The last 48 hours have been filled with leaks as controllers for the next-generation Xbox console began making their way into the hands of folks outside the walls of Microsoft. Images and videos of these devices have been posted on nearly every single social media platform too.

While we know the controllers are a little bit smaller when compared to the current generation controller, you can begin to see how different the design truly is with this generation.

For starters, near the top of the controller, the design is flatter compared to the current layout with the area around the Xbox button no longer being recessed or slanted towards the top. The shoulder buttons are also less defined in the design with a less-tapered design near the ends of the controller.

And then there is the obvious update with the D-pad design being carried over from the Elite controller and the new Share button as well.

Microsoft has also said that this controller is a little bit smaller than the current generation as well. In the pictures, you can see the smaller footprint but keep in mind that at different angles, the sizing is hard to compare directly.

When Microsoft first announced the controller, I was optimistic that it would be another quality update for the hardware. While I have yet to see one in person, these pictures make the controller appear to be of lower over-quality as they look like they have lost some of their character and I’m not referring to the colors either.

My hope is that this is in appearance only but Microsoft clearly backed away from some design elements with this iteration they may have lowered the production price to help increase margins.

Tagged with Controller, Xbox