A closer look at Microsoft’s $150 Elite Xbox One controller

Microsoft’s Xbox Elite Wireless Controller is one of the most impressive console controllers we’ve ever seen. Like a high-end gaming mouse, the parts of the controller can be removed and replaced, but unlike many high-end gaming mouses, the Elite controller’s customization is easy: joysticks and paddles pop on and off like magnets on a refrigerator. This could be the perfect controller for anyone who spends large chunks of their week with the Xbox — and also has some disposable income.

The Elite will cost $150 when it’s released in October, nearly half the price of the Xbox One console which comes with its own non-Elite controller. Perhaps the most flattering thing that can be said about the Elite controller is that it feels like a $150 bit of tech. It’s sturdy and well built, and despite the ease of adjusting parts, nothing feels loose. Here’s our first-hand impressions from the Microsoft booth.