The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 Core Edition (phew!) is an amazing controller that I’d recommend to any Xbox player or PC gamer. It’s now on sale ahead of Prime Day, and in my opinion, it’s absolutely worth the price.
For a limited time, you can get the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 Core on sale for $110 at Amazon. That's just $8 shy of its all-time price low and an epic deal on this controller.
Unfortunately, my original Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 is on its last legs. After four years of faithful service, my premium Microsoft peripheral is ready to be taken around back, Old Yeller style.
I primarily use my soon-to-be-retired Elite Series 2 as a PC controller, and I’ve racked up quite the numbers on some of the best Steam games using this brilliant Xbox pad. 85.9 hours toiling through the demanding delights of Dark Souls 3. 137 hours sneaking through Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. Oh, and a frankly embarrassing 382.2 hours shooting and stealing my way through GTA 5.
After all of those absurdly amassed hours, the old Elite is struggling. The RB soft trigger doesn’t click as snappily as it used to, but the main issue is the fact the controller’s A ,B, X, Y keep jamming. You can get buttons to ‘unstick’ by gently applying rubbing alcohol to a cotton bud, then rigorously wiping it over the edges of a button. The trouble is, I’ve done this weird dabbing trick with methylated spirits so many times on my Elite Series 2, buying the Core Edition at a reduced price seemed like the more hassle-free option.
I love the Core Edition pad. The default white version matches the color of my powerful gaming rig — the Core comes in a variety of other shades too. It's the same excellent, highly customizable controller as the Elite Series 2 at a less aggressive price point.
While it’s annoying that the Core doesn’t come with the metallic paddles of its bigger brother, you can buy these optional Xbox back buttons pretty cheaply. The Core still has the same rear slots and adjustable triggers of the full fat Elite, so snapping third-party paddles into them works just fine.
The Core Edition controller is brilliant, and while I’m a bit salty my Elite Series 2 has failed me, I’ve got no problem recommending its cheaper sibling.
