Yesterday, an alleged leak of what looks like an Elite Series 3 controller hit the press, and on the same day, Xbox officially announced two new Gears of War E-Day limited edition controllers. All the while, Xbox hardware sales are down across the US by 62% amidst layoffs of the brand's game developers, a new CEO trying to patch a leaking ship, and, to top it all off, price increases due to the current RAM nightmare. Are new Xbox controllers really the solution?
In short, absolutely not. Controllers don't cost enough, nor sell enough even at their most popular, to balance the books of a multi-billion-dollar outfit like Xbox. Even if Xbox console sales are doubled YoY, some fancy new controllers might not be the cure-all for Xbox's struggling hardware ecosystem right now.
But at the same time, I don't think new controllers, specifically adventurous designs celebrating beloved franchises, or the first new Elite Series controller in over five years, are going to do any harm to the Xbox brand. The Xbox controller is one of the few bits of the brand's hardware output that I see people consistently excited over, and the influence the Elite Series 2 controller has had on the gamepad market at large since its launch is incomparable.
You have to admit, the new design for the Gears of War E-Day controller is stunning, and if Xbox wants to entice fans back to their long-running franchises, this is certainly a way to do that.
Gears of War E-Day Xbox controller: $89.99 at Xbox
We're still a ways off from next-gen consoles (in Xbox's case, Project Helix) seeing the light of day, but there's an upward PR climb for Microsoft before we get there, and a lot of that will be the company trying to regain some good faith with gamers. Sony has been comfortably in the lead with PlayStation console sales for over a decade now, and Xbox has a lot of ground to make up for after game dev layoffs, studio closures, IP mishandling, and it has a lot of work to show it's still in touch with what its fans want.
But what's been consistent throughout all of that? Xbox controllers have always been a win, and I think the folks at the top know that.
Sure, we might be staring down the barrel of the next Xbox being digital only, and costing as much as a second-hand car, but a new Elite Series 3 controller with updated features is something for people to get excited about before then. It suggests the next gen will be about remembering what people love about the Xbox hardware scene.
New, bold designs in celebration of Gears of War E-Day are another way to do that.
As a controller reviewer, I'm personally very excited to see what an Elite Series 3 controller could do to the market. From the "leaked" images (that have now been removed from their post on Reddit) of the purported Elite Series 3, we can see it has a small screen and interface on its top. This is something we've seen lots of controllers like the Manba One, the Navon Revolution X Unlimited, and the Flydigi Apex 5 include. But if the Elite Series 3 is to improve on the current (very competitive) controller market, it'll need to be a useful little screen. The above examples all use a screen wisely, but I've tested plenty that have had utterly redundant interfaces.
We've never seen one of these placed on the top of the gamepad before; it's usually slapped right on the middle of one's face, so if it's a legit product, Xbox is already trying to have a bit of a different identity and not ruin the timeless look of the Xbox controller.
To my eyes, the leaked controller also looks like it has slightly longer grips than the Elite Series 2, which is definitely welcome since the first-party Xbox controllers don't leave you a whole lot of room for larger hands.
Elsewhere, the alleged Elite Series 3 comes in a circular carry case, and does look like it has some accessories for you to customize. It does look fairly similar to the alleged Elite Series 3 that leaked a little while ago, with narrower face button icons but a faithful overall design to what's come before.
I'm personally very excited to see another pad hit the shelves with magnetic back paddles, as the difference between these and regular back buttons is night and day, as my review of the Gulikit KK3 Max will attest.
There's no confirmation from Microsoft that what we're looking at in those images is going to be an upcoming Elite Series 3, but time will tell. While Xbox tries to wrestle its way back into good graces financially and in the court of public opinion, a new pro controller could be a way to make a statement about what's to come for this brand's hardware.
For more on the state of the controller market, check out the best PC controllers, best TMR controllers, and the best PS5 controllers.
