I think i'm someone who would buy this if it was 2x the price of the xbox controller right now. so around 100~110 dollars nothing more. they will launch it more than that and almost nobody will be interested, except die hards, just like last time.
Ouch, yeah that's too much. I really don't see why its even more silly expensive. They really should've worked on getting the price down, and none of the additions seem to justify not only matching the original MSRP but being more expensive.
Honestly, I'd have preferred them to keep the AA battery, since I have rechargeable AA batteries already for such things. It also means that you can store it for extended period of time without potentially ruining the battery like can happen with li-ion/li-polymer.
I think the most shocking thing might be that they didn't add in RGB lighting.
Well, they cant even produce the normal one properly. 3rd one I have right now that sometimes misses A and X buttons presses, when I press them too lightly.
The first Elite controller was $150 at launch and sold out pretty much right away.
And "nobody except diehards" is the demographic for this controller. People that want the very best with tons of customization. It's a small group, but sometimes that what companies go for.
These controllers WERE targeted at competitive gamers and diehards, and they thought like you... but they managed to garner more sales than anticipated. The new elite will probably likewise sell decent enough (especially with the addition of BT), even though I won't ever buy one.
That aside, the more recent models of standard XB1 controllers are pretty darn nice for the money. At $40-50 (more if you get a fancy edition or their lab-custom models) they're probably the best controllers I've used dollar per dollar, I use one on my PC for controller-centric titles (2D platformers for example).
The only thing that might make me interested is if we can turn the back triggers trigger into additional buttons on PC. On the first one you can only map them to axisiting buttons which doesn't really make sense to me.
I mean hey, there have been some epic controllers, even from Microsoft (the Sidewinder Force 2) that cost this much. But this just doesn't seem to be one of them. Adjustable tension and fingerling buttons seem to be solutions looking for a problem.
$180 is a ridiculous sell for ONE controller. You'd likely get more of a gaming advantage from a $180 pair of headphones that also work outside of games.
The thumbsticks on my current Elite controller are going a bit wobbly, so this might be a good upgrade when the new consoles roll around. Hopefully they bundle them together again - that's how I got mine in the first place, at a noticeably better price than a console and elite controller by themselves.
I love my elite controller and I’ll probably buy the new one...but they have to make sure the reliability is there. They never improved the stick drift issue with the old joystick modules. If I didn’t have a ninja solder technician at work to help me replace my failed module I would be pissed off buying a new one after a year. If you can get 3-4 years of service out of it I would be happy. It’s how you interact with the console every day so I don’t mind spending a few bucks.
I’m pretty excited for this. My current Elite controller has lasted me a little over 4 years with the only issue being the rubber grips started to come off. I just superglued then back and haven’t had any other issues since. I got it bundled with the Xbox, but have since upgraded to the X. I won’t mind spending the money if it will last 4+ years like this one has. The only thing that might not make that possible is the stupid built in battery. I would have preferred to have keep the replaceable AAA batteries as I have 3 pairs of rechargeable ones that are far easier and cheaper to replace...
I hope what ever person or team at Microsoft that pushed for a ~$150 dollar controller got a massive promoting. Regardless how I feel about their strategy and price I can't imagine the amount of profit they raked in. I was playing a game on xbox a lot at the time this came out and while my friends and I knew it was over priced there where not any good other alternatives. At least when we were active a year and a half ago. So a lot of my friends bought the pro controllers which where sold out a lot of places for months... It's important to mention there are few controllers that have buttons on the back so this gives you a competitive advantage in a lot of games since you can hit more buttons at once. I know this was the case for at least two of the current COD games then and I assume it was also the case for a lot of other games and a reason behind a lot of the pro controllers sells.
Not commenting on the Elite specific changes, but is it only me that doesn't really care for the Xbox One controller over the Xbox 360 controller? It's not that the one is worse, it's just that I don't really care which one is in my hand. So much for the tons of improvements.
We’ve updated our terms. By continuing to use the site and/or by logging into your account, you agree to the Site’s updated Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
19 Comments
Back to Article
austinsguitar - Sunday, June 9, 2019 - link
I think i'm someone who would buy this if it was 2x the price of the xbox controller right now. so around 100~110 dollars nothing more. they will launch it more than that and almost nobody will be interested, except die hards, just like last time.bubblyboo - Sunday, June 9, 2019 - link
$180https://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one/accessories/co...
shabby - Sunday, June 9, 2019 - link
Come on that's as much as the console geez.darkswordsman17 - Sunday, June 9, 2019 - link
Ouch, yeah that's too much. I really don't see why its even more silly expensive. They really should've worked on getting the price down, and none of the additions seem to justify not only matching the original MSRP but being more expensive.Honestly, I'd have preferred them to keep the AA battery, since I have rechargeable AA batteries already for such things. It also means that you can store it for extended period of time without potentially ruining the battery like can happen with li-ion/li-polymer.
