Microsoft’s next flagship controller has leaked in full, and it is a significant upgrade. Images of the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 3 appeared this week in a filing submitted to Anatel, Brazil’s national telecommunications regulator – a common pathway for new hardware to surface before official announcement. The images reveal new features in considerable detail, and there is a lot here for enthusiasts to unpack.
Cloud Gaming Mode – A Brand New Direction
The most surprising new feature is a dedicated cloud gaming mode. A new button on the controller lets players flip between local mode and cloud mode, and in cloud mode the controller connects directly to Xbox Cloud Gaming via Wi-Fi – bypassing Bluetooth entirely. This would allow the Elite Series 3 to function as a standalone cloud gaming controller without needing to pair to a console or PC first. It is a notable shift in what a “controller” is, and signals how seriously Microsoft is treating cloud gaming as a primary platform.
New Scroll Wheels
Two scrollable wheels now sit at the bottom of the controller on either side of the headphone jack. What exactly they do in practice has not been confirmed, but the speculation is sensible – volume control, game-chat balance, or precision input for simulation games. Anyone who has played Forza or Microsoft Flight Simulator and wanted finer analog control without lifting their thumbs will immediately understand the appeal. Whether games will actually support these inputs at launch is a separate question, but the hardware potential is clear.
Finally – a Removable Battery
The Elite Series 2 shipped with a built-in rechargeable battery that could not be swapped out – a long-standing frustration for competitive players who did not want to be caught mid-session with a dying controller. The Series 3 fixes this with a user-replaceable battery. There is a small trade-off: the removable unit has a capacity of 1,528mAh, down from the 2,050mAh built-in battery in the Series 2. Whether that range reduction matters in practice depends on your sessions, but for most players the ability to hot-swap is more valuable than the extra battery life.
The Rest of the Design
Everything else largely follows the familiar Elite formula that players already know. Interchangeable thumbsticks, rear paddles, adjustable hair triggers, and rubberised grips all appear to be returning. This is not a reinvention – it is a targeted upgrade of what already worked, with new features layered on top.
When Will It Be Official?
Both the Elite Series 3 and a second leaked controller – a dedicated Xbox Cloud Gaming controller – are expected to be officially announced at Microsoft’s gaming showcase on June 7. Gears of War: E-Day is confirmed as the headline game for that event, so there should be plenty of other news alongside the hardware reveals. Pricing and release dates remain unconfirmed.
