How To Fix Xbox Elite Controller Bumper

Tom'south Guide Verdict

The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 improves on an excellent premium gamepad, with ameliorate grips, more customization options and USB-C charging.

Pros

+
Premium, satisfying design
+
Tons of customization options
+
Back up for three onboard profiles
+
USB-C support and charging instance

Cons

-
Forepart grips can be slippery
-
Expensive

The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 proves that a great thing tin always go better. Microsoft's latest premium game pad improves on what was already the all-time loftier-end Xbox and PC controller, with ameliorate grips, a rechargeable battery and fifty-fifty more customization options. The controller's shorter trigger locks and the improved paddles help give yous a competitive edge. Back up for more onboard profiles mean y'all can boss in multiple titles on the become.

The Aristocracy Serial 2 is easily the best PC gaming controller and Xbox controller for serious gamers, though its steep, $179 price makes it a tough sell for casual players or existing Aristocracy owners looking to upgrade.

Design

Ever since I first picked up the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, I've had a hard time keeping information technology out of my hands. Microsoft'southward latest high-end controller just feels like a premium piece of machinery, with a satisfying 12-ounce heft and a delightful soft-touch stop that permeates the entire design. The metal analog sticks glide along their surrounding rings like butter, and every push button feels snappy.

If yous've used the original Elite, you'll notice some significant changes correct off the bat. The controller at present has textured grips in both the front and rear (instead of just the rear), which are designed to requite you a improve hold on things. Ironically, I find the soft-touch on cloth on the front grips to exist almost besides soft, every bit I felt the controller slipping around a bit when I didn't grip it tightly.

The four removable rear paddles are smaller and more affluent with the back of the controller, meaning they don't stick out like a sore thumb like they did on the original Elite. The rear triggers are now textured (though I didn't detect much of a difference while using them in game), and the trigger stops at present provide an boosted, lower travel setting so that y'all tin fire even faster in shooting games.

New to the Series 2 are adjustable-tension thumb sticks, which can be tweaked to iii levels of tension via an included tool. The dissimilar tension settings are subtle merely noticeable and could do good competitive players who want their sticks to experience just a fleck tighter or looser. The Elite 2's Xbox home button has a much shorter travel than that of the standard Xbox controller, and while this doesn't bear on things in game, I found it a bit jarring during my commencement few presses.

Like the original Elite, the Series 2 includes tons of swappable components. You've got six full thumb-stick options: two classic concave Xbox sticks with textured edges, ii concave sticks with smooth edges, a ridiculously tall thumbstick and a convex stick with ridges on top. Afterwards trying a few unlike combinations, I eventually settled on a archetype Xbox stick on the left and a convex gripped stick on the right, particularly for the extra grip the latter provides for aiming.

Y'all've also got two choices of D-pads: a metal version of the classic Xbox One D-pad and a satellite-style circular pad that, despite its strange appearance, actually worked quite well for me in fighting games.

The Elite ii has a rechargeable battery that juices up via USB-C, and both that battery and the USB-C method are long overdue firsts for an Xbox controller. Better even so, the included carrying case is now a charging case, and so yous can charge the case up in order to keep the Aristocracy juiced on the go. Dissimilar the original Elite, the new controller features Bluetooth support, making it easier to connect wirelessly to your gaming PC or gaming laptop (or even your iPhone or iPad for Apple Arcade games).

Customization

The Elite Series 2 offers plenty of concrete customization, but the real magic is in the software. With the Xbox Accessories app for Xbox One and PC, you can fully remap every push button on the controller, arrange the sensitivity of the sticks and triggers to an incredibly fine degree, tweak the intensity of vibrations on each part of the pad, and even accommodate the brightness of the Xbox button.

One of the coolest new additions to the Xbox Accessories app is the ability to assign a shift key, which can open up a whole new set of commands per button when held down. With the shift key held down, y'all can accept the face buttons perform completely dissimilar deportment or even accept the sticks carry differently.

Another one of my favorite upgrades to the Elite ii is the power to store upward to three onboard profiles (up from 2 on the original Elite). Even neater, the controller likewise lets yous revert back to a Default profile, in case you forget what settings you lot have loaded upwardly or y'all just desire to play with stock controls.

Y'all can create as many profiles y'all like in the Xbox Accessories app, and the profiles you accept stored on your controller will stay with you wherever you lot play. When I switched from my Xbox I to my PC, I was delighted to see the app notwithstanding recognize the profiles I made for Gears v, Rocket League and Apex Legends on my panel.

Gaming operation

The Elite 2 felt peachy with just about every game I tried with it, but the controller's extra features were especially handy for competitive shooters. Afterward setting up a custom contour for Gears 5, I was able to accept cover, run, dodge and change weapons all with the rear paddles, keeping my thumbs costless to stay on the sticks at all times. I as well took reward of the shift key to lower my aiming sensitivity when going for headshots.

I had a similarly dandy time using the Elite for Apex Legends, in which I was able to run, jump, slide and reload without having to touch the face buttons. The shorter hair-trigger locks were peculiarly handy for getting quick bursts of fire out in both Gears and Apex. The controller did not, however, cure my knack for dying immediately in both games.

Despite how strange it felt to me at first, the Elite ii's circular D-pad attachment allowed me to perform my usual combos in Injustice ii, Curiosity vs. Capcom: Infinite and Street Fighter V with no hassle. The more-standard D-pad worked fine just felt a scrap small-scale and stiff in comparing. The Elite ii'southward textured triggers and detailed rumble felt swell for driving titles such every bit Forza Horizon 4 and Rocket League, and the rear paddles were handy for doing things like drifting in the former and boosting and shooting in the latter.

Bottom line

A variety of subtle improvements add together upwards to make the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Serial 2 the best premium PC and Xbox game pad out there. It feels better than its predecessor, has more customization options than that version, packs Bluetooth and — finally — has a rechargeable battery that charges via USB-C (and in the example!). If you've been eyeing a premium pad for upping your game in titles like Fortnite, Apex Legends and Gears 5, the Aristocracy ii a no brainer.

Nevertheless, at $179, the Elite 2 is an even more hefty investment than the $149 Aristocracy 1. And while its improvements are notable, I'grand not sure those who already ain an Aristocracy should plunk down almost $200 for a new version. At that place's also the $199 Astro C40 TR to consider, which works with PS4 and PC. While the Astro has fewer total buttons than Microsoft's pad, it has the unique ability to let you lot switch betwixt a PS4-fashion and Xbox-style analog stick layout on the fly.

Still, if you lot're looking for the best overall gamepad for serious play on Xbox One and PC, the Elite Series two is it.

Mike Andronico is Senior Writer at CNNUnderscored. He was formerly Managing Editor at Tom'southward Guide, where he wrote extensively on gaming, as well as running the show on the news front end. When not at work, you can usually catch him playing Street Fighter, devouring Twitch streams and trying to convince people that Hawkeye is the all-time Avenger.