Xbox Elite Series 2 Core Wireless Gaming Controller – Black – Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, Android, and iOS

I got this for playing games on Steam (pc). I am an avid gamer and have used many different controllers from GameCube to Xbox. My prior controller that I was using was an Xbox Scuff controller. It had worn down after 100+ hours of use: the RB and several paddles had broken. I got this new controller as a replacement. It has several key qualities that I like:1.) The shaft of the sticks are metal. My prior controller used plastic for the shafts and they would slowly shred from use and leave dust behind. This created an issue where the dust would get into the controller and cause drift. (All controllers have stick drift. It’s where your controller will move your character onscreen without you doing anything. Games incorporate dead zones where the stick inputs are not read. Overtime, controllers get worse and worse drift that go above the dead zone thresholds causing drift.) I have not had any issues with drift on the new controller.2.) Metal Paddles. These are levers under the controller that allow you to hit your A, B, X, etc… buttons so that you don’t need to move your fingers off of the sticks. Paddles are not included, but you can buy them separately. I highly recommend getting paddles. They make a big difference. My prior controller used plastic paddles that all eventually broke. These paddles are metal and won’t break. They are easy to put on and off. They are placed better for your fingers too.3.) Adjustable hair triggers. Your RT and LT buttons can be adjusted so that you don’t go all the way down. This is helpful if you only need them to act as “buttons” rather than “triggers” and don’t need the full press down. I personally don’t restrict my triggers, but if you like to then that function exists here. On the back of the controller you can slide a button into 3 different positions to have them be unrestricted, partially restricted, and almost fully restricted.4.) Braided type C cord. The controller is wireless, but you can use the cord it comes with to have a wired connection to your computer through any USB port. The braided cord feels high quality and is much better that the plastic incased cords. My prior controller used a micro USB connection on the controller which was a crappy connection that would disconnect all the time. The Type C connection is stable and never disconnects while I’m playing.5.) Satellite D-pad. It looks a little silly but I like the feel of this d-pad better that the “plus” d-pad. Easy to rotate around all of the directions.Here are some of the cons so far:1.) I got the blue one. The letters inside the A, B, X, Y buttons are blue. So it’s hard to read what button is which. I can see this being annoying for new players. This only bothers me when I go from using a Nintendo Pro controller to this one because they reverse the X and Y (also A and B). I always get them mixed up and I’ll look down at this controller looking for the X button, but it’s hard to see.2.) Changing the buttons the paddles are linked to is more difficult on this controller than the Scuff controller. The Scuff controller had a much better solution. This one needs a separate app to do it.3.) The face plate is more difficult to remove. Another minor gripe. Scuff does this better too where you can remove the face plate easily as it is held on with magnets. You probably will never need to do this, but it does help if you need to replace buttons or clean the inside.Overall, I would recommend this controller to a gamer who is looking for a step up from the basic Xbox controller. Definitely geared for a more competitive player. If you are a casual player, then you would be better off with a cheaper controller. Compared to the Scuff controller, I think this one is better overall. From a price standpoint, it is also better.

The Xbox Elite Series 2 controller is easily the best controller I have ever used. The build quality feels solid and premium, with adjustable tension thumbsticks, responsive paddles, and a comfortable grip that makes long sessions easier. The customization options in the Xbox Accessories app let me fine-tune controls exactly how I want them. Battery life is strong, and the included charging case makes it simple to keep topped up. A big upgrade over the standard controller and worth it if you want precision and comfort.

I bought this controller because my original broke over time. This controller came in the factory package and was exactly like I expected.Note: this controller is the CORE version. Which means it doesn’t come with the back paddles, the charging doc or the carrying case. It doesn’t come with a charging cord which is good quality and long enough to use while playing.I already had the back paddles so I was able to use them on this controller. But if you don’t have the paddles you can buy them on online/amazon. You can get the generic version and they’ll work fine. That’s what I did.

Just got the elite 2 in the other day so this is just first impressions, reliability is still a question mark.In hand feel: instinct but it’s close, the instincts back grips are just amazingCustomization: elite 2 by FAR. So much more customization with both the hardware and software.Extra buttons: this is a tie for me, the two larger buttons on the instinct are amazing but the smaller ones are hard to hit. On the elite 2 the buttons are almost too easy to hit with a natural grip on the controller but overall both are very good.Quality of controller: I’d have to give this to the instinct, both the plastic and grips feel very premium. Elite 2 isn’t bad at all though.Overall: I’d have to give it to the elite 2. The categories the instinct is better in its only marginal whereas with the elite it’s a large difference in the categories it’s superior in. It really allows you to easily customize the controller for the specific game you are playing which I really enjoy. It’s really a premium feel vs superior internals and software for me.