I think the most shocking thing might be that they didn't add in RGB lighting.
shabby - Sunday, June 9, 2019 - link
What's next? A $99 charging stand? These are apple'esque prices.Beaver M. - Sunday, June 9, 2019 - link
Well, they cant even produce the normal one properly. 3rd one I have right now that sometimes misses A and X buttons presses, when I press them too lightly.Shaneroni - Sunday, June 9, 2019 - link
Apple has a $999 monitor stand... Apple is still in a league of it's own as far a absurd pricing goes.Alexvrb - Tuesday, June 11, 2019 - link
I'm pretty sure the charging stand is included.diehardmacfan - Monday, June 10, 2019 - link
Just like last time? You mean the last time when it was tough to get for so long because it was sold out?jordanclock - Monday, June 10, 2019 - link
The first Elite controller was $150 at launch and sold out pretty much right away.And "nobody except diehards" is the demographic for this controller. People that want the very best with tons of customization. It's a small group, but sometimes that what companies go for.
Alexvrb - Tuesday, June 11, 2019 - link
These controllers WERE targeted at competitive gamers and diehards, and they thought like you... but they managed to garner more sales than anticipated. The new elite will probably likewise sell decent enough (especially with the addition of BT), even though I won't ever buy one.That aside, the more recent models of standard XB1 controllers are pretty darn nice for the money. At $40-50 (more if you get a fancy edition or their lab-custom models) they're probably the best controllers I've used dollar per dollar, I use one on my PC for controller-centric titles (2D platformers for example).
BlueScreenJunky - Monday, June 10, 2019 - link
The only thing that might make me interested is if we can turn the back triggers trigger into additional buttons on PC. On the first one you can only map them to axisiting buttons which doesn't really make sense to me.Samus - Monday, June 10, 2019 - link
I mean hey, there have been some epic controllers, even from Microsoft (the Sidewinder Force 2) that cost this much. But this just doesn't seem to be one of them. Adjustable tension and fingerling buttons seem to be solutions looking for a problem.$180 is a ridiculous sell for ONE controller. You'd likely get more of a gaming advantage from a $180 pair of headphones that also work outside of games.
Valantar - Monday, June 10, 2019 - link
The thumbsticks on my current Elite controller are going a bit wobbly, so this might be a good upgrade when the new consoles roll around. Hopefully they bundle them together again - that's how I got mine in the first place, at a noticeably better price than a console and elite controller by themselves.dontlistentome - Monday, June 10, 2019 - link
Will it work with Scarlett? At least if it will, you know you're getting 7-8 years use out of it.flgt - Monday, June 10, 2019 - link
I love my elite controller and I’ll probably buy the new one...but they have to make sure the reliability is there. They never improved the stick drift issue with the old joystick modules. If I didn’t have a ninja solder technician at work to help me replace my failed module I would be pissed off buying a new one after a year. If you can get 3-4 years of service out of it I would be happy. It’s how you interact with the console every day so I don’t mind spending a few bucks.techfreak23 - Monday, June 10, 2019 - link
I’m pretty excited for this. My current Elite controller has lasted me a little over 4 years with the only issue being the rubber grips started to come off. I just superglued then back and haven’t had any other issues since. I got it bundled with the Xbox, but have since upgraded to the X. I won’t mind spending the money if it will last 4+ years like this one has. The only thing that might not make that possible is the stupid built in battery. I would have preferred to have keep the replaceable AAA batteries as I have 3 pairs of rechargeable ones that are far easier and cheaper to replace...Skeptical123 - Monday, June 10, 2019 - link
I hope what ever person or team at Microsoft that pushed for a ~$150 dollar controller got a massive promoting. Regardless how I feel about their strategy and price I can't imagine the amount of profit they raked in. I was playing a game on xbox a lot at the time this came out and while my friends and I knew it was over priced there where not any good other alternatives. At least when we were active a year and a half ago. So a lot of my friends bought the pro controllers which where sold out a lot of places for months... It's important to mention there are few controllers that have buttons on the back so this gives you a competitive advantage in a lot of games since you can hit more buttons at once. I know this was the case for at least two of the current COD games then and I assume it was also the case for a lot of other games and a reason behind a lot of the pro controllers sells.piroroadkill - Wednesday, June 12, 2019 - link
Not commenting on the Elite specific changes, but is it only me that doesn't really care for the Xbox One controller over the Xbox 360 controller? It's not that the one is worse, it's just that I don't really care which one is in my hand. So much for the tons of improvements.