Microsoft confirmed that the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 will be available in a new white model. Pre-orders begin Sept. 7 for the $129.99 Core package, without accessories. The Elite Series 2 controller is also coming to the Xbox Design Lab.
There’s a new version of the Xbox Elite controller in town. As of Wednesday, the gamepad is available for pre-order in a two-tone color scheme, white with black grips, and this model is (technically) cheaper: Known as the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – Core, the controller is selling for $129.99.
That’s $50 less than the MSRP of the existing all-black version, which launched in late 2019 for $179.99. There’s a reason for that, and the “Core” in the name of the product hints at it: The white Elite Series 2 gamepad doesn’t come with most of the accessories that are included with the black model. Instead, what you get for $129.99 is the controller itself, a braided USB-C-to-USB-A cable, and a tool that allows you to adjust the tension of the gamepad’s thumbsticks — along with the same extended one-year warranty that Microsoft began offering for the black controller in 2020, after reports of hardware issues.
Wednesday’s announcement confirms multiple leaks over the past few months of a white Elite Series 2 controller. Asked if there are plans to sell the black Elite Series 2 model in a cheaper Core package as well, a Microsoft spokesperson told Polygon that this offering is limited to the new white version of the gamepad at this time.
