Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 Core Review

Xbox Elite controller and its sequel have been pretty big hits with Xbox gamers since their releases. The customisation, premium finish, and additional features mean you can customise them to your play. The problem, the price. Now you can get most of the way there with the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 Core.

What this beast features

The core series is the same Elite controller but without the additional accessories. One of the included features is the ability to set the tension on the analogue sticks. You pull the analogue sticks off easily and then use a handy little tool to turn a dial to make them stiffer or looser. 

The other major feature is the ability to change how far you need to press the triggers with cool little switches at the back. This means, if you want to hit them faster, you can reduce the depth to it being a pretty light pull. I like the feel of pulling them all the way in, so I generally used them on the lowest setting. The switches are simple to use and control each panel. A quick flick of the switch moves it between the three options. Best of all, each one is independent, so if you want the left trigger shorter than the right, it is super easy to set.

What it doesn’t feature

The major missing feature is the rear paddles, which give some additional customisation. It has the ports for you to plug these in, but to add this to your game, you will need to buy the accessory kit. It also doesn’t feature things like the alternative analog sticks and plus shaped direction pad. These are kinda cool to have, but honestly, the ones on the controller by default are awesome.

You can buy an accessory pack which comes with everything missing, like a charging dock, the storage case, and all the additional components for $89. 

Comfort and style

The black parts of the controller where your hands sit are made of rubber. With this and the nice weight, I found the controller way more comfortable than the regular controller. Added to this are the default thumb sticks and the direction pad, which are both comfortable to use. 

The controller I tested was the red one, which set with the black looks nice as hell. Added to this is the red fabric covered cable that adds that extra style when your controller is being charged and played plugged in. This cable is nice and long for those days when the battery is running low, but the promised 40 hour battery life means you don’t have to do that often. 

Should you get one?

Having used this for a few weeks now, I would say Hell Yeah. 

The controller is $100 more than a standard controller which isn’t cheap, but it’s damn good to use. If you want to go the full hog, then you may need the accessory pack for $89. You can get the standard Elite Wireless Controller for $289 which is $30 cheaper than buying the core and the accessories separately. Though you can only get this nice Red or the other new Blue as the core, so it’s up to you how much value you see in it.

Even on its own, it’s a damn good upgrade from

9 Hell yeah!

Even without the extra bits, the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 Core is still a serious upgrade from the standard Xbox Controller!