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Xbox One Elite Controller — Your Thoughts?

Love it. I only use 2 paddles on the back because 4 was too much for my old brain to get used to. Plus I think 4 is a bit overkill anyway. It makes a world of difference for shooters or even manual gear changes in racers.

I hope next gen they update it and make it the default controller that comes in the box. Maybe sell all the tranklements seperately or something. Everyone should have an Elite!
 
Those of you that are using the Elite controller w/ the PS4. Are you still able to customize the buttons/paddles and it still work for the PS4?

I backed a Kickstarter for the Wireless Brook X One adapter and im really excited for the product and switching from a DS4 to a XBOX One controller.
 

BANGS

Banned
It's probably the best controller on the market today. But don't think it's invincible or flawless, I've seen two of them break after heavy use...
 

amdb00mer

Member
Love it. Was skeptical when it was announced. Waited until I was able to snag one on eBay for about $80. That was a year ago. However, the left rubber grip has worn off twice. Glued it back a couple of times. Came off again. Had to order some replacements from eBay for about $20. Other than that it's my go to for all fps 3ps games.
 

Night.Ninja

Banned
I'm happy with mine got it for a good deal too £109 with assassin creed origins. Not issues with it so far only negatives is no Bluetooth but I use my project Scorpio controller for pc gaming because of the Bluetooth connection.

I would recommend it.
 

Redshirt

Banned
The internal quality is no better than the standard controller. There's no upgraded switches or anything like that.

I know some people who bought it thinking they'd offset the cost through greater durability, and that wasn't the case at all.

So, it really comes down to whether the paddles are worth it to you.
 

Sorne

Member
Best controller I've ever had. The quality is good, and whenever I'm at a friends house playing with a regular controller, I REALLY miss the paddles on the back. Can't live without it now. But I was hesitant as well, before buying it.
 

Halabane

Member
This is why I’ve never jumped on one, for 150 it shouldn’t be having durability issues. A few of my friends have them and they swear by the controller, but they’ve also had issues with buttons and other stuff.

Had two of them since day one and used a lot. Never had issues with buttons or anything for that matter. I wish they would go back to putting the letters in a color. I use too many different devices and sometimes I forget. :) Tough getting old.

Best controller I have ever used. I have a great wheel set up for forza but those devices underneath feel like paddles and are lots of fun. Also neat for melee. Surprised it has not come down in more in price over time.
 

Nikana

Go Go Neo Rangers!
I literally dont want to play some games without it.

I despise clicking sticks to do anything. So being able to remap that function was worth the price alone.
 
The Elite controller is the best game controller of all time. It's not perfect, but it is nearly the total package and the best we've got right now.

I am eager to see if MS creates a revision. I'd love to design my own Elite in Xbox's Design Labs.

Can't live without the paddles now.
 
It's really good and still in good condition after a year and half of pretty heavy use (it's survived Bayonetta/Revengeance). I don't use the paddles as much as I should, but that's mostly because I only recently got Windows 10, which supposedly lets me reprogram each paddle to a specific button, but haven't looked into how yet. :p
 
Best controller i have ever had, love the grips on it and the feel of it. My brain cant get used to the paddles though so i can't use em in a good way. So they are off all the time, so maybe it's a waste on me? :p
 

JP

Member
I'd keep thinking about getting one but I don't think it's worth the price for. The primary reason that I've thought about it is so that I could use the paddles to change gears in driving games.

Does anybody use it for that? Would something like that also work with one of those PS4 adapters that you can get?
 

Nikana

Go Go Neo Rangers!
I'd keep thinking about getting one but I don't think it's worth the price for. The primary reason that I've thought about it is so that I could use the paddles to change gears in driving games.

Does anybody use it for that? Would something like that also work with one of those PS4 adapters that you can get?

I do it in Forza.

Not sure about the PS4 question.
 
I'd keep thinking about getting one but I don't think it's worth the price for. The primary reason that I've thought about it is so that I could use the paddles to change gears in driving games.

Does anybody use it for that? Would something like that also work with one of those PS4 adapters that you can get?

I use it on PS4 with a Cronusmax and it works great. Apparently it has less input lag than a new DS4 in wired mode too.
 

JP

Member
I do it in Forza.

Not sure about the PS4 question.
I use it on PS4 with a Cronusmax and it works great. Apparently it has less input lag than a new DS4 in wired mode too.
Thanks for that, I'm sure that I'll pick one up at some point it's just that with Christmas and buying an X it's not going to be now, maybe if there's a decent sale price though.
 
Just waiting for there to be an update to the design and i'll be in. The current design makes the refinements of the new x1 pads
 
I use it on PS4 with a Cronusmax and it works great. Apparently it has less input lag than a new DS4 in wired mode too.

I can vouch for it working nearly flawlessly with a Cronusmax. Lost connection once or twice even after they said they fixed all the bugs though.

I've got my eye on a MS labs custom designed ones now. They'll be $15 off base price on BF so a little more manageable--here's what I posted in cheapassgamer thread on the subject:

They've added the option to have rubberized grips since the last time I looked. Might be closer to the Elite controller this way but with better sticks (stiffer).


