TL;DR
- Microsoft’s leaked Xbox controllers show that the company is quickly moving towards a cloud gaming-first future.
- The leak reveals two new devices: a compact cloud-focused controller and the rumored Xbox Elite Series 3.
- The Cloud Controller is quite small and appears to be built for portability, streaming, and mobile gaming.
Microsoft’s next Xbox controllers have just been leaked, and it looks like the company is working on cloud gaming in a way that’s very different from the Xbox strategy we’ve known for years.
A fresh leak from a Brazilian outlet technoblogwho obtained the images from a regulatory filing has revealed two unreleased Xbox controllers; A compact cloud-focused gamepad and what appears to be the long-rumored Xbox Elite Series 3.
The Cloud Controller looks noticeably smaller than a normal Xbox controller, with its shape feeling more like something like 8BitDo or Backbone rather than Microsoft’s usual bulky design language. The familiar Xbox button layout remains, but the overall body looks like it was designed for streaming and portability.
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The interesting thing in the leak is connectivity. The Verge The controller is reported to support Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi direct connections over 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks. This means it can connect directly to Xbox cloud gaming servers, rather than routing input through your phone, tablet or PC first.
If this sounds familiar, that’s because Google tried something similar with the Stadia controller a few years ago. The idea is to eliminate unnecessary hops between your button press and the game server to reduce latency. Small delays matter in cloud gaming. Microsoft definitely thinks those milliseconds are worth completely reimagining the controller experience.
The leaked cloud controller is reportedly equipped with a built-in 500mAh rechargeable battery and USB-C charging, another departure from Microsoft’s long-standing reliance on AA batteries.
Next up is the Xbox Elite Series 3 leak, which doesn’t seem experimental but still introduces some meaningful changes.
Images obtained from the source show that Microsoft is sticking to the premium modular approach with interchangeable thumbsticks, paddles, and D-pad, but adding new hardware controls with a mysterious scroll-wheel-like input near the bottom of the controller.
The Elite 3 may also have a dedicated button to switch between cloud and local modes. In practice, this could mean that players are able to move from console gaming to cloud streaming more quickly.
A detail that many longtime Xbox fans will immediately notice is the battery change. The leak mentions a removable 1,528mAh rechargeable battery, unlike the larger internal pack found on the Elite Series 2.
Given that these devices have already appeared in regulatory filings, it’s possible that Microsoft won’t wait long to make them official. The Xbox Games Showcase in June now seems to be the obvious place for these controllers to finally move out of the leak realm and into real-world hands.
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