Leaked Images Suggest An Upgraded Xbox Elite Controller Is Underway

By Jessica Ferrera, Christian Post Contributor Friday, January 19, 2018

A number of images recently leaked on various websites suggest that Microsoft is currently working on an upgraded Xbox Elite Controller.

A user of the Chinese communication platform, Baidu, recently shared several images that supposedly showed a prototype of an unannounced Xbox Elite Controller upgrade.

The same leaked photos were posted on a Reddit thread where the person who wrote the post explained that the pictured controller was part of a "pilot production."

The rumored wireless controller is expected to sport built-in batteries, and for recharging purposes, it will have USB Type-C and "MagSafe-like" ports.

Meanwhile, the set of leaked photos also showed the sample controller, recognized as an "Xbox Elite Wireless Controller," paired with a smartphone via Bluetooth. However, the attached information only confirmed that the hardware could be connected to a Windows 10 computer. It is also expected feature a three-profile switch and three-level Hair Trigger locks as well as enhanced paddle use.

While Microsoft has yet to confirm or announce the release of an upgraded Elite controller, someone "familiar" with Xbox's plans confirmed to The Verge that the leaked photos indeed showed real prototypes of the hardware. However, the product is reportedly still in its design testing phase.

Microsoft also seems to have given importance to the product's portability as it is also rumored to be working on a new controller case capable of wireless charging.

It can be recalled that before 2017 ended, a report from Patently Mobile spotted a newly-published patent that was originally filed by Microsoft in June 2016 that aimed to produce an Xbox controller that had "an adjustable tension mechanism" in its grip.

While the recently leaked images do not indicate the inclusion of the grip's adjustable mechanism, there is still the possibility that it could be one of the new high-end features in the next Elite controller.

Fans are now expecting Microsoft to announce the new version of the Xbox Elite Controller during the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June.