Controllers dilema - XBOX One vs. XBOX One S vs. XBOX One Elite

[BobiBolivia]

Hey guys,

I was searching this sub-forum, but I still can't get some useful recommendation...

I decided to buy a gamepad, because although I am not very frequent player, I'd like to get away from KB-Mouse duo (especially in racing games).
Title says it all - I am not sure where it would be wise to invest money:

- regular XBOX One controller - I had it for few days, feels good, better than usual PS-style design
- XBOX One S controller - I read somewhere here, that has better rigidity over regular controller
- XBOX One Elite - from my perspective, top-end controller, but that issue with "full usage with W10 only" drove me away

I would personally go to One S controller, but I seem to be not able to find it in store - or I just don't know official name ?
I have also Elite controller in mind, but I am afraid I will pay premium, and will not be able to use it fully, because of OS or simply games not recognizing additional buttons (like those pads underneath).

Can somebody help me kick off some discussion on this matter ?
Money are not issue when it comes to such hardware, but I'd like to invest wisely.
And I intend to use W8.1 till the end of time - or end of extended support. :smile:

B.

 

[Krystianpants]

I have the regular xbox one and xbox one s controller. There's a slight difference but for some reason the xbox one feels better for me. Maybe cuz i'm used to it. The One S does have bluetooth though so that's an advantage. I also prefer the black one.

The elite is apparently amazing but you pay the price.

 

[BobiBolivia]

I have the regular xbox one and xbox one s controller. There's a slight difference but for some reason the xbox one feels better for me. Maybe cuz i'm used to it. The One S does have bluetooth though so that's an advantage. I also prefer the black one.

The elite is apparently amazing but you pay the price.

Thanks for the answer.
Can you please help me understand, how can I recognize Xbox One S controller from regular one ?
They look identical, and I don't know how to recognize one from another - maybe you can provide Item ID or something ?
I would be most thankful for your help.

 

[Krystianpants]

Thanks for the answer.
Can you please help me understand, how can I recognize Xbox One S controller from regular one ?
They look identical, and I don't know how to recognize one from another - maybe you can provide Item ID or something ?
I would be most thankful for your help.

I did some additional testing and the xbox one S is a bit improved. The triggers are much easier to press as well as buttons. It also has a headphone jack near the charging port. So if there's a headphone jack you're looking at the new one.

 

[Lucas Fogolin]

Actually, the XONE S has a micro pattern on the handle, that, for me, seems like a better grip (and you can actually see these little dots on he back of the handles). Overall they look the same, both which I have in hands have the P2 connection on the bottom, and both feel nice on touch. I feel like the XONE S has a better overall build, but that's more a feeling than a fact. It also comes in black and has bluetooth capability, which is another thing I like better in the newer version. They also come in black, just bought both of them and sold the XONE right away.

Unfortunately, I don't have access to the elite version, out of my range.

 

[sinime]

Any new controller (Xbox One S style) should state on the box that it can use Bluetooth to connect to a PC wirelessly.

The older style of Xbox One controllers and the Elite should state something along the lines of "Compatible with Windows 10 via USB or the Xbox Wireless Adapter sold separately."

Personally, I'd go with the newer style (One S), simply because I like the option of wirelessly connecting it to a PC without a dongle.

 

[onlysublime]

If you can afford the price, you will want the Elite controller. It's so customizable, with a physical switch that lets you switch between 2 profiles.

The customization cannot be overstated. It comes with tall sticks and short sticks. So for example when you want more sensitivity, you go with taller sticks. I have a short stick for the left (moving around) while a tall stick for the right (aiming). The triggers can be set to normal or short pull. With the normal pull, it's a farther travel so it takes longer to initiate an action meaning your reaction time will be less. It also means you won't be pulling the controller as much. I love the short triggers. I can shoot faster than my opponents and be more accurate. There is a caveat in that in many games that have a sniper gun, you can't shoot with the short trigger. You pull the trigger and nothing happens. It's because the game anticipates the full range of motion for the trigger. So for those games, I have to go with the long pull. But most of all, you have the paddles underneath which means you never have to take your thumbs off the sticks to push a button.

And it's all customizable! That's the key. Some will argue that you can customize the regular controllers now. But there's no switch with the regular controllers. And this is where the key is. Let's say for a game, you remap the B button to a paddle. The mapping is universal. So that means to back out of a menu, you have to press that paddle. B was remapped. I've gone mad trying to remember which button does what after I remapped. But with the Elite, I have the default layout for switch 2 and I load in my saved profiles into switch 1. That way, when I play the game, I slide it to position 1 for in-game playing and then slide it to position 2 so I can navigate the menus and the dashboard.

As for the whole Bluetooth thing... What you should really get is the Xbox Wireless Adapter. This adapter lets you have up to 8 wireless controllers connected to a PC. It's a faster and more stable connection than Bluetooth. With Bluetooth, you can only connect one Xbox One S controller to a given PC. So no local multiplayer. With that dongle, you can play with any Xbox One controller ever created.