I enjoy the Elite a lot but I think I do slightly better in competitive fps with the regular type s controller because the actual stick stiffness is higher on the new design (the elite is based off the old design but with high quality materials--the stick module is still the old one though). I also don't make use of the paddles because I've found I hold the controller too tightly to not accidently press them at inopportune times.


The metal sticks do have a tendency to snap back into place more than the plastic ones which occasionally makes my aim a little less consistent. For PvE geared activities though, the comfort over a longer period of time is unmatched (with the elite).


MS also added the option for newer metallic finishes on parts of the controller which is a nice (yet costly) addition imo
 
I've had 3 break on me. The reason is because I play tons of halo with the Bumper Jumper control scheme and the left bumper will always fail. On the new standard controller this is not an issue. Too bad because the elite is awesome otherwise.
 

Naked Lunch

Member
Great controller but the bumpers break on the current version.
The newest standard xb1 controllers use the newest bumpers that do not break - no idea why they havent revised the elite controller yet.
 

HeisenbergFX4

Gold Member
Great controller but the bumpers are prone to breaking since they are still cheap plastic on the inside.

Once you get used to the paddles on the back you will never want to play without them.

That said take the beatings it takes to get used to those paddles. For me at 50+ years old it took awhile for me to rewire my brain to use them. On the other hand my teenage nephew was over one day and he took to the paddles almost instantly.

Someone asked if they ever go on sale my Gamestop was doing a tradein during the launch of the X if you traded in a regular controller plus $50 netted you an Elite controller.

Total side note my WalMart had the Razer Wildcat controller was on sale from their regular $129 price to $65 and then had them at even 50% off that so picked up 2 for $65.

They are not as nice as the Elite but at that price they are nice controllers.
 

dcx4610

Member
It’s my favorite controller but it’s not worth the MSRP.

Everything is improved over the standard controller and feels higher quality. I bought it as my main controller for PC (with dongle) and it work great and has excellent battery life. The analog sticks are more responsive and most noticeable, the controller is much heavier and grippy on the back.

That said, is it THAT much of an improvement over the standard? Not really. I was perfectly fine with the standard controller. If I had to choose between the two, it would be the Elite every time but it’s not a big enough leap to justify a $100 price difference.

If you do get one, there are massive amounts available on eBay. I got mine for $70 new and it was worth that. $150? Absolutely not.
 

Peterc

Member
Is it better as rhe xbox one standard one?

Because i think that one is trash:

3d sticks are way to long
The dpad clicks and feel cheap
The l and r buttons are placed in a wrong position so you can't reach them easily.

I hope they fixed it with the elite one.

* it's still better as the ps1.4 controller.
 

shpankey

not an idiot
Amazing controller and I don't even use the paddles except in racing games. It is so much better than the standard controller. It's quite a bit heavier with a REALLY solid feel and better grips, it also comes w/ the option to use short, convex and/or longer analog sticks (i use long on the right, short on the left) which dramatically increases your ability to fine tune aim in FPS.

When you put on the paddles, in a racing game, you can use manual shift and do your shift up/down without taking your fingers off gas/brakes, which is HUGE.

Lastly, the default gaming d-pad on it is sublime. For a long time I changed it to the cross, but since I changed back to the inverted plate, I am in heaven when navigation the Home menu and or Plex/Netflix/Hulu, etc.

Having said all of that, the custom one you can order online, is also way better than the default. Heaver and more solid, but not as good as the Elite.

The standard controller feels very light and cheap to me, and I just don't enjoy it very much. The custom is really good and the Elite is amazeballs!
 
It is great.

-----however-----


I've actually found myself using the standard controller more lately, due to how light it is. Sometimes my hands just want something light to use.
 

Metzhara

Member
My thoughts on the elite:
The extra weight is considerable. While I'm not one to say "my hands get tired" it's good for people to know the added weight is there.
The paddles get in the way more than I'd like. While they are removable, it still can be irksome. I was hoping for a third party to release maybe slightly shorter versions but I haven't seen any (though there are some interesting 3rd party add ons for the controller.) Fortunately you can quickly disable these by double tapping the sync button and that works well enough.
The Dpad is interesting. I thought I would use the disc more but I find myself utilizing the cross pad more regularly.
Outside of those observations which could be problematic for some, my experience has been VERY enjoyable. The finish is interesting so if you are known to scuff controllers, be wary. The magnetic sticks are enjoyable to click and the customizations on them are plentiful. With owning it since day 1, my only "problem" currently is my right stick is now "slightly loose" but causes no ill effect on my gameplay.
I couldn't recommend the elite more... but am always wondering if they'll release Elite 2.0 sometime.
Great value for the time I've had it.
 
It's really good and still in good condition after a year and half of pretty heavy use (it's survived Bayonetta/Revengeance). I don't use the paddles as much as I should, but that's mostly because I only recently got Windows 10, which supposedly lets me reprogram each paddle to a specific button, but haven't looked into how yet. :p
I love that the Xbox app on Windows 10 let's you dim the white light on the Elite controller compared to the migraine inducing brightness on the regular Xbone pad. Though I wish Microsoft would give us the option to turn it off completely.
 
