Xbox Elite Series 3 controller leaks and appears to offer better analogue sticks, advanced haptics, d-pad choices and more

The unannounced but consistently leaked Xbox Elite Series 3 controller has, well, leaked again. Details ranging from analogue stick technology to rumble motors and more were dug up from the backend of Xbox’s own Design Lab website that lets customers create and order custom controller designs.

The datamined Xbox Elite Series 3 details ended up on Reddit and revealed a number of promising controller additions. For starters, the listing seems to confirm the controller will have Hall Effect and TMR sticks. Unlike traditional analogue sticks, Hall Effect or Tunnel Magnetoresistance (TMR) sticks rely on magnets rather than a physical connection, which eliminates physical problems like wear and stick drift. The wording makes it sound like customers will be able to choose between the two, though it’s not clear what the default version is going to be.

There’s also a reference to “advanced haptics” for the Elite Series 3 controller, which appears to mirror some of the features of the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller. That plus the return of impulse triggers, which feature their own haptics and multi-stage presses.

Elsewhere in the leak, there’s a reference to a dedicated “audio scroll wheel”, which some of the earlier leaks have shown. Faceplates can also be customised and replaced, and the controller seemingly offers multiple d-pad choices

Based on the leaked information, it appears Xbox plans to sell two main versions of the Elite Series 3, one dubbed Base and the other Complete. Both versions offer the option of the haptics motor, incidentally, making for a total of four products.

The Elite is Xbox’s premium line of controllers, designed for core gamers and competitive players. The most recent iteration, Elite Series 2 Core, debuted in 2022 for £115 / $130, three years after the main, more expensive and feature-rich version at £160 / $180. Given the leak’s origin, and how detailed it appears to be, we’re likely closer than ever to an official announcement and potential release date.

Meanwhile, of course, Xbox is undergoing seismic changes overseen by newish leader Asha Sharma, which has led to major bouts of layoffs. The most recent of these waves occurred at the end of September, and resulted in 268 layoffs, the migration of the Halo franchise to Activision, and the apparent closure of British studio Ninja Theory.