![]() The clicky tabs barely require any weight on them to register a press. And while it's nice pretending that you're using paddle shifters in a series like Forza Motorsport, moving up and down gears with the face buttons is actually a bit simpler than juggling so many fingers.Įven when they are useful, though, the Xbox Elite grip buttons are hampered by a design that makes them much too sensitive. Most standard action games, for instance, have already been designed to be played with your thumb constantly hovering over the face buttons with perhaps an occasional flick to the right analog stick to adjust the camera. Outside of shooters, it was harder to find much use for these additional grip buttons. Reloading, crouching, sprinting, melee attacks, picking up ammo and weapons, directing squadmates, and countless other little in-game tasks are much more convenient when you don't have to move your thumb off the analog stick to a face button (and back again) to complete them. Modern shooters have plenty of other functions you might want easier access to as well. For committed bunny hoppers, the ability to jump and turn simultaneously (without overriding one of those precious shoulder button) is almost worth the price of admission on its own. ![]() The addition of four buttons actually makes such constant thumbstick contact feasible. The additional grip buttons were most useful in first- and third-person shooters, where you basically never want your thumbs to come off those crucial movement and aiming sticks. Add those to the shoulder buttons and button-like "clicks" of the analog sticks, and you now have a whopping 10 inputs that can be accessed without ever taking your thumbs off the analog sticks. The Xbox Elite controller's most useful feature by far is the addition of four buttons on the underside of the controller grip two on each side, placed for easy access by the middle and ring fingers. At $150, though, the price of entry to try out Microsoft's view of the controller's future is a bit too steep for all but the most competitive of gamers. Microsoft's effort throws a lot of ideas at the proverbial wall, and a few of them stick well enough that we'd like to see them integrated into every handheld controller going forward. First there was Valve's utterly unique Steam Controller, and now we have Microsoft's high-end Xbox Elite controller. Now, though, we seem to be in something of a golden age of experimentation with that design. If you’re in the market for a premium controller and have the cash to spare, this is easily the best one to spend your money on.Further Reading Steam’s living room hardware blitz gets off to a muddy startFor nearly two decades now, the game industry at large (with the significant exception of Nintendo) has only made small tweaks to the reigning dual-stick controller design standard, first set by the PlayStation's original Dual Shock controller in 1997. The additional customization options, new rechargeable battery, and Bluetooth enabled connectivity make this a decent upgrade over the Series 1 and, while perhaps not enough to convince most to replace their original Elite, it all adds to the value. It’s a well-rounded piece of kit.Įven with the price tag, the Microsoft Elite Series 2 controller may be the best controller you'll ever use. ![]() The overall weight and feel of the build give you confidence that this is durable enough the handle to most intense sessions of Mortal Kombat 11, or your ninth hour outbursts in Apex Legends. Changing things, like d-pads or paddles on the fly is a godsend and there's a level of freedom to have your thumbstick tension levels set to the exact way you want them. Everything about the Series 2 screams luxury. The more you use the Microsoft Elite Series 2 controller, the more you'll understand why it’s the best, and you’ll quickly start to see where that $180 went.
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