Two Scroll Wheels? Xbox Elite 3 Leaked by Brazilian Agency

Seven years after the Elite Series 2 launched in 2019, images of its successor have surfaced from an unlikely source: a Brazilian telecommunications regulator. Tecnoblog published the leaked images yesterday, showing an all-black controller that looks immediately familiar, save for one very strange addition at the bottom.

Two scroll wheels sit on either side of the headphone jack. Nobody seems entirely sure what they're for. Tecnoblog speculated they could be aimed at flight sim players, but that's an incredibly niche bet for a premium mainstream controller. Others have suggested they might serve as volume or audio balance knobs, letting you mix game and chat audio on the fly. If they're meant as gameplay inputs, their placement near the bottom of the controller makes them awkward to reach during play. I'm curious what Microsoft's pitch is here, because the positioning doesn't scream "extra combat inputs" to me.

Xbox Elite 3 controller leaked via @XboxStockAlerts on May 14, 2026.

Beyond the scroll wheels, the Elite 3 appears to carry over interchangeable rear paddles, swappable sticks, and swappable D-pads from its predecessor. A new pair button beneath the Xbox button lets you toggle between local Bluetooth play and a direct Wi-Fi connection to Xbox Cloud Gaming servers, which should reduce latency when streaming. The battery is now removable and rechargeable, a welcome reversal from the Series 2's sealed unit. That alone will extend the controller's lifespan considerably, since a degraded battery was one of the most common complaints about the old model.

One thing the leaked images can't answer is arguably the most important question: stick technology. The third-party controller market has moved aggressively toward Hall Effect and TMR analog sticks that eliminate drift entirely. If Microsoft ships a premium controller in 2026 that still uses potentiometer sticks, it's going to be a tough sell against competitors like the GameSir G7 Pro, which offers pro-level features at roughly half the Elite Series 2's $180 price. Microsoft hasn't announced the Elite 3 or given any pricing details, but with the Xbox Games Showcase set for June 7, that's the most likely venue for a proper reveal.