Microsoft is a center for hardware excellence, at least generally speaking.
Known for software primarily, Microsoft has been able to deliver surprisingly high-quality hardware products too in recent years. The Surface line has been particularly influential on the laptop market, which counts even Apple among companies stealing its ideas. The Xbox Series X was the most powerful, quietest, and coolest video game console until Sony’s mid-gen PS5 Pro refresh came along. And the Xbox Series S defies expectations with its neat and small size.
However, even a near-perfect product can be undermined by a single, significant defect.
You may recall the Xbox 360’s notorious red ring of death issue, which cost Microsoft billions of dollars to rectify. The Xbox Series X|S platform has been the most reliable console I’ve ever owned as a result of those “learnings,” but the same sadly cannot be said for one of its other flagship Xbox products, and now Amazon is warning users against buying it.
Recently, Amazon updated its store pages to warn users when a product suffered from heavy returns. Indeed, we reported recently that ARM-based Surface devices have fallen under Amazon’s scrutiny, with store listings appearing with a big “frequently returned item” warning. While browsing Amazon for a replacement Xbox Elite Controller Series 2, I discovered that it too has earned a similar warning.
As of writing, I am frustratingly on my not second, but third Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 unit. The first was a review unit, which I loved — until the stick drift became unbearable around 6-8 months in. The second I purchased myself, until the right bumper became unusable, only registering actuations around half of the time. Again, after around 6-8 months. The third I have here has now also fallen victim to the same bumper issue, which I suspect may be particularly prevalent among soulsborne players, where attacks are mapped to the bumpers rather than face buttons.
Whatever the cause, I feel like a controller that RRPs for almost $200 shouldn’t break down after a few months of regular use. And now, Amazon’s store page for the Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 warns users to check reviews before buying. As it should!
There are ways to fix this issue and save yourself some bucks, and I’ll be writing a guide on it soon, but for the vast majority of people, returning it with the standard 1 year warranty might be a better option.
I would urge that instead, you buy something like the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro (Amazon) on the high end, or the GameSir G7 (Amazon) on the more affordable end. Both of these controllers feel just as good as a standard Xbox Elite controller, without the wear and tear problems. There’s also the standard Xbox controller (Amazon) of course, which actually reads “frequently kept,” showing a low return-rate.
And here’s another Xbox product with a “usually keep this item” satisfaction rate!
Surprisingly, the Xbox Series S, which is often derided by content creators and commentators, enjoys a high satisfaction rate according to Amazon. “Users usually keep this item,” the green label reads, suggesting that buyers typically are satisfied with their purchases. I couldn’t check the Xbox Series X satisfaction labels because it’s, uh, out of stock (again) as of writing.
The Xbox Series S is often blamed for some of Xbox’s content gap problems, with titles like Black Myth Wukong skipping the platform entirely rather than having to make the effort to optimize their game for the Xbox Series S. For some reason, the Steam Deck avoids these criticisms despite its similar performance caps, but hey, it’s not like there’s a tax on Xbox discourse or anything (joke, joke). Seriously, though, the Xbox Series S is a tidy little system if you’re looking to make a big saving on current gen gaming. If all you want to do is slam Fortnite or Call of Duty in your living room at 1080p, there’s probably no more cost-effective way to do it right now.
It’s good that Amazon has started calling out companies and products that aren’t making the grade, though, while celebrating those that do. Microsoft’s Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PC range is receiving a ton of criticism on Amazon for compatibility issues, rightfully so, as many of the promises Microsoft made about usability simply haven’t panned out. The Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 quality control problems are also well documented, and I hope Microsoft pours some of these learnings into the inevitable Xbox Elite Controller Series 3 (which, by the way, we have some tentative confirmation on existing — full report coming soon.)
If you’re in the market for a new controller, do consider the Razer and GameSir alternatives I mentioned. At least we have a lot of options to choose from these days.
