At long last, it seems the Elite Controller Series 3 wasn't just a figment of our optimistic imaginations. Thanks to recent filings accidentally published by the Brazilian telecommunications regulator, Anatel, a brand-new premium gamepad from Xbox is actually a reality.
Yet, despite waiting years for a proper sequel to the Elite Series 2, I can’t help but feel incredibly underwhelmed by what has been uncovered. While I understand the leaked images show a rough, gray prototype rather than the final shelf-ready product, I'm disappointed by the visuals and the apparent omission of key features that would justify this controller's existence in the first place.
Here's what we know so far
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The Anatel filings, which leaked alongside a smaller, flat cloud-dedicated gamepad, paint an intriguing picture of Xbox’s new Elite controller. The most interesting additions are two mysterious scroll wheels built into the bottom edge of the controller near the 3.5mm headphone jack. These look almost identical to the dial setup found on Corsair's Scuf Valor Pro, presumably allowing players to adjust system volume and game/chat audio mixing on the fly. It's neat but not really necessary, given that most headsets already have this feature built in. What would make it more intriguing is if, in the future, we could connect our own earbuds to our console via Bluetooth; such a feature would become infinitely more useful
Here's everything else we know the controller has so far:
- It will have a USB-C Port for modern charging and wired play.
- There's a new Sync Button explicitly designed to toggle between Local and Cloud modes.
- Dedicated LED Indicators that clearly show whether the controller is actively connected locally to your hardware or streaming via Wi-Fi 6 directly to the cloud.
- A removable, rechargeable battery pack (clocking in at 1,528mAh, a controversial downgrade in raw capacity from the Elite 2's massive 2,050mAh internal cell).
Form over premium substance
Why am I so disappointed? Well, first off, I’m not completely surprised that the structural form factor is virtually identical to the Xbox’s current controllers. The ergonomics of the standard Xbox layout are near-perfect. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. However, I sincerely hope the finished product looks infinitely more premium than the drab, generic images we’ve seen so far.
Nobody wants to buy a flagship, top-tier controller only to find it looks identical to the standard $60 pads they already own, relying entirely on users spending extra cash in the Xbox Design Lab just to give it a little aesthetic pizazz.
I also desperately hope the face buttons undergo a massive redesign before launch. In the leak, they look incredibly dull. Given Microsoft's recent marketing pivot back toward nostalgic Xbox branding and console-first narratives, I want to see a triumphant return to our favorite primary-colored ABXY buttons. Even if they prefer a minimalist aesthetic, simply tinting the lettering to mimic those classic colors would inject some badly needed personality into a design that currently blends right into the background.
Beyond aesthetics, which are a relatively minor issue, there is a glaring omission from the details we've got so far. I see no mention at all about modern stick sensor technology, so no confirmed Hall Effect or TMR (tunneling magnetoresistance) sticks.
While it's entirely possible the final hardware will include them, I find it really odd that such a leak with these granular technical details makes no mention of them. For Xbox to launch a premium pro-controller in 2026 and beyond without addressing stick wear would be a huge mistep.
Hall effect vs TMR: What's the difference?
While both eliminate physical friction to prevent stick drift, Hall Effect sensors measure changes in a voltage generated by a magnetic field. TMR, on the other hand, detects joystick movement via changes in magnetic resistance at a quantum level. TMR sensors offer vastly higher signal strength, much lower power consumption, and fine-grained, hyper-precise tracking.
Third-party brands like GameSir and PowerA have been miles ahead of Xbox at a much lower price point, utilizing Hall Effect sticks, which use magnets instead of physical contact to eliminate stick drift. The market has moved so fast that premium brands have already graduated to TMR technology (and now even GameSir has some budget options with this)
If we look at the wider pro-controller market, big names like Razer have already fully embraced TMR. When gamers eye a premium controller line, they expect the absolute latest and greatest technology.
Does Xbox really want to continue lagging behind the very third-party accessories licensed for their own ecosystem? I certainly hope not.
The Project Helix PC hybrid conundrum
Finally, a small point of contention online has been the distinct lack of mouse or trackpad capabilities on the Elite 3 prototype. Personally, I am a bit split on this. We've recently seen Valve release its Steam Controller with its impressive dual-trackpad layout, but this is a device inherently marketed to a PC-first audience who expect a Steam Deck-style device. You can't really compromise the size and muscle memory of the iconic Xbox silhouette, because Microsoft is still marketing first and foremost to a console playerbase. That playerbase is not the same as Steam's and should not be treated as such.
Yet there is a glaring problem: how will Project Helix fit into this? How do you successfully bridge the gap between PC capabilities and console comfort? Should that ambition be reflected in Xbox’s flagship controller as a statement of hybrid intent?
Personally, I strongly dislike the idea of forcing absolutely every PC and console feature into a single unit; when you try to cover every single base, you usually end up being lackluster in all of them.
I think the smart thing to do would be to release a completely separate companion device for users who want the mouse capability features. This gives more freedom to break away from the classic Xbox design. That being said, if Microsoft did want to integrate some form of mouse navigation without making the controller humongous and unwieldy, they could look to legacy devices like the PlayStation Vita, which featured a discrete touchpad on the rear. (Just make sure we can toggle it off in the settings to avoid accidental inputs!)
Future proofing over battery capacity
If there is one silver lining to the leak for me, it’s the shift to a removable battery pack. I've seen a bunch of negative comments from the community about this, given that a 1,528mAh removable pack holds less playtime than the Elite Series 2’s beefy, sealed 2,050mAh internal battery.
However, I lean firmly toward consumer repairability and future-proofing (lord knows I wish mobile phones would return to this). Sealed batteries inevitably degrade over time, effectively putting an expiration date on an expensive peripheral. With a removable pack, at least if the battery starts to fail, you can simply swap it out rather than replacing the entire $200+ controller. It might not look quite as clean, sure, but it keeps the controller alive for much longer, potentially giving you more cost per use for your Elite.
Let's hope there is more in store
All of this to say, the Elite Series 3, so far at least, feels like a mixed bag of genuinely exciting additions and suspiciously outdated omissions. If Xbox wants this to be the definitive input device for the Project Helix generation, they need to stop letting third-party manufacturers outpace them on basic features like stick technology.
What are your thoughts on the leaked Elite Series 3? Do you think this is the final product, or is there more yet to be revealed?
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