Just a reminder for those playing on pc concerned about the weight issue—take the batteries out! You’re going to have to hard wire that sucker unless you invest in the dongle anyway and the difference is substantial.

If you’re like me and used to take rumble rotors out of controllers to make them lighter, this is the only way to play. I remember MS saying something about the weight of the batteries being integrated into the carefully constructed balance of the controller but it played fine to me without them. YMMV
 

Gamegeneral

Member
I paid around a hundo for mine, new (Thanks to amazon credits and a well-timed buy) and I love it, but my only issue with it is that the thumbsticks are too snappy, and thus sometimes when I release them near the edge, they'll spring back with enough force for whatever game i'm playing to register the opposite direction.
 

vort3x

Member
Love it. Best controller ever. Once you get used to the paddles you can't go back. Heard build quality on the bumpers is shit but I own two and both are fine since day 1. They also easily replaceable if they break. My friend had two that broke so buyers luck I guess. Even after replacing the bumpers he still loves it.
 

dezzy8

Member
Those of you that are using the Elite controller w/ the PS4. Are you still able to customize the buttons/paddles and it still work for the PS4?

I backed a Kickstarter for the Wireless Brook X One adapter and im really excited for the product and switching from a DS4 to a XBOX One controller.

Yes. Just hook it up to your PC to customize the paddles.
 
I was so close to buying one so I could physically swap the face buttons and remap to be the same as a Nintendo layout, since I have between my Switch and PC daily. The no Bluetooth pushed me away though so I’m waiting with baited breath for a revised version.
 

legbone

Member
Best controller I have ever used (sound familiar?). Worth every penny. Eats batteries like a mother though. Invest in some eneloops. Wish Sony and Nintendo would each make one as well. I'd buy them in a minute.
 

Aggie CMD

Member
The best part is the steel rings around the base of the thumbsticks. And nobody ever mentions it. They glide around so much better.
 

AU Tiger

Member
I own just about every controller and have owned all the major consoles and the elite game pad is the best one by a country mile. It's not even close.

It's expensive but when you hold/feel the thing, it FEELS like it's in a totally different class of build quality and materials.
 

imperium

Member
Just received mine today from Costco and people weren’t lying, it’s a very nice controller. Feels great in your hands and very smooth. I removed the two lower paddles since it made holding the controller slightly uncomfortable & four paddles kinda overwhelmed my brain. Mapped the remaining top paddles to the bumpers & played AC: Origins. It was awkward at first but after about half hour using the paddles started to feel natural. I was actually surprised how quickly I adapted to the paddles and really liked the feel of them compared to the bumpers.. As someone new to the Xbox, my only real complaint with the standard controller is the bumpers, they just don’t feel right compared to the ps4.

My only very minor complaint with the elite is that I wish they had left the colored buttons intact or found a way to make them optional. I’m still getting used to the Xbox controller and I find the colors helpful. If the elite controller turns out to be durable, it really is worth the price of admission. I can see myself quickly getting spoiled by the paddles.
 

SpacLock

Member
Once you go elite you can't go back.

It is hands down the best controller I have ever placed my thumbs on.

The best part is the steel rings around the base of the thumbsticks. And nobody ever mentions it. They glide around so much better.

Yes. It is underestimated. There is no plastic grinding on plastic. Ever. Every time you use the controller it is like the first time you have ever used it. It's a beautiful feeling.
 

D3SCHA1N

Member
I've enjoyed my elite for the most part but have had a couple issues with it. I started getting some drift on one, so I exchanged it, and later on that one the rubberized part of the handle for your palms started coming loose and protruding to the point it impacted the feel of holding it, so I exchanged it yet again, so far I've had no issues with this 3rd one, but my warranty period is almost up so fingers crossed nothing goes wrong with it.
 
Worth every penny. Makes me hate life when I have to go back to the Fisher Price DS4.

Lol, the DS4 isn’t that bad, and is actually quite excellent by normal controller standards. I still prefer it for Call of duty of any shooter with low time to kill because the PS4 sticks have much higher resistance and are therefore more precise, especially for making accurate ranged shots which is how I keep a high kd in those types of shooters.

Games like halo and destiny which emphasize being able to be on target for longer periods of time and reward consistency and fluidity of response more I tend to favor the Xbox controllers.
 

MrBenchmark

Member
Lol, the DS4 isn’t that bad, and is actually quite excellent by normal controller standards. I still prefer it for Call of duty of any shooter with low time to kill because the PS4 sticks have much higher resistance and are therefore more precise, especially for making accurate ranged shots which is how I keep a high kd in those types of shooters.

Games like halo and destiny which emphasize being able to be on target for longer periods of time and reward consistency and fluidity of response more I tend to favor the Xbox controllers.
This is why the elite needs the S controller sticks they have that greater resistance the DS4 sticks have.
 
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