Microsoft’s next premium Xbox gamepad has leaked, and this one looks built with Xbox Cloud Gaming in mind. Brazilian website Tecnoblog published images of what it described as the Xbox Elite Series 3 just hours after showing off another Xbox controller aimed at cloud gaming, with the new leak coming through Brazil’s telecommunications regulator, Anatel.
The controller appears to be a major refresh after seven years without a new Xbox Elite model. The leaked design shows swappable d-pads, lockable triggers, removable rear paddles, rubberised grips and a matte black finish, but the most noticeable changes are on the front: two new buttons sit below the d-pad and right stick, and they look like mouse-style scroll wheels. Those buttons could add extra inputs or be used to change controller settings, and they resemble the twin scroll wheels on Corsair’s Scuf Valor Pro, which launched earlier this year.
One of the clearest signs that Microsoft is tying the device to its cloud strategy is a dedicated cloud button. Pressing the buttons is said to swap between local and cloud modes, while the cloud control can connect directly to Wi-Fi to help cut latency when using Xbox Cloud Gaming. That is the sort of feature set Microsoft has not previously offered in its Elite line, and it suggests the company wants the controller itself to become part of the cloud gaming pitch, not just an accessory for it.
The battery system is changing too. Microsoft is moving to a removable and rechargeable pack for the Series 3, ending the need for AA batteries and allowing rapid swaps, but the new pack’s 1528mAh capacity is smaller than the previous Elite controller battery, which was rated at 2050mAh. That tradeoff could matter for players who use the controller heavily, even if the easier battery swaps make the design more practical day to day.
The leak lands at a moment when Microsoft appears to be lining up its next hardware reveal. Tom Warren said it seems logical to assume that the new controllers will be announced at the upcoming Xbox showcase on the 7th of June. If that happens, the Elite Series 3 will arrive as Microsoft tries to show that Xbox Cloud Gaming is not just a service running in the background, but a feature that may soon shape the hardware in players’ hands.
