Leaked images reveal Xbox Elite 3 controller with mysterious new buttons

Hours after a smaller Xbox Cloud Gaming controller appeared online, Brazil’s Anatel regulator has also accidentally published images of what appears to be Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox Elite 3 controller. Tecnoblog has posted images that show the successor to the Elite 2 controller, with an interchangeable D-Pad, paddles, and two new mysterious buttons.

The Elite 3 controller design appears to be more refined this time, with the addition of two new scroll wheels at the bottom that could be related to controller adjustments or a new input method for games like Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The Elite 3 will also have a new pair button that can switch between a local mode or cloud mode to connect directly to Xbox Cloud Gaming servers. In cloud mode this should improve the latency for cloud streaming games, and it’s something that will also be available on the smaller Xbox controller that leaked earlier today.

Microsoft also appears to be moving to a removable rechargeable battery in the Xbox Elite 3 controller, as the filings at Anatel indicate this updated controller has a smaller (1,528mAh) removable battery compared to the Elite 2 (2,050mAh).

It’s not clear when Microsoft plans to release these new Xbox controllers, but given they’re leaking at regulators I wouldn’t be surprised to see them get announced at the upcoming Xbox showcase in June.