my review, you need to keep pairing any controller every 10 minutes if you plan to use it on the PS4.It’s because of the way that the PS4’s controller authentication works.
WitWolfy
July 14, 2015 at 08:04
Lets hope the firmware update fixes that. I will keep my fingers crossed
Darren Peach
July 13, 2015 at 11:02
Ignoring the fact that this is a blatant rip off ( Since when do we buy consoles for sub standard quality controlers if there is a superior option available for a additional cost. Microsoft are sooo greedy that they don’t or didn’t even include the cable for the controler at retail ) . Real World DLC.
Digi V
July 25, 2015 at 07:39
the fuck you talking about
Darren Peach
July 27, 2015 at 01:41
Your mother……
Digi V
July 27, 2015 at 04:07
fucking man child. get out of your mothers basement. you’re 50 for christ sakes.
Darren Peach
July 27, 2015 at 11:55
Why, I get free rent……
Darren Peach
July 13, 2015 at 11:06
Taking jobs from 3rd party hardware manufacturers in order to maximise profits. Shitting on the ” little guy ” and you endorse it ?
dave69uk .
July 13, 2015 at 11:16
Errr – I think this was someone stating their opinion on how much they like a controller, I’m not quite sure where all this anti MS hate fits into it!
Darren Peach
July 13, 2015 at 13:40
It’s Monday. Having said that, Microsoft are dodgy as hell. Been reading up on Bill Gates and his connection with Montsano and their messed up business practice of selling genetically modified seeds that are supposed to be immune to pests and weeds. Guess what, They also sell the pesticide to combat ever more resistant bugs and weeds creating a huge problem. They treat their seeds as a IP and only license them to be used once a year. Therefore taking something that occurs naturally and putting a price on it. Imagine a business owning the worlds water supply. It’s kinda like that. This inevitability leads to future generations being born to a life of servitude. Also, Montsano are destroying genetic diversity which could lead to a scenario depicted in Interstellar where crops fail to the detriment of our existence. Living in a poverty ridden society forces one to judge mega corporations as evil entities that serve to enrich the few while the rest of us keep getting poorer and poorer. The younger generation seem to lack introspection and endorse whatever gratification comes next. The fact that the game industry is run by publishers which ruthlessly close companies down left right and centre should provide enough evidence that our favorite past time is run buy insatiable greedy people who put their own fortunes ahead of everything else. This bubble we call civilization is going to burst….. Yep. All that from the release of a exclusive controler. Having said that, I want one…..
Gavin Mannion
July 13, 2015 at 15:21
Try not to forget that Bill Gates is probably the most generous billionaire on the planet and has already ploughed billions into fighting poverty, disease and all manner of other social ills.
Darren Peach
July 14, 2015 at 04:46
Clearly you missed my point. Bill Gates has made his fortune. What concerns me is his investment choices. Why back Montsano with their history ? Are you ignorant of the problems that we face as a modern society ? If you invest some thought into socio economic issues instead of blindly defending a source of revenue you might start to form a little empathy for those who are living below the poverty line. Yeah, Bill Gates might have a track record of charitable causes but I suspect it is a drop in the ocean compared to his true wealth. Given his stature as a self made Billionaire and the many legal battles Microsoft have faced over their dominance of the market, Is it not reasonable to imply charity is a great pr move. A analogy, if you will, could be the Democratic party in the US . They preach against the evil of the Bush administration and his decision to invade Iraq unjustly yet Obama has drones killing people in the Middle East daily. I identify with Democratic movemeny myself but given the sheer amount of bull shit been shoved down our throats by Governments around the world I embrace the Idea of questioning the current status of our way of living. Is Bush not guilty of war crimes ? Are we as individuals so insignificant that we are just fodder for the runaway capitalist scourge that will continue to widen the poverty gap and leave the bulk of humanity in a cycle of civil unrest and poverty,crime and hate ? Wake up buddy. Defending a man because he is so insanely rich is not a virtue to be proud of. I guess the PR machine worked. You bought it hook, line and sinker.
shane
July 14, 2015 at 09:55
What, I didn’t get all that. Please retype the message.
Darren Peach
July 13, 2015 at 13:40
It’s Monday. Having said that, Microsoft are dodgy as hell. Been reading up on Bill Gates and his connection with Montsano and their messed up business practice of selling genetically modified seeds that are supposed to be immune to pests and weeds. Guess what, They also sell the pesticide to combat ever more resistant bugs and weeds creating a huge problem. They treat their seeds as a IP and only license them to be used once a year. Therefore taking something that occurs naturally and putting a price on it. Imagine a business owning the worlds water supply. It’s kinda like that. This inevitability leads to future generations being born to a life of servitude. Also, Montsano are destroying genetic diversity which could lead to a scenario depicted in Interstellar where crops fail to the detriment of our existence. Living in a poverty ridden society forces one to judge mega corporations as evil entities that serve to enrich the few while the rest of us keep getting poorer and poorer. The younger generation seem to lack introspection and endorse whatever gratification comes next. The fact that the game industry is run by publishers which ruthlessly close companies down left right and centre should provide enough evidence that our favorite past time is run buy insatiable greedy people who put their own fortunes ahead of everything else. This bubble we call civilization is going to burst….. Yep. All that from the release of a exclusive controler. Having said that, I want one…..
DragonSpirit009
July 13, 2015 at 11:14
I wouldn’t mind trying it out. Luckily I’m one of those people who quickly adapt to different controllers with no problem. The only problem I have is staying awake when playing the games.
dave69uk .
July 13, 2015 at 11:17
It does look good – I will probably have to get one to pretend I’m a pro gamer (when the reverse it probably more accurate) 🙂
Hans Olo
July 13, 2015 at 14:32
I have all consoles and I admit I personally like the Xbox controllers.
shane
July 14, 2015 at 09:24
When I see the pictures of this elite controller I wish I had it in my hands, RIGHT NOW!!! already have it preordered but October is along time to wait. ‘Sigh’ ????