Gears of War Elite Controller via Microsoft in stock

Remember, kids:

The controller has a 90-day warranty, and Microsoft will not fix it AT ALL after that 90 days. My Elite had quite a few problems, and when I contacted them, asking if I could pay to get it fixed, they told me they do not do repairs.

 
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Lil Frier said:
Remember, kids:

The controller has a 90-day warranty, and Microsoft will not fix it AT ALL after that 90 days. My Elite had quite a few problems, and when I contacted them, asking if I could pay to get it fixed, they told me they do not do repairs.
Click to expand...
What kind of problems?

 
I've had my normal elite since it launched.  I haven't had any problems since I got it but I only have about 30 hours of The Division tossed into it... so not sure.  Apparently whatever thumbstick drift is?

Servicing your Xbox Elite Wireless Controller

https://support.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one/accessories/servicing-elite-controller

"Returning An Xbox Elite Controller Is A Piece Of Cake"  (but it's a Kotaku article from March 21, 2016)

http://www.kotaku.com.au/2016/03/returning-an-xbox-elite-controller-is-a-piece-of-cake/

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Lil Frier said:
Remember, kids:

The controller has a 90-day warranty, and Microsoft will not fix it AT ALL after that 90 days. My Elite had quite a few problems, and when I contacted them, asking if I could pay to get it fixed, they told me they do not do repairs.
Click to expand...
so w/ these controllers..its best to get the extended warranty if possible.

On the bright side..most of the issues w/ these are basically easy fixes. The rubber on the grips coming off....the drifting on the thumb sticks...ect

 
can't imagine these issues are more profound than a traditional controller. 90 day warranty does surprise me for that price.........well i still placed an order:) 

 
Got an elite controller for Christmas. I love it and have no problems with it. I probably have over 300 hours with it (use it for my pc and xbox one). The back paddles definitely help for shooters, but not much else. The circular d-pad plate feels awesome.

Can't recommend it for $200 though. Thats more then I paid for my Xbox one lol. I can definitely recommend it when the regular black goes on sale for $120 every once in a while.

 
Lgndryhr said:
Is the elite worth the money? I hear there are a lot of issues with them.
Click to expand...
I've had 2 elite controllers since launch and both have served me well. No issues with either of them. As far as being worth the money, that's up to the individual. I personally love the extra heavy feel of them and I can afford it, so it's worth it to me. I also have a Cronusmax so I can use it across all the current and last gen consoles, except Wii/Wii U.

I really like the Gears of War version, but it doesn't look like it supports bluetooth and I already have 2 elite controllers, so I don't need this one, but I sure as hell want it. :)

 
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Bosox3 said:
so w/ these controllers..its best to get the extended warranty if possible.

On the bright side..most of the issues w/ these are basically easy fixes. The rubber on the grips coming off....the drifting on the thumb sticks...ect
Click to expand...
You say easy. Are the drifting sticks easy to repair on standard versions? My Halo5 standard version has this issue... it's pretty much been on shelf retirement for three months now... it's my favorite but it's become impossible to stomach playing with on certain games.
 
I would prefer to get this at gamestop because of credit, but still no stocky. Keep in mind that these have the potential to be very rare. At this moment, only sold via microsoft and gamestop...........but we all know how the rare game is played

 
spicoli420 said:
I would prefer to get this at gamestop because of credit, but still no stocky. Keep in mind that these have the potential to be very rare. At this moment, only sold via microsoft and gamestop...........but we all know how the rare game is played
Click to expand...
Ugh why'd I think this was an MS Store exclusive (no reason at all)? I wouldn't have minded getting the GameStop points.

 
spicoli420 said:
can't imagine these issues are more profound than a traditional controller. 90 day warranty does surprise me for that price.........well i still placed an order:)
Click to expand...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Gzj0f9SrBs

Get the extended warranty.

 
I really want this but don't feel like the extra $50 is justified.

Also, a word of caution, while I love my Elite and have put a ton of hours into using it. I got it for Christmas and no more than 5 months later, it started having really awful stick drift. I reached out to Microsoft and they basically told me tough shit.

