GoKawiilTL;DR Microsoft’s leaked Xbox controllers suggest the company is shifting hard toward a cloud gaming-first future.
The leak reveals two new devices: a compact cloud-focused controller and the rumored Xbox Elite Series 3.
The cloud controller is noticeably smaller and appears built for portability, streaming, and mobile gaming.
Microsoft’s next Xbox controllers have just leaked, and it looks like the company is going all-in on cloud gaming in a way that feels very different from the Xbox strategy we’ve known for years.
A fresh leak from Brazilian outlet Tecnoblog, which obtained images from a regulatory filing, has revealed two unreleased Xbox controllers; a compact cloud-focused gamepad and what appears to be the long-rumored Xbox Elite Series 3.
The cloud controller looks distinctly smaller than a normal Xbox controller, with a shape that feels a bit more like something from 8BitDo or Backbone, rather than Microsoft’s usual chunky design language. The familiar Xbox button layout remains, but the overall body looks like it was designed for streaming and portability.
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The connectivity is what’s interesting in the leak. The Verge reports that the controller supports Bluetooth 5.3 and direct Wi-Fi connections on 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks. That means it can supposedly connect directly to Xbox Cloud Gaming servers, instead of routing inputs through your phone, tablet or PC first.
If that sounds familiar, it’s because Google tried something similar with the Stadia controller a few years ago. The idea is to eliminate unnecessary hops between your button press and the game server to reduce latency. Tiny delays matter in cloud gaming. Microsoft certainly seems to think those milliseconds are worth a complete re-imagining of the controller experience.
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