Xbox Elite 3 prototype pad leaks with tiny built-in screen
is a senior editor and founding member of The Verge who covers gadgets, games, and toys. He spent 15 years editing the likes of CNET, Gizmodo, and Engadget.
Did a prototype Microsoft gamepad fall off the back of a truck? We can’t say, but
has legit-looking photos of a prototype Xbox controller that’s almost certainly the Xbox Elite Series 3. Incredibly, they claim they bought the pad for $200 on OfferUp.
revealed that Xbox Elite 3 would have new two new scroll wheels on the bottom edge, a second wireless mode to connect directly to Xbox Cloud Gaming servers, and a new “Pair Button” that can also switch between those servers and your console.
Where might that pair button live? Today, we have a possible answer: it might sit right next to the Xbox Elite 3’s
The screen looks almost exactly like the leaked diagram from May showing the mode switch dialogue, with a pair button at the left:
The Anatel image from May, overlaid atop the new prototype controller photos.
And if I’m not mistaken, the screen on Redditor ssuberlex’s controller is displaying
The screen can apparently display other things, too. In another photo, it shows a URL that takes me to a Microsoft cloud resource I don’t have permission to view. That lends these images some extra credibility. Unfortunately, the Redditor says the controller doesn’t work. “It does not pair with an Xbox nor with a cable. Just the red light blinking but doesn’t do any thing wired or wireless,”
In other photos, we can see the controller’s new scroll wheels, its four rear paddles, its battery compartment, its carrying case, and a different detachable D-pad design than we saw
. The Redditor says the triggers are clicky when you lock them to the hair-trigger position.
But beyond the screen, the most intriguing image is from inside the controller’s battery compartment. It appears Microsoft has made efforts to make this controller home repairable by including a QR code that presumably leads to a repair website, and accessible Torx T6 screws.
Still, none of these features are for certain. The controller is clearly a prototype, with “NOT FOR SALE” labels on both the pad and its removable 5.8 watt-hour battery, and many placeholder ID numbers for various regulatory bodies.
’s Microsoft expert, says his sources believe this controller is still coming later this year.
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