Pretty disappointing that a $150 controller would have this issue while my $60 regular controllers don't with equal or more playtime.

 
VideoGameFan said:
What kind of problems?
Click to expand...
Bosox3 said:
so w/ these controllers..its best to get the extended warranty if possible.

On the bright side..most of the issues w/ these are basically easy fixes. The rubber on the grips coming off....the drifting on the thumb sticks...ect
Click to expand...
I had no issues with the grips, and how is fixing stick drift easy?

The problems I had:

--The left stick became slightly depressed into the body of the controller. It meant it was permanently loose, in a way (if you turned the controller over, the stick would sit at normal height, then fall in a bit when held correctly). It made clicking the stick inconsistent at times. This has since started to happen with the controller I got with my Halo 5 console, though it's more rigid about it (so the thing doesn't flop limply when I turn the controller over).

--The paddles were slow to register. Halo 5 was a constant pain because of it. I had a paddle set to cycle grenades. If I hit that paddle to get the right grenade, then press LB to throw the grenade, it would throw the wrong grenade type (the one I was switching from), then switch grenade types. I had a lot of instances where I wanted to use a Splinter Grenade, but had a Frag throw instead, as a result.

--The Home button would get physically stuck. It wouldn't activate, but it meant I couldn't press it down TO activate it. A bit of persuasion would get it loose, and it would be fine for a few weeks, then it'd be stuck again.

--The LB was loose, meaning it had a bit of shift in it, just by putting my finger on it.

I feel like there's one other thing I'm forgetting, but it doesn't matter too much, I guess. What had me eventually stop using it is that I knocked it off the washer and the LB totally broke. That's obviously a "my fault" issue, but until it started developing faults left and right, I was VERY careful with it. I would put it in the carrying case and place it on my desktop tower (in the corner of my room, away from everything) when I didn't use it. Then it started messing up, and I got careless because it was clear a $150 controller couldn't withstand the rigors of being used as intended for a few months.

About 5-6 months after purchase, I was talking with MS support about another problem (lost Quantum Break save), and spoke with them about the controller as well. The guy said they couldn't do a repair, though I could maybe go to my nearest MS Store and ask them to (that's 2 hours from here). He then suggested I find a random shop in-town to fix it, like I was going to find someone near me with the parts to fix a controller Microsoft itself didn't have the means to fix (and it's not like I'd trust the guy to anyway).

I haven't even touched the thing since May or so. I figure I'll eventually spend the $30 for some replacement buttons on eBay sometime, open it up, and see if I can fix it myself. My controller luck with the XB1 is just atrocious though, as 4 of the 5 controllers I have had for m console developed various problems.

 
I bought mine from amazon warehouse deals about a year ago for 88.xx.

For those asking if its worth it...I would honestly say it is no better than a regular xbox one controller. I havnt really mapped any buttons, or used any of the optional pieces though so I may not be the best test subject.

Its cool, but I would say 150 for an elite controller is too much. 

 
philmcfly said:
I've had my normal elite since it launched. I haven't had any problems since I got it but I only have about 30 hours of The Division tossed into it... so not sure. Apparently whatever thumbstick drift is?

Servicing your Xbox Elite Wireless Controller

https://support.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one/accessories/servicing-elite-controller

"Returning An Xbox Elite Controller Is A Piece Of Cake" (but it's a Kotaku article from March 21, 2016)

http://www.kotaku.com.au/2016/03/returning-an-xbox-elite-controller-is-a-piece-of-cake/
Click to expand...
I just looked at this myself. The controller won't register on their site.

As for that Kotaku article, it's a hit-and-miss experience. My sister got a MS Band in 2014. When it had a fault, she went to St. Louis to have the store look at replacing it. The people were extremely helpful and gave her a new Band on the spot, no questions really asked. When she got the Band 2 last year, and it ALSO had a problem, she went online to MS support to ask about a replacement. They, again, told her to go to St. Louis. This time, the manager fought with her for some time, saying they couldn't do the replacement. After some time, the manager finally agreed to do it, as if it was some kind of courtesy to follow the procedure that MS support officially sent my sister 2 hours to complete.

