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Xbox Elite 2 controller is having widespread issues

Jigsaah

Gold Member


so like have you used an elite 2?

hagh hagh hagh, and i looked at him and you know and i thought what a beautiful thing because maybe one day it'll be like that

I havent used it. A buddy of mine bought it day 1. I told him not to do it. And i was right. Damn shame
 

Spukc

always chasing the next thrill
i bougth it day 1 and returned it day 2
connecting between several devices is a bitch

didnt work with ipad pro 11inch xbox one s controller does work
didnt work with mayflash adapter xbox one s controller does work
no removable battery.

shame controller felt premium as fuck
 
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xrnzaaas

Member
Oh geez, it's not even one common problem, but a variety of different ones. You shouldn't feel like you're entering a lottery and not knowing whether you're going to get a flawless controller or not when you're paying almost 200 bucks for it.
 

kingwingin

Member
"We've also heard of numerous instances of" "with one Reddit user claiming the material causes their "hands to itch and sweat." like come on, i want an article to show me these defects, not hearsay. plus unless only 100 people bought the controller, 50 people complaining on reddit inst a mixed bag of results like they claim.
 

Jigsaah

Gold Member
"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."

Confirmed, Microsoft basically threw a bunch of controllers in battery acid, cleaned em off and shipped em. :pie_smirking:
 
Yeah not surprised. I've had issues with my Xbox One X from day one since I bought it. Random shut downs when turning it on, OS crashes, games lagging for no reason. Its pathetic.

If their most expensive console they sell has these issues, there's no hope for their controllers. MS have been making crap gaming hardware since the 360 days.
 

Ulysses 31

Member
Yeah not surprised. I've had issues with my Xbox One X from day one since I bought it. Random shut downs when turning it on, OS crashes, games lagging for no reason. Its pathetic.

If their most expensive console they sell has these issues, there's no hope for their controllers. MS have been making crap gaming hardware since the 360 days.
My Xbox One X Scoprio does none of that, you ain't gonna check if it can be repaired/replaced? 0o
 

Jigsaah

Gold Member
Piranhas are only found in the Amazon, not in oceans. 🤷‍♂️
Yeah not surprised. I've had issues with my Xbox One X from day one since I bought it. Random shut downs when turning it on, OS crashes, games lagging for no reason. Its pathetic.

If their most expensive console they sell has these issues, there's no hope for their controllers. MS have been making crap gaming hardware since the 360 days.
Sorry you're having these problems, but I've definitely had no complaints with my X.
 

DunDunDunpachi

Patient MembeR
This is a huge bummer. Why have controllers gotten so crappy this generation?

I'd happily sink more money into a controller if I knew it would last me. I have several arcade sticks around my house as a testament to that.

But I'm not going to waste money and frustration on an overpriced controller that can't function for more than a few years.
 

PocoJoe

Banned
180 is not particularly pricy for a pro controller. Its in the same league of Astro C40 TR, and even on the lower end.
And the Elite v2 is much better than the Astro IMO.

It is almost 4 times more expensive as the best pro controller ever. DS4.
 
Well that's too bad, I must have gotten lucky again.

Microsoft should be able to account for drift through software, drift will continue to happen until they can find a replacement for the centering spring system that all controllers use. Even a miniscule variance in the spring tension can cause the pad to sit off-center. Not sure why they haven't included a center calibration setting in their Xbox Accessories app given this has been a common thing since the analog unit used in every controller on the market was introduced. The Elite 2 uses this exact same unit, but with a new post assembly. Otherwise it's the same as the X1S, X360, PS4, PS3, Switch Pro, WiiU Pro, etc. Looks like they have work to do in their QA department to catch this issue before the controllers ship.

I'm not sure about the grip issue with "itchy sweaty hands" though.

The grips are not a glued on piece this time, the entire faceplate and backplates are solid pieces, with the grip pattern molded into them. The entire outside surface of the controller uses the same high wear black coating Microsoft and many other manufacturers have been using on their high-end devices for almost a decade including the previous Elite, and until now there hasn't been complaints about it making people sweaty or itchy. I'm finding the opposite is true, with the old Elite after a stressful game of Koikatsu Party, the food-grade rubber grips often felt almost slimy in my hands. The new controller seems to stay dry no matter how stressful my in-game scenario has become.
 

