Highlights
- Xbox Elite controllers are experiencing a problem where they come apart due to heavy use, which is a downside despite their quality.
- The fact that Microsoft's Elite controllers, known for being expensive and high-quality, are facing quality assurance issues is a big deal, especially given their original price point of $179.99.
- Users on Reddit have reported issues of the textured grips peeling off due to sweat dissolving the glue, indicating that this may be a known fault with Elite controllers and not just an isolated incident.
Some Xbox Elite controller users are facing a fairly unexpected problem causing the high-end gamepad to come apart at the seams as they play. A quality device in other ways, Microsoft's Elite controllers have always been an expensive but quality option for Xbox and PC gamers, but they have also been beset by numerous problems stemming from heavy use, which is an obvious downside.
While many think that the Xbox Elite is the best controller of all time, the notion that the device's quality assurance is reportedly shoddy is a big deal, especially considering its original $179.99 price point. Microsoft is sure to be aware of at least some of the reported issues, as the Elite has gone through two iterations, with the Series 2 being the latest version of it.
Xbox Elite controller user LordHelmetN7 has reported on Reddit that their gamepad has started falling apart, with the textured grips slowly peeling off after use. If this were a one-off, the rest of the community would've directed LordHelmetN7 to RMA the Xbox device and get a replacement, but the thread has prompted numerous other Elite users to chime in with reports of similar problems. According to AdNo3558, the issue lies in the users' sweat dissolving the glue that's holding the fancy grips on the controller chassis, meaning the same thing is almost certain to pop up with a replacement too.
While the issue could've been written off as a quirk of Xbox's older Series 1 Elite controllers, this isn't the case. Specifically, from the images, LordHelmetN7's controller is clearly an Elite Series 2 with RGB, a secret feature only available in Series 2 gamepads, and a redesigned trigger area. In effect, this means that Xbox's top-of-the-shelf controllers are possibly being sold with a serious issue, which is a big shame, considering their price and feature set.
Though the Series 2 Xbox Elite controllers are cheaper than Series 1 gamepads, they're still a fairly steep investment that gamers likely want to keep around for years to come. According to the community, though, the device's fancier features mean that it faces bigger quality assurance problems than the regular, non-Elite controllers do.
While there aren't many differences between Series 1 and 2 Xbox Elite controllers, they do exist, and many were hoping that the new generation of these gamepads would avoid its predecessor's pitfalls. Sadly, this may not be the case, according to the users themselves, suggesting that a Series 3 device may be needed before all is said and done.