The new Xbox Elite Series 3 controller has been revealed by Microsoft itself. Data from the Xbox Design Lab configurator, where you build and order a custom controller, listed a model codenamed Edessa and an accessory platform called Beatrice. Microsoft and Spectrum, which runs the configurator for Xbox, have since removed the data, but Reddit user u/esketitethan saved it first, TechPowerUp reports. There is no official announcement, price or date yet.
What turned up in the Design Lab data
- A choice of sticks. Hall effect modules in standard, loose and tight tension, plus a TMR option. In other words, you could pick both the sensing technology and the feel. There is also a low-friction "silent" stick, in standard and long-neck versions.
- Haptics. One motor configuration pairs impulse trigger motors with voice-coil haptics, which could mean much finer feedback than on the Elite Series 2.
- A volume wheel. An "Audio Scroll Wheel" entry looks like a dedicated physical dial for audio on the controller.
- Looks. Metal faceplates, preset designs, colours and engraving. Standard, classic and doublewide paddles in different lengths, a Butterfly layout or no upper paddles at all, and several D-pads. Beatrice alone lists 27 topper and paddle combinations.
Four versions, and why TMR sticks matter
| Version | What's in the box |
|---|---|
| Elite Complete with motors | carrying case, charging dock, extra paddles, rumble motors |
| Elite Complete without motors | carrying case, charging dock, extra paddles |
| Base with motors | cable, simpler set, rumble motors |
| Base without motors | cable, simpler set |
The sticks are the big deal. Regular controllers read stick position through potentiometers with rubbing contacts that wear out over time, which is where the infamous drift comes from. Hall effect and TMR sticks read position from a magnetic field without physical contact, so there is nothing to wear down. TMR, according to the makers of these sensors, is also more precise and more power-efficient. If the Design Lab data is right, the Elite Series 3 will let you pick such sticks right at checkout.
Microsoft has not commented on the leak. The Elite Series 2 came out in 2019, so a successor is long overdue.
Sources
TechPowerUp on the Xbox Design Lab leak, 06.10.2026, citing Reddit. Photos: mliu92, 2020, CC BY-SA 2.0 and mliu92, 2020, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.
