Anyone who’s been hoping and waiting for another Xbox Elite Series controller is about to be very, very happy, as it looks like another one is on the way.
Brazilian technology site Technoblog obtained and posted images of two very different Xbox controllers that have yet to be announced. The site first posted images of something called the “Xbox Cloud Controller,” supposedly designed specifically to work with Xbox game streaming. It’s essentially the same as a standard Xbox gamepad, but on a smaller and cheaper scale, most likely designed for portability in a pocket or bag.
Earlier this year, in February, The Verge reported that Xbox was working on a streaming controller that would automatically connect to games via Wi-Fi — and that now seems to align directly with the photos we’re seeing. It looks a bit like the defunct Google Stadia controllers.
Shortly after the images of the Cloud controller, Technoblog then shared a look at what is obviously an Elite Series 3 controller, sharing the same form factor and customizable options as past Elite gamepads. There is one big difference, however, as the Elite Series 3 features two scrolling wheels at the base of the controller. It’s not entirely clear what these do yet, but they could be used to quickly switch between options, such as controller layouts.
According to Technoblog, the controller includes a 500mAh battery and uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi 6. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a brand new iteration of the Elite controller, with the Elite Series 2 launching all the way back in 2019.
Of course, we don’t currently have any idea of the pricing or release window of either of these controllers, but considering an Xbox Games Showcase is happening in June alongside Summer Game Fest, it seems a likely bet we could hear more information there.
