Closer Examination

What a contrast from the SCUF Prestige, which is all about available color and design customization. The Xbox Elite Series 2 is far more subtle and in line with the black Xbox One controller, though with a lot more going on. Distinguishing it from the standard first-party Xbox One controller are the gunmetal gray accents, but no doubt the biggest change is with the stock face plate and its onboard buttons, D-pad, and thumb stick configuration. The shape itself will be familiar to anyone who has used an Xbox controller before, and the layout has not changed with the diagonal thumb sticks, D-pad on the bottom left, and face buttons at the top right, with more options in the middle on a smooth plastic plate. On either side where your hands would rest are grippy, over the Elite 1 updated surfaces, though I can't speak about what has actually changed since I don't have the Elite 1 on hand.


The side view shows more of the rounded profile, as well as the various connectivity options on the front and back, including the 3.5 mm jack and Type-C port. The bumpers, also referred to as shoulder buttons, and triggers have a textured finish to the plastic, and this is where I would have preferred metal versions instead for increased durability, which would have made this more of an "Elite" controller, too. The Xbox logo flaunts itself to others watching you use the controller, reminding them that you have the better controller, too.


This is all the more obvious from the back, with a subtle Elite Series 2 marking on the plastic panel in addition to a greeting from Seattle, where Microsoft is based out of. The serial number and certification logos are at the bottom, and pretty much everything else is an upgrade from the standard Xbox One controller; for example, those pin pads on the back that work in conjunction with the three pins on the charging dock. The way it works is obvious, with the magnets in the pins helping with orientation as well. Use the provided cable on the dock and then simply place the controller on top of the dock to charge it if worried about the durability of the Type-C port on the controller or simply wanting something more elegant than plugging in a wire each time. Oh, did I mention that the case has a cutout for the cable to go through so you can have the dock and controller inside the case and be charging on the go too?


Seen above is just how different the Xbox Elite Series 2 is over my now-ancient Xbox 360 wired controller. There are so many quality of life improvements, so much so that the ~$40 I paid for the older controller years ago still feel like less of a bargain since I have no plans to ever use it instead of the newer Elite Series 2. The gripped surfaces and form factor just make it better to hold the Elite Series 2, and this is before we even get to the customization options, textured bumpers and triggers, and paddle sticks on the back. The vibration motors are better too, which was to be expected. I do not have a stock Xbox One controller, but the SCUF Prestige seen above is the same at heart, and a lot more is in common now, including the button layout at the front. This is how you know the Xbox Elite Series 2 belongs to the previous generation still, and no doubt a Series 3 controller based on the even newer Xbox Series X controller that itself is rated to be superior to the Xbox One controller is in the works.