The best PC gamepad has dropped to an epic price low ahead of Prime Day

xbox elite series 2 core (white) controller on blue background with lowest price deal tag
(Image credit: Microsoft)

The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 Core Edition (phew!) is an amazing controller that I’d recommend to any Xbox player or PC gamer. It’s now on sale ahead of Prime Day, and in my opinion, it’s absolutely worth the price.

For a limited time, you can get the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 Core on sale for $110 at Amazon. That's just $8 shy of its all-time price low and an epic deal on this controller. 

Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 Core (White): was $130 now $110 @ Amazon

Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 Core (White): was $130 now $110 @ Amazon
This controller offers all the great features of the original Xbox Elite Series 2 controller, without a high price tag. You may skip out on all the extra components, but the Xbox Elite Series 2 Core controller offers the same level of customization and adaptability, complete with an internal battery and rubberized grip. All in a stunning two-tone design.

Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 Core (White): was £114 now £104 @ Amazon UK

Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 Core (White): was £114 now £104 @ Amazon UK
Amazon UK has the controller at its lowest price ever for the UK. The Xbox Elite Series 2 Core controller offers the same level of customization and adaptability as the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller, complete with an internal battery and rubberized grip. All in a stunning two-tone design.

Unfortunately, my original Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 is on its last legs. After four years of faithful service, my premium Microsoft peripheral is ready to be taken around back, Old Yeller style.  

I primarily use my soon-to-be-retired Elite Series 2 as a PC controller, and I’ve racked up quite the numbers on some of the best Steam games using this brilliant Xbox pad. 85.9 hours toiling through the demanding delights of Dark Souls 3. 137 hours sneaking through Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. Oh, and a frankly embarrassing 382.2 hours shooting and stealing my way through GTA 5

After all of those absurdly amassed hours, the old Elite is struggling. The RB soft trigger doesn’t click as snappily as it used to, but the main issue is the fact the controller’s A ,B, X, Y keep jamming. You can get buttons to ‘unstick’ by gently applying rubbing alcohol to a cotton bud, then rigorously wiping it over the edges of a button. The trouble is, I’ve done this weird dabbing trick with methylated spirits so many times on my Elite Series 2, buying the Core Edition at a reduced price seemed like the more hassle-free option.

I love the Core Edition pad. The default white version matches the color of my powerful gaming rig — the Core comes in a variety of other shades too. It's the same excellent, highly customizable controller as the Elite Series 2 at a less aggressive price point. 

While it’s annoying that the Core doesn’t come with the metallic paddles of its bigger brother, you can buy these optional Xbox back buttons pretty cheaply. The Core still has the same rear slots and adjustable triggers of the full fat Elite, so snapping third-party paddles into them works just fine.

The Core Edition controller is brilliant, and while I’m a bit salty my Elite Series 2 has failed me, I’ve got no problem recommending its cheaper sibling.

Dave Meikleham
UK Computing Editor

Dave is a computing editor at Tom’s Guide and covers everything from cutting edge laptops to ultrawide monitors. When he’s not worrying about dead pixels, Dave enjoys regularly rebuilding his PC for absolutely no reason at all. In a previous life, he worked as a video game journalist for 15 years, with bylines across GamesRadar+, PC Gamer and TechRadar. Despite owning a graphics card that costs roughly the same as your average used car, he still enjoys gaming on the go and is regularly glued to his Switch. Away from tech, most of Dave’s time is taken up by walking his husky, buying new TVs at an embarrassing rate and obsessing over his beloved Arsenal. 

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  • FishNuggets_
    Crazy how 110$ is considered "dirt cheap" now for a controller, maybe I'm missing some sarcasm or something...
    Reply
  • EmperorGibbs
    FishNuggets_ said:
    Crazy how 110$ is considered "dirt cheap" now for a controller, maybe I'm missing some sarcasm or something...
    This author exclusively posts ads
    Reply
  • rgd1101
    EmperorGibbs said:
    This author exclusively posts ads
    maybe because this is a deal section?
    Reply