Box contents
controller
Carrying case
Fingertips: Standard (2), Classic (2), High (1), Wide Dome (1)
Paddle: Medium (2), Mini (2)
D-pads: standard, multifaceted
Fingertip adjustment tool
Charging stand
USB-C cable
In addition to being an evolution of the Elite series, Elite 2 also includes changes to Microsoft's latest generation of standard Xbox controllers. This means that Bluetooth connectivity is already in use, eventually making the Elite controller work with mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets-especially useful for playing Xbox titles on the go with Project xCloud. It also offers new connectivity options for Windows PCs, reducing the need for a £ 20 / $ 20 Xbox wireless adapter-although the inherent latency of Bluetooth connectivity means that serious PC gamers should still opt for faster 2.4GHz wireless encryption Dogs can save cash. The all-in-one design of the new controller is also retained, with an almost flush Xbox button and a 3.5mm port for connecting headphones. It's weird to buy the expensive first-generation Elite in 2019, and it feels like the standard controller is more advanced in some ways, so it's great to see that Elite 2 solves this problem.
Looking at the two elites side by side, another obvious difference is the size of the textured grip. On the original Elite, it only extended down to the back of the controller's arms, but on the Elite 2, the grip texture was found on the front and back, extending upwards to meet the sides of the shoulder buttons, covering a larger area Surface area. Even the texture of the trigger is similar, helping to prevent the fingers of sweaty fingers from slipping off during a fierce battle. Here, comfort is at an unprecedented level, and it's great news for those who play enough to justify an advanced controller like this.
The hair clipper has also been upgraded, and the original Elite introduced a new stroke between the two extremes. I didn't find it useful-hairpins for action games such as full racing and Nioh are enough for me-but I don't mind the extra options as it won't affect other designs. In the end, the first two Elite profiles changed to three on the Elite 2, and the simple switch was replaced with a combination of LEDs and buttons. There is even a new shortcut-press the profile button and the controller will return to the swamp standard settings to disable the bottom trigger. This is useful if you want to turn down the controller and don't want to accidentally cut down friendly NPCs, or if you give your companion to the controller and don't want to confuse it with your unorthodox setting.
The original Elite controller failed to win our clear recommendation.
To actually set up a profile, you need to venture into the Xbox Accessories or Xbox Accessories app on Windows. From here, you can remap any buttons on the controller (except Xbox, Start and Select). As you hold down the shift buttons of your choice, each button can also change its mapping, allowing the dial to be used for eight different functions instead of four. Elsewhere, you can adjust the sensitivity of each joystick, set a dead zone for each trigger, turn down or disable vibration in the four zones, and even adjust the brightness of the Xbox buttons. This is a sensible package that offers deeper and more intuitive customization than the first-generation Elite, which lacks the Shift function and cannot map buttons to system functions such as starting recording or screenshots.
Although pinning the physical design and delivering powerful software is an impressive feat for Microsoft, they have managed to do just that-despite these advantages, the original Elite failed to win our clear recommendation. After all, although the price is many times higher than the standard controller, users of the original Elite gamepad have reported a series of issues with the device-such as the grip falling off, shoulder keys stuck, and stick drifting. Over the course of a year, many users experienced multiple replacements, suggesting that these issues were not limited to the first controllers, while other users opted for third-party fixes, such as additional adhesives, to address what appeared to be design defect. Of course, some Elite controllers have stood the test of time. I picked one up for review twelve months ago, and despite being heavily used in racing simulation games, soul-like games, and party games, I had no problems. Except for Microsoft, no one really has the data to tell whether the original Elite has a higher failure rate than other gamepads, but the construction and reliability of the advanced controller should be better than the one that comes with the console, not more less.
This long history means that Elite 2 faces a higher level of scrutiny. We haven't found any build quality issues for specific units, but the thread on the / r / XboxOne child reddit comes with 3000 comments, and counts indicate that this iteration has its own gremlins, and a large number of users have reported sticky face buttons and fingertips Drift Microsoft has promised to investigate. These issues are covered by the controller's warranty, which is 90 days in the US and Canada, and one year in the UK, but it may be wise to choose a major retailer that does not provide any problematic returns or replacements.
Fortunately, these quality assurance issues will be resolved, and all Seriers 2 controllers manufactured in the future will provide reliability suitable for advanced options. After all, the Elite Series 2 is a great controller with a rich feature list that provides first-class accuracy and control-the right choice for next-generation Xbox consoles and PCs.
