Leaked Xbox Elite 3 controller images show at least one oddball addition, but it'll struggle to compete in a radically changed market

Earlier today, Brazilian tech outlet Tecnoblog published images of two unannounced Xbox controllers reportedly obtained from the country's telecommunications regulator. One is a small form factor gamepad designed for cloud gaming, resembling similar third-party gamepads by the likes of 8bitDo. The other is the successor to the Xbox Elite Controller 2.

I've been looking forward to news about this gamepad because, since the last iteration released in 2019, the whole landscape for gamepads has changed. Nowadays a third-party gamepad with all the pro accoutrements—rear paddle buttons, interchangeable D-pads, replaceable sticks—can be had for bargain prices, or at least, well below the Series 2's $180 going price. The Gamesir G7 Pro, for example, which is in some ways more feature-rich, goes for $80. What can a titan like Microsoft do to stand out?

Microsoft obviously hasn't announced this controller, we don't know its price, and we don't know the full extent of its features. But based on the images and Tecnoblog's intel from the regulator's documents, it's a curious beast, chiefly due to what resembles two scroll wheels on either side of the headphone jack.

What could these be for? Tecnoblog speculates they could be designed for flight sims, but that seems like an extremely niche focus: I reckon flight sim fanatics would prefer proper flight sim peripherals. How would they be implemented in far more mainstream games, like FPSes?

Here's two more images from Tecnoblog:

Based on the images alone, that's about as radical as the Elite 3 controller gets. Like the previous model it'll have interchangeable rear paddles, and swappable sticks and D-pads. That middle button just under the Xbox button switches between local and cloud modes, the latter connecting to Xbox Cloud Gaming servers. The battery is still rechargeable and replaceable albeit smaller.

One thing that's impossible to glean from the images is the thing that's most important. Will Microsoft implement drift-free Hall Effect technology in the analog sticks, thus eliminating the ever-present fear of stick drift? Or might they implement Tunnel Magnetoresistance (TMR) sticks, which are similarly drift-free, but marginally more accurate?

Let's be blunt: If they don't implement either it's a non-starter. As I've written before, in 2026 you should refuse to buy any controller that comes with the problems endemic to Sony, Xbox, and Nintendo's controllers. You can buy third-party Hall Effect controllers for a pittance nowadays.

I'm also—I won't lie—kinda bored by the Elite 3 controller. Why would I buy this instead of the Steam Controller which has those still severely underrated trackpads? Valve's controller has TMR sticks as well, and while its rear paddle buttons are baked in and there's only two of them, I reckon four paddle buttons is a more niche proposition than trackpads (time will prove me right!).

The smaller controller is very much a meat and potatoes affair: it's got all the usual features without any of the pro trimmings, it's remarkably small and designed for carrying around, and bears the same new toggle button beneath the Xbox button.

When will these be properly announced? Microsoft hasn't given any hints, but my best guess would be at its Xbox Games Showcase on June 7, which happens as part of Summer Game Fest 2026.