Jigsaah

Gold Member
Well that's too bad, I must have gotten lucky again.

Microsoft should be able to account for drift through software, drift will continue to happen until they can find a replacement for the centering spring system that all controllers use. Even a miniscule variance in the spring tension can cause the pad to sit off-center. Not sure why they haven't included a center calibration setting in their Xbox Accessories app given this has been a common thing since the analog unit used in every controller on the market was introduced. The Elite 2 uses this exact same unit, but with a new post assembly. Otherwise it's the same as the X1S, X360, PS4, PS3, Switch Pro, WiiU Pro, etc. Looks like they have work to do in their QA department to catch this issue before the controllers ship.

I'm not sure about the grip issue with "itchy sweaty hands" though.

The grips are not a glued on piece this time, the entire faceplate and backplates are solid pieces, with the grip pattern molded into them. The entire outside surface of the controller uses the same high wear black coating Microsoft and many other manufacturers have been using on their high-end devices for almost a decade including the previous Elite, and until now there hasn't been complaints about it making people sweaty or itchy. I'm finding the opposite is true, with the old Elite after a stressful game of Koikatsu Party, the food-grade rubber grips often felt almost slimy in my hands. The new controller seems to stay dry no matter how stressful my in-game scenario has become.
On my Elite ver 1. My grips went first. Then went the RB...then LB. At that point the controller became unusuable. Sold it to game stop for like 70 dollars or something with a promotion and picked up a new Xbox S controller...which now also has terrible drift. So I traded that one in, and got a Volcano Red in black controller, which I use right now. I bought the insurance policy and plan on replacing it in July of next year right before the warranty runs out...then buy another waranty...wash and repeat.
 

Shifty

Member
Microsoft should be able to account for drift through software, drift will continue to happen until they can find a replacement for the centering spring system that all controllers use. Even a miniscule variance in the spring tension can cause the pad to sit off-center. Not sure why they haven't included a center calibration setting in their Xbox Accessories app given this has been a common thing since the analog unit used in every controller on the market was introduced. The Elite 2 uses this exact same unit, but with a new post assembly. Otherwise it's the same as the X1S, X360, PS4, PS3, Switch Pro, WiiU Pro, etc. Looks like they have work to do in their QA department to catch this issue before the controllers ship.
The companion app is a total joke. Mine wound up bugging out and no longer recognizing my controller due to some corrupted config, but I can't dig in and delete it like with a normal program because it's stored inside the UWP sandbox. The only solutions seem to be 'reinstall windows lol' or using a separate PC.

And yeah, the feature set is super disappointing. The deadzone algorithm doesn't even map its output to the full analog range, so it jumps from zero to the deadzone size instead of transitioning smoothly when you move the stick out of it. The best it has are some crappy response curves that can't even be wrangled to manually fix that problem.

If a schmoe like me can build something to fix that shit in his spare time, what on earth are MS' engineers playing at?!

Input-Mapper.png


On my Elite ver 1. My grips went first. Then went the RB...then LB. At that point the controller became unusuable. Sold it to game stop for like 70 dollars or something with a promotion and picked up a new Xbox S controller...which now also has terrible drift. So I traded that one in, and got a Volcano Red in black controller, which I use right now. I bought the insurance policy and plan on replacing it in July of next year right before the warranty runs out...then buy another waranty...wash and repeat.
Mine had an A button that double-pressed from a couple weeks in, then LB gave up the ghost a few months later :messenger_frowning_

I sent it in for a make-good refurb, but I don't really know what to do with it at this point. It's just gonna disintegrate again if I actually use it to play games.
 
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CrisPy2019

Member
Got a X for 170€. Why exactly do I need this controller that's more expensive?


Are the deadzones better?
Other then "de feelz" what's the point?

Is the elite1 much worse(supposed to be At least?)
 

Shifty

Member
Got a X for 170€. Why exactly do I need this controller that's more expensive?


Are the deadzones better?
Other then "de feelz" what's the point?

Is the elite1 much worse(supposed to be At least?)
You'll be playing the build quality lottery regardless if you go in for an elite. The V2 has adjustable stick tension, an option for even shorter trigger stops, and frontal rubberized grips, but that's about it iirc.
 

jaysius

Banned
But all the youtube "influencer" shills told me the controller is excellent, I don't understand how this could happen!?

