Microsoft Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 Review

Manufacturer: Microsoft
Where to Buy: Amazon (Disclosure : affiliate link)
RRP: £159.99

I was a previous owner of the Elite V1 and I never had any issues with it – though do I remember people mentioning drift problems, trigger and bumper sticking/breaking and of course the rubber grips coming off. The Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 has been out for almost 5 months now and
I was personally super excited to get my hands on the upgraded controller. Why? I could record gameplay clips with a press of one button! But, was that reason alone to spend £160? Let’s find out.

There is a slight change with the way the controller feels over its predecessor, the new wrap around rubberised grips making it feel completely different. I’m not a fan of this new feeling, though I can’t quite put my finger on why. However, that’s the only bad thing I have to say about this controller. 

We now have three profiles built into the face plate, with a light that lets you know which profile you have selected. It’s possible to map buttons differently, or shorten hair trigger settings for use in racers and shooters. Maybe you need jump and crouch on the back paddle, to get the edge on your opponent. There’s an impressive amount of customisation available to set things up just right. Another added feature are the Action Buttons; these can be set in your controllers profile/button editor and with a press of a button or holding shift + button press (which ever button you dedicate to do this) you can do one of a handful of pre-set tasks such as record a clip, mute your tv, play/pause media and see party, to name a few. 

The internal battery pack has seemingly divided the Xbox community. This has been a massive change for Microsoft; for years we have been used to buying a controller and getting the choice to use batteries or buy a rechargeable battery pack. This is something, in my opinion, we should have, as the Elite Controllers are not cheap. Taking out the rechargeable battery may have made it cheaper, however Elite V1 was round the same price.  It’s important to note if you’re on the fence about getting the Elite Series 2, it has been confirmed that it will work with impending Xbox Series X, coming Holiday 2020. 

Conclusion

The Microsoft Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 is at the high end of controller prices. There are 30 different ways to customise how you want to play! The addition of action buttons is a quality of life feature that we didn’t know we needed, as well shortening of hair-triggers to give you those micro seconds of competitive edge you might need in gunfights. The next step surely has to be letting you create your very own Xbox Elite Version 2 Design Labs Controller – those beware of those prices! 

Conclusion

This hardware was tested and reviewed on Xbox One. All of the opinions and insights here are subject to that version.