Xbox Elite Controller 3 Leak Shows Removable Battery and Extra Buttons

A Brazilian regulator just dropped images that confirm the Xbox Elite Controller 3 is real, and the upgrades are the kind of practical fixes the old pad desperately needed.

The render shows a removable battery pack that finally lets players swap out the power cell when it inevitably degrades, ditching the sealed non-removable design that plagued the Elite 2 and PS5 controllers alike. Two scroll wheels sit beside the headset jack for reasons the leak leaves mysterious, while a new pair button lets you toggle between direct console connection and cloud streaming over Wi-Fi without digging through menus.

Microsoft has long offered AA battery options on its standard controllers, so this feels like the premium line catching up to basic user demands for longevity. Community chatter on X and Reddit shows players relieved at the battery swap but still waiting on bigger leaps like Hall effect sticks to kill drift for good.

The leak ties into broader Xbox refresh talk around the upcoming Project Helix hybrid console, but for now the Elite 3 looks like a solid iterative refresh rather than a full generational reset.

COMMENTS

GoldenAge_GamerMiss the 90s Daily +41 -28

nothing beats the original duke off wireless. these new paddles feel like corporate realized people liked the old one too late

Colin "The Drain" WhitakerSTAFF

Based on our subscriber survey, 34 percent of users still list original Xbox 360 controller muscle memory as their preferred input scheme, which correlates with steady replacement cycle revenue in the accessories vertical.