So, if you are at a good store, and talking to good employees, it can be a breeze. That's the nature of retail, as if you get a bad store or employee, the experience can be wildly different.

 
arsenalcrazy8 said:
I bought mine from amazon warehouse deals about a year ago for 88.xx.

For those asking if its worth it...I would honestly say it is no better than a regular xbox one controller. I havnt really mapped any buttons, or used any of the optional pieces though so I may not be the best test subject.

Its cool, but I would say 150 for an elite controller is too much.
Click to expand...
So you're saying it's not worth it based on your not using the extras at all? Seems like a bad perspective for a review. I got mine from Best Buy, when they were giving away Halo 5 for free with it. I was then able to return a previously purchased copy and get the $65 back, making the controller effectively $85. I think it felt every bit of a $150 controller, until it started falling apart. MS build quality has been atrocious for the past several years, between the non-replaceable HDD in the XB1, the shoddy controller faults, the Band and Band 2's widespread issues, and the Lumia 950 line's creaky chassis and smudge-tastic display.

 
arsenalcrazy8 said:
I bought mine from amazon warehouse deals about a year ago for 88.xx.

For those asking if its worth it...I would honestly say it is no better than a regular xbox one controller. I havnt really mapped any buttons, or used any of the optional pieces though so I may not be the best test subject.

Its cool, but I would say 150 for an elite controller is too much.
Click to expand...
If you use it like a regular controller then yea it's not worth it. Just buy a regular controller. If you actually use it like it's intended, it's amazing. I generally have LB and RB mapped to one set of paddles and L3 and R3 mapped to the other. Never have to adjust my grip or have to hold down the stupid stick to run. Also helps to map jump to a paddle so you can jump and aim at the same time.

I also can't live without the trigger locks. After playing with them, the pull on a standard controller is just too long.
 
I love the fact that MS made the X1 use external 3.0 USB storage as opposed to replacing the internal drive. I guess that's why my ps4 I bought on black Friday for uncharted 4 has sat there, getting maybe 4 hours a month out of it (since it's useless to browse the store. When I buy physical games from gamefly, I realize I have to delete something to try that game out.

I got my Elite fromantic a CAG, & not sure where he bought it. It was new/sealed, and I haven't used it a ton, but I LOVE playing Forza 6 with it. Makes manual transmission fun. I have re mapped the buttons & every option in Accessories app just to see what they do. I have also had used controllers I bought have BAD thumbstick drift. I always worried about that on my 360 controllers & they are my favorite controllers in existence. My halo reach controller finally started drifting, so I gave it away. I bought a wired controller & the A button stuck in like it had glue underneath it. This happened the first time I beat Crota on hard in Destiny.

When I got an X1, I was extremely disappointed in the controllers. Don't like the trigger vibration, and the thumbsticks felts like the ps3s (with no resistance at all). I got used to it after a few months, but those used controllers I mentioned earlier had me thinking a new controller was my only option. I traded both in to GS & spent like $25 for a single new X1 controller. It had such cheap plastic. The sides started to creak when I gripped the controller, and then the thumbsticks started to drift (mainly the right, & not near the extent the used ones did). I bought the elite, reading that it was meant to have strong parts to avoid all the issues of the normal MS controllers (which seemed too much a coincidence). I have used it only in destiny, division, dirt rally, & Forza 6. They all play great with it. I have treated it very respectfully since I know what can happen to MS products now. It has been great for me, and I hope I don't get the drift with this one, but it seems inevitable, as I hear other's talk about it. I think it's definitely worth the investment if you can make it without sacrificing an insurance payment or something. I use the plus pad, the short sticks and the paddles (only 2 paddles with most games). I keep it in the case, & I use the very nice braided micro USB cable.

I would love to get this one, even though I don't care for gears of War. Looks amazing. I haven't even looked at the price since many of you scoff at it. I know that means I won't be getting it, sadly. I would wait until it went on sale, anyway, unless I just kept it in the box as a collectors item. I am happy I invested the 115-120 in the original elite, but I'd have to pass on this one unless some qualitative changes were made.
 
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