Is the Xbox Elite controller worth it?

The Xbox Elite controller is a remarkably good controller, but it’s also roughly twice the price of the standard/non-elite version.

What justifies the cost difference? Do you really need it to keep up?

Think of it like high-end athletic gear. If you’re just learning to play baseball, you probably don’t need the fanciest bat. Does it look cool? Sure. Will it be the thing that determines if you go pro? Probably not.

Likewise, if you’re a casual player still just learning the mechanics of a game, something like the Elite controller may very well be overkill. Until your gear is the thing slowing you down, there are other ways to get better and improve your stats. If you’ve learned a game inside and out and are pushing your controller to its limits, however, features like rear paddles and adjustable triggers can level you up a bit.

Here are the biggest differences with an Xbox Elite controller:

- Rear paddles: The standard controller has buttons and triggers that are mostly meant for your thumbs and pointer fingers — but what about all of your other fingers? How do you jump with the A button WHILE aiming at the enemy with the right thumbstick when you’re meant to use your right thumb for both?

The Elite controller has four “paddle” buttons on its rear that can be reprogrammed to double as any other button. It gives your fingers on the back of the controller something to do, all while letting you hit button combos you otherwise probably couldn’t.

- Customizable thumbsticks: Don’t like the way the built-in thumbsticks feel — or like them so much that you’ve worn them down to nubs? Swap them out! The thumbsticks on the Elite controller are built to be changed to your liking, again and again. You can also easily adjust the tension of the thumbsticks to change the “feel” to match your preferences.

- Customizable trigger stops: Want to shoot faster in FPS games? The Elite controller lets you adjust the travel distance of the triggers, reducing or increasing how far they’ll sink before coming to a stop. Shorter travel = easier, faster trigger pulls. In games where the weapons will shoot as fast as you can pull the triggers, it can make a huge difference.

- Rechargeable battery: While you can buy an optional rechargeable battery for the standard Xbox controller, the Elite controller has a rechargeable battery by default.

Looking to make the jump to an Elite controller but want to bring down the cost a bit? Check out Tiptop. If you’ve got gadgets and gear laying around unused (think tablets, smartphones, consoles, vr headsets, etc.) we’ll give you an offer for them and let you instantly apply it to the purchase of something new — Xbox Elite controllers included — or just give you the cash straight up.