UPDATE : Microsoft has acknowledged complaints about the Elite Series 2 and is investigating, according to a statement given to Windows Central.
At Microsoft, we put all of our products through rigorous quality assurance testing. However, like any hardware, there is the possibility that a small percentage of devices may experience issues. We are aware that a small number of users may be experiencing issues with the Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 and are actively investigating with our engineering teams. We encourage any customers who experience issues with their hardware to contact Xbox Support.
ORIGINAL STORY :
Microsoft launched its second generation of Elite Wireless Controller last week to rave reviews from hardware critics across the industry. However, for some Series 2 owners, the $180 controller isn’t living up to expectations, or its premium price tag. Many buyers are reporting numerous issues, such as stick drift and button presses not registering, out of the box.
A vast mega-thread over on the Xbox One subreddit details some of the problems owners have been facing. It seems that the controller’s A, X, Y and B face buttons are sometimes not registering or are occasionally sticking, thumbsticks are not returning back to centre, back paddles aren’t providing “clicky” feedback, analogue sticks are drifting, and some have reported random Bluetooth disconnects with PC. Some buyers are even on their third controller and are still coming up against issues.
The original Elite series controller didn’t have the best release back in 2015 with buyers immediately reporting faulty bumper buttons, stick drift and peeling grips. The Elite Series 2 is considered an upgrade over the 2015 Elite controller and is supposed to have addressed all of its predecessor’s shortcomings.
The Elite Series 2 has been re-engineered on both the inside and out. It’s also more expensive than the original Elite. Still, for that extra premium, Microsoft has improved the durability of the bumpers and the rubberised grips and included features such as adjustable tension for the thumbsticks, an internalised rechargeable battery which gives you up to 40 hours battery life, Bluetooth connectivity and it comes bundled with a charging dock.
It’s unclear how far widespread these issues are. Some owners are getting on fine with their elites and aren’t experiencing any issues at all. Do you own an Elite Series 2 Controller? Let us know in the comments if you’ve come across any of the issues above.