Built for performance
Designed to meet the needs of today’s competitive gamers, the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 features over 30 new ways to play like a pro. Enhance your aim with adjustable-tension thumbsticks, fire even faster with shorter hair trigger locks, and stay on target with a wrap-around rubberized grip.
Slide %{start} of %{total}. %{slideTitle} Skip Features of the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2.
Left: Elite Core. Right: Elite Series 2 (Credit: Microsoft) The Core part of the Elite Core comes in its accessories, or lack thereof. In addition to what comes installed on the controller itself,
the Elite Series 2 includes four swappable analog sticks, a swappable direction pad, four removable metal paddles, a charging dock, a carrying case for all of those components, a tool for adjusting the tension on the analog sticks, and a USB-C cable. The core only comes with the tension adjustment tool and cable.
The inability to switch out the direction pad and thumbsticks is one thing, but the really big missing element is the rear paddles. The Elite Core still has four small slots on the back with tiny circular buttons that can work with the removable paddles, but without the paddles themselves those buttons are almost impossible to press.
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Xbox Complete Controller Pack (Credit: Microsoft)
The rear paddle slots on the Elite Core mean it can be upgraded to a full Elite Series 2 controller, though, and Microsoft is offering an accessory pack to make that happen. The Complete Controller Pack provides every accessory the Elite Series 2 has and the Elite Core lacks, for $59.99. This means you'll be paying $190 for a white Elite Series 2 gamepad instead of $180 for the currently black-only model, but it's still an option.
Microsoft has also announced that the Elite Core will be added to Xbox Design Lab, letting players customize the colors of their gamepad beyond black and white. The ability to order your own personalized Elite gamepad will launch this holiday season.
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