While we can't be sure of how this new grip material will fare with time just yet, it certainly feels nicer and will hopefully hold up much better. The new grip material should be an improvement for the controller's long-term feel, since the original's shell started to feel greasy after a few weeks of heavy use.

While the face is a similar soft-touch matte plastic, the grips are a sturdy, textured rubber that's easier to hold securely in the hand. The Elite Controller Series 2 looks very similar to the first Elite Controller, but it feels much different. And, since it works with the Xbox One and PCs, it stands out as one of the best Microsoft-centric controllers out there, and an Editors' Choice. It's a bit more expensive at $179.99, but its extensive programmability, multiple profiles, and improved rubber grip make it a better gamepad, comparable with the excellent Astro Gaming C40 TR. Microsoft seems to have learned from its mistakes, and while we can't yet be certain about long-term wear, the new Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 sees some very nice upgrades over its predecessor. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to last very long, and the exterior soft-touch coating in particular became a magnet for grease after a few months of use.

The original Xbox Elite Wireless Controller was one of the best wireless gamepads we had seen up to 2015, with a solid build, interchangeable analog stick caps and direction pads, and removable, programmable paddles on the back.

Xbox one wireless controller paddles