The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 has built a reputation as the premium option for serious Xbox players, and it earns that status the moment you pick it up. Compared to the standard Xbox Wireless Controller, the Elite Series 2 carries noticeable heft thanks to its denser materials. The added weight gives it a grounded, substantial feel in your hands, complemented by a textured rubberized grip that keeps everything steady during long sessions.
Precision sits at the heart of the Xbox Elite Series 2 design. Adjustable-tension thumbsticks allow you to fine-tune resistance with the included tool, dialing in movement that matches your preferences. Short hair trigger locks reduce travel distance for faster inputs, a welcome advantage in competitive games where split seconds matter. Every element feels engineered to give players tighter control over their performance. You can even save custom profiles which you can swap between midgame. Use these either when sharing the controller with someone else, or make game-specific profiles with different mapping.
The Streamlined Elite Gaming Experience
The full Xbox Elite Series 2 controller comes with bunch of extra accessories. Four removable back paddles that can be mapped to any button input come with that. When playing first-person shooters, that setup changes the experience dramatically. Actions like jumping, reloading, sliding, or weapon swapping can be handled from the back of the controller, leaving your right thumb planted firmly on the stick for uninterrupted aim.
Plus you’d get spare thumbsticks and d-pads for further customization. This package however does not include those or the paddles. Some gamers might might all those swappable pieces unnecessary, with them just collecting in drawer somewhere.
And yet, the Elite 2 controller still appeals to them because of the weight, quality, and ability to fine tune. That’s why Xbox has made the Core version available, which does away with those extra pieces, providing the core Elite experience at a significantly reduced price. To compare, the Elite 2 full package retails at $200, while the Core version retails for just $150.
Even better, though. Right now, Amazon has the Xbox Elite Series 2 Core controller on sale for $40 off. So that makes it almost half the price of the full package version. That’s a significant drop for a controller that delivers pro-level customization and build quality.
You can also choose from a handful of colors. You can stick with the more traditional black or white options, or get a bit funkier with the red or the black. Note that the red, blue, and white versions all still share the same black rubberized grips as the black model does.