My elite V1 is going strong, hell it even put up with the mashing madness of God Of War 2018 and other mash heavy games. I didn't "upgrade" myself because I use the Brook X One which lets me use the controller on PS4 and Switch, has everything too, gyro, wireless, 6-8 hour battery(maybe longer not sure). The V2 though with the built in battery disallows for the design of the Brook X One.
 
Yeah not surprised. I've had issues with my Xbox One X from day one since I bought it. Random shut downs when turning it on, OS crashes, games lagging for no reason. Its pathetic.

If their most expensive console they sell has these issues, there's no hope for their controllers. MS have been making crap gaming hardware since the 360 days.

You do know these consoles come with a warranty? Your problem sounds out of the ordinary regarding the X. Everyone I know including me has had no problems like that with the X.

Crap gaming hardware? I was taking you seriously until that statement.
 
On my Elite ver 1. My grips went first. Then went the RB...then LB. At that point the controller became unusuable. Sold it to game stop for like 70 dollars or something with a promotion and picked up a new Xbox S controller...which now also has terrible drift. So I traded that one in, and got a Volcano Red in black controller, which I use right now. I bought the insurance policy and plan on replacing it in July of next year right before the warranty runs out...then buy another waranty...wash and repeat.

I wasn't discrediting any claims of there being issues, just injecting my own positive experiences here.

It seems anytime anything launches there are issues. The PS4 controller was notorious for build quality issues like the squeaky triggers and disintegrating analog stick rubber, but mine didn't have those issues. The WiiU Pro controller had sync issues reported but mine worked fine. Even of the four notoriously unreliable Joycons (sync issues, drift, battery issues, etc) I own I've only had any issues with one, where the analog unit had a white plastic piece crack inside. I bought a Chinese replacement unit for $0.10 and stole the missing part to repair the original. It's been working perfectly since, none have had their famous drift issues.

I dismantle and do maintenance/repair on all my own controllers so I've had a really close look at all the inner bits and I apparently seem to have better luck with controllers than most people. Of the well over 50 controllers I've owned across all systems, I only had drift issues on my X360 controllers, most likely because they were used the most. Every single controller on the market outside the Joycon uses the exact same analog unit, and are equally susceptible to drift (I'm guessing the factory deadzone set though software is more loose on certain controllers). It's not like Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft make every individual component inside the controllers. Just like auto manufacturers order springs, shocks and rotors from the same companies, controller manufacturers order many parts from the same sweatshops in China and have them shipped some other sweatshop that assembles them.

I'd mentioned in another thread that I replace my controllers fairly often, and never use one much over a year. My V1 Elite was the exception to that. My V1 Elite did have the rubber on the left handle expand, which I trimmed and repaired, the stick hats became loose, which I repaired with modeling putty, and I did damage the Micro-USB socket (my own fault) which I re-soldered. In all I spent about a half-hour repairing the controller since it launched. That controller has over 4000 hours gaming on it as it's my sole PC/Xbox controller and it still performs pretty much like new. I never ran into the bumper issue either, though I know why it was happening too (the silver paint used made the plastic brittle). I've replaced the $300 joysticks in the industrial machines I operate at work several times due to wear, and those machines have less hours on them.

I do think the new Elite controller is more well planned-out and assembled than the first one. Teardown for maintenance is incredibly simple now (parts separator pops the face in ten seconds), and the inner layout is much more streamlined. This controller seems to have fixed the bumper issue with the new bumper design (though it's still too early to render a verdict), the grip issue was addressed by eliminating the glue-on food grade grip material, the loose hat issue (again, too early to judge conclusively) seems to have been fixed as I haven't seen complaints of those yet. I've been using mine a fair bit and they're still tight.

I have no regrets dumping $230 CDN on the thing, but I haven't run into any issues personally either. Knock on Chinese-made wood.

Made in China?

Funny thing with that is the controller has "Hello from Seattle" printed on it about 1/4 inch above "Made in China". So some kid in a Chinese factory operating the printing machine is the person saying hello from Seattle :messenger_confused:
 

Kawika

Member
Yeah not surprised. I've had issues with my Xbox One X from day one since I bought it. Random shut downs when turning it on, OS crashes, games lagging for no reason. Its pathetic.

