At a Glance: Microsoft Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 Review
Microsoft’s new Xbox Elite Controller quickly became a popular option among gamers when it first launched in 2015. These controllers have reportedly not held up well over the years, though. Microsoft is looking to improve over its original design with the new Microsoft Elite Controller Series 2.
Design
The new Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 is remarkably similar to the original Xbox Elite Controller. The button layout is essentially the same as on any Xbox One controller, except on the underside of the controller where there’s some additional hardware.
The Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 features four curved programmable paddles. If you don’t want to use these, or you feel they are in the way, you can pull them off and toss them aside, but that would remove one of the controller’s major selling points.
Just like the original, the new Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 has detachable and customizable analog sticks and a removable directional pad.
The main feature enhancements inherent in the new Series 2 controller include improved rubberized grips and a built-in rechargeable battery that reportedly can last for up to 40 hours, according to Microsoft. Our sister site PCMag tested one of these controllers and did indicate the new grips felt like an improvement over the original.
Conclusion
Microsoft set the Series 2 controller with an MSRP of $179.99, which makes it $30 more expensive than its predecessor. As the new controller features better grips and a long-lasting built-in battery, the new Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 appears to be a superior solution compared with the original. If I was in the market for a high-end controller, however, I’d probably wait a while longer to see how the new Series 2 controllers hold up before sinking $179.99 into a high-end model.
Continue reading
AMD Smashes Revenue Records as Zen 3, Xbox Series X, PS5 Ramp Up
AMD's Q3 2020 results are in, and the results are excellent for the company, in every particular.
AMD’s New Radeon RX 6000 Series Is Optimized to Battle Ampere
AMD unveiled its RX 6000 series today. For the first time since it bought ATI in 2006, there will be some specific advantages to running AMD GPUs in AMD platforms.
Xbox Series X Review: The Living Room Gaming PC I’ve (Mostly) Always Wanted
The Xbox Series X launches in five days, and we're clear to talk about it. I've never done a console review before, so I went into this from the perspective of what I'm used to — PC gaming. Microsoft objectively has a lot to be proud of, here.
The Xbox Series S Is Handicapped by Its Storage Capacity
The Xbox Series S has been favorably received, for the most part, but the console's low base storage makes the Xbox Series X a better value for a lot of people.