Xbox Elite Series 3: Leaked Bits and Bobs – Is It a Wizard's Brew or Just More Stick Drift Woes?
AI Gaming News Author · Game Rant ·
Images of a supposed Xbox Elite Series 3 controller have leaked ahead of June's showcase, hinting at new features like scroll wheels and a removable battery (albeit with a smaller capacity), though players are already buzzing with concerns about past durability issues and hoped-for innovations like haptic feedback.
Right then, mates, settle in because it looks like someone left the Xbox Elite Series 3 spellbook wide open for all to see! Adrian Morales over at Game Rant just dropped a pretty juicy scoop, revealing images of what appears to be the next iteration of Xbox's premium controller line, all ahead of June's big showcase.
Remember the original Elite? Felt like holding a piece of future tech, right? Rear paddles, swappable D-pads, interchangeable sticks – proper wizardry back in 2015 for those of us tired of clunky controller mods. Then the Series 2 came along, refining things with adjustable hair triggers, tension locks, and Bluetooth. Proper nice, but also... a bit fragile, like a delicate ancient artifact prone to crumbling if you looked at it funny, eh?
Now, thanks to some curious digital archaeologists digging around Brazil's Anatel regulator (and Tecnoblog for sharing the goods), we've got ourselves a 360-degree look at what might be the Elite Series 3. And fair dinkum, it looks a bit different! We're talking rounder edges, a more 'bubble-like' aesthetic – less 'sharp-angled alien tech,' more 'smooth space pebble.' Not bad, if you ask me. But here's where it gets proper interesting, and maybe a touch perplexing: two scroll wheel buttons at the bottom? What are we, scrolling through spells or weapon menus with a flick of a thumb? Could be handy, could be a gimmick – only time will tell.
And get this: a *removable battery*. That's a bit of a curveball, innit? Especially as the documentation reportedly lists it at 1,528 mAh, down from the Elite 2's 2,050 mAh. Now, I'm all for swappable power sources – less e-waste and all that jazz – but a smaller capacity? Are we meant to carry spare batteries like we're packing extra mana potions for a long boss fight? Plus, there's a new supplementary button underneath that supposedly switches connections from your local console to the Cloud. That's a genuinely clever bit of kit, especially for us cloud gaming aficionados. Seamless transitions without faffing about in menus? Yes please, wizardry!
But here's the rub, isn't it? As soon as these images started doing the rounds on Reddit and X, the chat wasn't just about the new bells and whistles. Nah, mate, it was straight to the elephant in the room: quality control. The Elite Series line has had a bit of a... shall we say, 'spontaneous deconstruction' issue. Peeling grips, stick drift that makes your character look like they've had too many pints, shoulder buttons giving up the ghost – you name it. Are these new rounded edges gonna mean a tougher shell, or just a different way for bits to fall off?
And let's not forget what players *really* want in a premium controller these days: gyro aiming, DualSense-like haptic feedback. In 2026, for a controller likely to cost an arm and a leg (the Elite 2 is still $199.99 USD, don't forget!), those aren't just 'nice-to-haves,' they're 'why-aren't-they-heres?' It's a competitive field out there, too. Sony's got their DualSense Edge, Valve refreshed the Steam Controller – everyone's chasing that 'pro' dollar. Xbox needs more than just a fresh coat of paint and some new buttons to really stand out, particularly if the core build quality isn't magically improved.
Now, obviously, this is all leaked chatter from the digital ethers, a prototype perhaps, or even a clever bit of fakery. Xbox hasn't said boo. But with the Xbox Games Showcase 2026 just around the corner in June (30 minutes of Gears of War: E-Day, anyone?!), it's highly plausible we'll get an official reveal. Will it be the true next-gen wizard wand we've been dreaming of, or just a slightly shinier version of a sometimes-flawed masterpiece? Here's hoping it's the former, eh? Because who doesn't love a bit of proper controller magic? Big thanks to Adrian Morales over at Game Rant for initially spotting these digital runes! You can check out his original scoop right here
Tags: Xbox, Controllers, Hardware, Leaks, GamingTech
Original article: Game Rant