Xbox One Elite controller review: A better gamepad at a steep price

Is a gamepad worth $150? That's the question Microsoft is asking with the Xbox One Elite controller, a revamp of its almost two-year-old paddle that shipped with the Xbox One. The company isn't targeting this as a device for the mainstream, though. Rather, the Elite is instead for highly competitive gamers -- the type that'd mod their controllers with third-party accessories for greater precision. The customization it offers comes at a steep price, costing over twice as much as the standard $60 controller.Why should you care? Because the vanilla Xbox One controller feels like a cheap knock-off of the vaunted Xbox 360 pad that came before it. Microsoft said it spent over $100 million designing it, considering smell-o-vision and even a built-in projector for the gamepad, only to wind up with a mostly inferior clone. It has too many sharp edges, feels incredibly hollow and seems, well, cheap. Honestly, one of the biggest reasons I don't play my Xbox One much as my PlayStation 4 is because I prefer the latter's DualShock 4 controller. Keep all that in mind when you consider the following statement: I've been using the Elite controller for almost a week and I haven't wanted to put it down; this is the Xbox One gamepad we should've had from the outset.
Is a gamepad worth $150? That's the question Microsoft is asking with the Xbox One Elite controller, a revamp of its almost two-year-old paddle that shipped with the Xbox One. The company isn't targeting this as a device for the mainstream, though. Rather, the Elite is instead for highly competitive gamers -- the type that'd mod their controllers with third-party accessories for greater precision. The customization it offers comes at a steep price, costing over twice as much as the standard $60 controller.Why should you care? Because the vanilla Xbox One controller feels like a cheap knock-off of the vaunted Xbox 360 pad that came before it. Microsoft said it spent over $100 million designing it, considering smell-o-vision and even a built-in projector for the gamepad, only to wind up with a mostly inferior clone. It has too many sharp edges, feels incredibly hollow and seems, well, cheap. Honestly, one of the biggest reasons I don't play my Xbox One much as my PlayStation 4 is because I prefer the latter's DualShock 4 controller. Keep all that in mind when you consider the following statement: I've been using the Elite controller for almost a week and I haven't wanted to put it down; this is the Xbox One gamepad we should've had from the outset.
Is a gamepad worth $150? That's the question Microsoft is asking with the Xbox One Elite controller, a revamp of its almost two-year-old paddle that shipped

The Best Gaming Controllers Under $50 for 2024

Review: Microsoft's vastly superior Xbox Elite Controller might just be worth the crazy price – GeekWire

The best Xbox controllers: Microsoft, Scuf, PowerA, and more - The Verge

Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2

Xbox One Elite Controller Review: One Xbox Controller To Rule Them All

Xbox Wireless Controller

The best Xbox controllers: Microsoft, Scuf, PowerA, and more - The Verge

Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 review - The Verge

The best Xbox controllers: Microsoft, Scuf, PowerA, and more - The Verge

Microsoft Xbox Elite Controller review: Luxury gaming and customization, at a price - CNET

The cheap Xbox controllers of 2024

Wireless Controller for Xbox One, Xbox Wireless Controller PC Gamepad with 2.4GHZ Wireless Adapter, Compatible with Xbox One/One S/One X/One Elite/Xbox Series X/PS3 /Windows 7/8/10 Black (Black): : Computers & Accessories

Xbox One Elite controller review: A better gamepad at a steep price