Introduction

What's the biggest brand in PC gaming? Some would say it might be Steam, but there would be no Windows or Xbox without Microsoft. After my review of the SCUF Prestige last year, I wanted to see what Microsoft had exactly done with the SCUF patent licenses for the popular Xbox Elite Controller, now in its Series 2 iteration. It's nearly two years long in the tooth now, released long before the new Xbox Series X or S even had their names. Sony PlayStation has come out with a new DualSense controller too, so does the Xbox Elite Series 2 merit a place amid all the competition in 2021? Thanks to Microsoft for sending a review sample to TechPowerUp as we aim to find out for ourselves!


I have been a fan of the Xbox controllers for PC gaming since the days of the Xbox 360, and I still have a wired Xbox 360 controller, too. However, the days of wired-only game controllers are long gone with the public demanding wireless gaming for the living room. When Microsoft announced the first Xbox Elite controller at a then-staggering $150 in 2015, things were shaken up and then some. There had never before been as much customization on a first-party offering, and the company upped the ante further with the Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 with native Bluetooth functionality without the need for a dongle adapter, USB Type-C connectivity, and plenty of other quality of life improvements we will go over in this review that begins with a look at the product specifications in the table below.

Specifications