Xbox Elite Series 3 controller leaks via Brazilian government body 1
Image: Everton Favretto/Tecnoblog

Seven years after the last Xbox Elite controller was released, it looks like a new generation is coming. The news comes from Brazilian website Tecnoblog, which revealed Microsoft's new premium gamepad just hours after showing off another Xbox controller for cloud gaming. Once again, the leak is via Brazilian telecommunications regulatory body Anatel.

The presumptive Xbox Elite Series 3 comes with some interesting new controls and features, plus design elements that will be familiar to Series 2 owners such as swappable d-pads, lockable triggers, removable rear paddles, rubberised grips and a matte black colour scheme.

Two new buttons on the front of the controller, below the d-pad and right stick, look like mouse-style scroll wheels, and could be used as additional inputs or as a way to make changes to the controller's settings. They resemble the twin scroll wheels on Corsair's Scuf Valor Pro, an Xbox controller released earlier this year, where they were used to adjust volume and game/chat mix.

Microsoft is also moving to a removable and rechargeable battery pack for the Series 3, which allows for rapid battery swaps without the need for AA batteries. The battery is a lower capacity than the prior Elite controller, 1528mAh vs 2050mAh, but I expect improvements to wireless efficiency in the more modern chipset to more than make up for the smaller size when it comes to battery life.

The Elite Series 3 controller also has a cloud button, allowing the controller to be connected directly to Wi-Fi to cut down latency when using Xbox Cloud Gaming. Pressing the buttons swaps between local and cloud modes.

Xbox Elite Series 3 controller leaks via Brazilian government body 4
This image explains how the cloud/local button works. Click to enlarge. — Image: Everton Favretto/Tecnoblog

I'd be incredibly surprised if the Series 3 didn't also adopt the TMR sticks and triggers that are becoming table stakes in third-party controllers, as these modern alternatives to potentiometer-based sticks are much more resistant to wear and allow for greater precision. That would make the Series 3 a lot more durable over long periods, which was one of the biggest complaints with the Series 2 (though my example has survived the seven-year period intact!).

As Tom Warren states in coverage of the leak at The Verge, it seems logical to assume that the new controllers will be announced at the upcoming Xbox showcase on the 7th of June, though obviously nothing has been confirmed as of yet.

[source tecnoblog.net, via theverge.com]