Post Updated to include unboxing video – Thursday, Oct. 22 at 5:45 p.m. PT



Since we announced the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller at E3 2015 last June, we’ve gotten a ton of overwhelmingly positive feedback from fans. In fact, there’s so much buzz and demand around the upcoming controller, that we’re expecting the availability to be pretty tight this holiday season. It hits shelves in the U.S. on Oct. 27, and eager Xbox fans have pre-ordered almost our entire initial shipment!



Don’t worry though: we’re making more as quickly as we can, and our goal is to get these controllers into your hands in time for you to enjoy the greatest games lineup in Xbox history this holiday season.

The best way for you to ensure that you’ll get the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller soon is to pre-order yours from your favorite gaming retailer. If you’re in the market for an Xbox One, be sure to check out the Xbox One Elite Bundle, which includes the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller, but also a spacious 1TB solid state hybrid drive (SSHD), giving you tons of storage for your games.. At $499 USD ERP, the Xbox One Elite Bundle is an amazing value in precision, personalization and performance.

The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller is performance-class hardware that’s built to meet the needs of even the world’s top competitive gamers. Recently, ESL approved use of the controller in any ESL competitions. Jesse Sell of ESL’s Business Development team commented, “Our admin team is very impressed by the design and personalization that the Elite controller provides. We look forward to giving our players more options and watching how this new controller will bring out the best in each of them.”

Major League Gaming (MLG) also recently approved the use of the controller. “The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller is approved for use by Major League Gaming for all competitive gaming activities and tournaments,” said Adam Apicella, Executive Vice President at MLG. “The customization options are great, showcasing the desired functionality required for pro level competition.”

In addition to being able to custom map buttons for your games, the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller will also ship with a number of preloaded Elite Mappings for some of our biggest games, including Halo 5: Guardians, Forza Motorsport 6 and Gears of War: Ultimate Edition. All of these were tested and recommended by the studios responsible for those blockbuster games, so you can be sure you’ll be getting the best from the best. What’s more, there will be other Elite Mappings coming for other blockbuster titles such as Call of Duty: Black Ops III and Star Wars Battlefront.

The Xbox Elite Wireless controller gives you so many ways to customize your controller right out of the box with the included thumbsticks (6), paddles, (4) and D-pads (2). But if you want to add even more to your new controller this holiday, you are in luck. Last week we announced an exclusive partnership with Scuf Gaming to create add-ons for the Elite Controller. While we work with Scuf Gaming to develop those designs, we are pleased to announce a limited run of Halo 5: Guardians Component Kits from PowerA which includes themed thumbsticks, paddles, and D-pads for $29.99 MSRP. PowerA is also shipping a Charging Stand for the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller for $39.99 MSRP which includes a 1400mAh battery and an extra battery door for easy, direct-contact charging on the stand. The Charging Stand will start shipping this month, while the Component Kit will ship in early December.

Major Nelson hosted an official unboxing of the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller via Facebook today. If you missed it, don’t worry, you can access the full video right here: https://www.facebook.com/majornelson/videos/2111957975499792/.