Xbox confirms change to next-gen controller in race to catch up with DualSense

Xbox has made a change to the next wave of new controller hardware, seemingly confirming this may be a big change for the next-gen Project Helix range of gamepads.

Over the last 25 years, Xbox has made very minimal changes to the way it designs its controllers.

The first-generation controller, which is nicknamed the Duke, was big and bulky, not quite perfect. But from the Xbox 360 onwards, the design of the controller has stayed pretty consistent.

As spotted by ComicBook.com, the leaked data regarding the upcoming Xbox Elite Controller 3, as well as the recently announced Nano gamepad, seems to have confirmed that a brand new design for the face buttons ABXY is coming for next-gen controllers.

ComicBook notes that fans have noticed that a brand new font for the ABXY buttons is consistent across both hardware, hinting that this may be the design that Xbox goes with moving forward.

Fans seem torn on the change though, with some voicing their discomfort over the new font, while others prefer it.

"Honestly? I like it; it's sharp, fancy and modern," reads one comment who seems pleased with it.

"I very much like that. These letters look more like symbols now, though I’d prefer them to be bolder," reads another comment.

"The 360 buttons are so much more appealing to me imo. I'd be fine with this, but with black letters and a coloured back," a third comment reads.

However, others are less happy with the redesign.

"It's disgusting, the X button looks like a PS controller," reads one negative comment.

"I'm not a fan, needs to be bolder," another reads.

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Xbox needs more than a face button redesign to stand out next generation

If you ask us, it isn't necessarily terrible, but it certainly doesn't stand out as much as the face buttons on older Xbox controllers. A bigger problem Xbox is facing with its controller designs lies in the additional features the gamepad has.

PlayStation's DualSense features a lot more extra features than the Xbox hardware, such as adaptive triggers, which can change resistance depending on in-game actions, as well as accurate gyro for more precise movements, and a touchpad in the centre of the controller. These features make the DualSense more expensive to purchase individually, but are praised as a nice touch when the games utilise them well.

Some of these features have also come to other controllers on the market, such as gyro and touchpads being present on the Steam controller. Motion controls are also standard in modern Nintendo gamepads. Really, it's Xbox which feels behind in this regard.

When even the more expensive Xbox Elite controllers don't include these features, we're left wondering if Xbox will actually catch up on the times and start adding features that have been the standard in controllers for over a decade at this point.

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