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Microsoft has stuck with virtually the same Xbox controller design for over a decade, but leaks suggest a completely new design. Not one, but two unannounced gamepads have leaked, and while the line-up does include an Elite Series 3 that still feels like part of the OG controller lineage, it's accompanied by a tiny sibling that's geared towards cloud gaming.
Shared by Technoblog, the new Xbox controller leak shows off both gamepads and provides some key specs. The latter compact pad, or "Microsoft 2147 controller," if we're using its internal Microsoft moniker, almost looks like a retro console accessory by the likes of 8Bitdo, featuring a flat, rectangular shell that's only 90mm tall and 130mm wide.
The latter is what potentially gives away the mini Xbox controller as a cloud gaming device. Its Wi-Fi capabilities are allegedly restricted to 20MHz, too, which makes sense given that it will help minimise interference and latency. I am hoping that its additional Bluetooth abilities mean it will also just work as a PC controller, as its size and concave disc d-pad lend themselves to fighting and retro games. Documentation detailing toggle button functionality backs that idea up, with options for "local" and "cloud" modes listed.
Part of me wonders if the Wi-Fi-enabled Xbox controller will be an ergonomic nightmare. I've used retro gamepads of all shapes and sizes, but the difference here is that Microsoft is squeezing full-sized thumbsticks and buttons onto something with next to no curves and minimal grips around back. That's all dandy if you're playing 2D games on an old system, but adding sticks and triggers into the equation will have your thumbs performing more complex acrobatics.
In contrast to that drastically different gamepad, you've got the new Xbox Elite Controller Series 3. While it largely sticks to the same script as the Elite Controller Series 2, it does boast the same Bluetooth and Wi-Fi modules as its compact sibling. Microsoft has also resculpted the top of the pad, ditching some of the ridges that hail from the Xbox One era to achieve the same smoothness as the standard Wireless Controller.
The Elite Series 3 seems to have all the same customizable bells and whistles as its predecessor, including adjustable triggers, d-pad, and paddles. That said, two sneaky scroll wheels are hiding next to the 3.5mm headphone jack, and they almost remind me of an old Saitek flight controller from the PS1 era. Whether they're actually for sim games or serve some sort of adjustability purpose remains a mystery, but it feels like the latter would be appropriate since this is a "Pro" gamepad.
The timing of these controller leaks is impeccable, as I just wrapped up my review of the Retro Fighters Hunter for the OG Xbox. Throughout testing, I couldn't help but think about how Microsoft's controller design has subtly evolved since the Duke smashed into our palms back in 2001, and while the wireless pad is supposed to feel "old-school", refining the original design simply results in the modern-day Xbox gamepad.
If the compact controller is indeed real, it would be a deviation from the design first established by the OG Xbox "S" gamepad. The only first-party controller I can think of that doesn't use the post-Xbox 360 shell and buttons is the Adaptive Controller & Joystick, and we could be witnessing Microsoft getting into the groove with new pads. If the console maker is starting to explore accessories with specific use cases, making a Steam Controller rival for Project Helix would be a no-brainer since it'll be rivalling the Steam Machine with similar hybrid PC capabilities.
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