If their most expensive console they sell has these issues, there's no hope for their controllers. MS have been making crap gaming hardware since the 360 days.

As someone who's had 11 xbox 360s I know MS isn't really that great at making hardware. My Scorpio does that turns off when booting thing but usually its because of the anynet+ thing my Samsung tv has that is extremely buggy. It never does that with my Sony TV. I recently got a deal on another X so I put that in the living room with the Sony. The auto switch thing has a weird time establishing a handshake a lot of the time. Mostly, I just turn it off as it doesn't work all the time anyway.

I got my Elite with my Scorpio when best buy was running that promo. I want-ish to get the new Elite but I imagine they will have yet another Elite controller when the next xbox comes around. I am really happy with my Elite I have now so I am in no rush.
 
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Jigsaah

Gold Member
I wasn't discrediting any claims of there being issues, just injecting my own positive experiences here.

It seems anytime anything launches there are issues. The PS4 controller was notorious for build quality issues like the squeaky triggers and disintegrating analog stick rubber, but mine didn't have those issues. The WiiU Pro controller had sync issues reported but mine worked fine. Even of the four notoriously unreliable Joycons (sync issues, drift, battery issues, etc) I own I've only had any issues with one, where the analog unit had a white plastic piece crack inside. I bought a Chinese replacement unit for $0.10 and stole the missing part to repair the original. It's been working perfectly since, none have had their famous drift issues.

I dismantle and do maintenance/repair on all my own controllers so I've had a really close look at all the inner bits and I apparently seem to have better luck with controllers than most people. Of the well over 50 controllers I've owned across all systems, I only had drift issues on my X360 controllers, most likely because they were used the most. Every single controller on the market outside the Joycon uses the exact same analog unit, and are equally susceptible to drift (I'm guessing the factory deadzone set though software is more loose on certain controllers). It's not like Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft make every individual component inside the controllers. Just like auto manufacturers order springs, shocks and rotors from the same companies, controller manufacturers order many parts from the same sweatshops in China and have them shipped some other sweatshop that assembles them.

I'd mentioned in another thread that I replace my controllers fairly often, and never use one much over a year. My V1 Elite was the exception to that. My V1 Elite did have the rubber on the left handle expand, which I trimmed and repaired, the stick hats became loose, which I repaired with modeling putty, and I did damage the Micro-USB socket (my own fault) which I re-soldered. In all I spent about a half-hour repairing the controller since it launched. That controller has over 4000 hours gaming on it as it's my sole PC/Xbox controller and it still performs pretty much like new. I never ran into the bumper issue either, though I know why it was happening too (the silver paint used made the plastic brittle). I've replaced the $300 joysticks in the industrial machines I operate at work several times due to wear, and those machines have less hours on them.

I do think the new Elite controller is more well planned-out and assembled than the first one. Teardown for maintenance is incredibly simple now (parts separator pops the face in ten seconds), and the inner layout is much more streamlined. This controller seems to have fixed the bumper issue with the new bumper design (though it's still too early to render a verdict), the grip issue was addressed by eliminating the glue-on food grade grip material, the loose hat issue (again, too early to judge conclusively) seems to have been fixed as I haven't seen complaints of those yet. I've been using mine a fair bit and they're still tight.

I have no regrets dumping $230 CDN on the thing, but I haven't run into any issues personally either. Knock on Chinese-made wood.



Funny thing with that is the controller has "Hello from Seattle" printed on it about 1/4 inch above "Made in China". So some kid in a Chinese factory operating the printing machine is the person saying hello from Seattle :messenger_confused:
I've tried working on my own controllers...I don't have all the tools needed for full featured maintenance though. Mainly I lack a soldering kit. I did take the Xbox One Project Scorpio edition controller apart to try and fix the issue. I ended up making it worse...oh well.
 

Robhimself

Member
I, for one, am shocked! Ms hardware is shit? Color me surprised.
I never had an xbox of any generation fail on me. Playstation however? Please don't get me started...... The only
sony console that didn't have problems in my case, as the original Playstation.......
 
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