Reddit User Purchases Unannounced Xbox Elite Series 3 Prototype on OfferUp

The device features an unexpected built-in screen and a new pair button, though current software encryption prevents it from pairing with an Xbox console or cable.

An accidental hardware leak has given gamers an unprecedented look at Microsoft’s unreleased hardware pipeline. A customer using the retail website OfferUp acquired what is almost certainly the Xbox Elite Series 3 for $200, bringing a heavily anticipated pro controller out into the open long before an official announcement from Microsoft. The Xbox Elite Series 3 Wireless Controller hasn’t even been officially announced yet, but a purported prototype has seemingly found its way into the hands of someone who thought they were buying an Elite Series 2 controller on the retail website OfferUp. User “ssuberlex” on Reddit posted to the r/Controller subreddit asking users there whether or not they’d managed to get their hands on an Xbox Elite Series 3 controller, despite it not even being formally revealed yet. Members of the subreddit peppered the post with confident assertions that the original poster had somehow acquired a prototype of the Elite Series 3.

What the Prototype Hardware Reveals About the Elite Series 3 Design

Images posted to Reddit show a prototype device loaded with physical changes that line up with previous regulatory leaks. In May, a Brazilian regulator’s leaked images revealed that Xbox Elite 3 would have new two new scroll wheels on the bottom edge, a second wireless mode to connect directly to Xbox Cloud Gaming servers, and a new “Pair Button” that can also switch between those servers and your console. The newly surfaced physical unit confirms those layout changes while introducing an entirely unrevealed hardware feature: a tiny built-in screen sitting right next to the mode-switch mechanism.

The screen looks almost exactly like the leaked diagram from May showing the mode switch dialogue, with a pair button at the left. The screen can apparently display other things, too. In another photo, it shows a URL that takes me to a Microsoft cloud resource I don’t have permission to view. That lends these images some extra credibility. Beyond the display and the newly positioned pair button, in other photos, we can see the controller’s new scroll wheels, its four rear paddles, its battery compartment, its carrying case, and a different detachable D-pad design than we saw in the May leak. Commenters within the r/Controller subreddit quickly identified the hardware as a developer unit, with commenter “workerq1” responding, That’s def a dev kit Elite 3, it may have been encrypted to only use with registered dev account on Xbox.

Encryption and Connectivity Limitations on Developer Units

Despite its physical appeal, the leaked controller is currently a very expensive paperweight for its new owner. And sure enough, the new owner of the controller mentioned elsewhere in the thread that it does not pair with an Xbox nor with a cable. Just the red light blinking but doesn’t do any thing wired or wireless, confirming that strict software locks prevent standard consumer use.

Prototype labeling further highlights the unfinished nature of the hardware. The controller is clearly a prototype, with “NOT FOR SALE” labels on both the pad and its removable 5.8 watt-hour battery, and many placeholder ID numbers for various regulatory bodies. The Redditor says the triggers are clicky when you lock them to the hair-trigger position.

Home Repair Features Found Inside the Battery Compartment

One of the most intriguing details sits hidden inside the controller’s battery housing. But beyond the screen, the most intriguing image is from inside the controller’s battery compartment. It appears Microsoft has made efforts to make this controller home repairable by including a QR code that presumably leads to a repair website, and accessible Torx T6 screws.

Reddit User Purchases Unannounced Xbox Elite Series 3 Prototype on OfferUp — Photo: IGN

Previous reports indicate that the final version of the gamepad will support Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, a 3.5mm jack, interchangeable D-pad, paddles, two scroll wheels, and trigger locks along with a new pair button that can switch between local and cloud mode to reduce latency. Still, none of these features are for certain. A formal reveal of the Xbox Elite Series 3 controller seems to be a matter of when, not if. Could it get revealed at Gamescom later this month? Tom Warren, The Verge’s Microsoft expert, says his sources believe this controller is still coming later this year.