Did a Microsoft gamepad prototype fall off the back of a truck? We can’t tell, but one Redditor has legitimate-looking photos of an Xbox controller prototype that’s almost certainly the Xbox Elite Series 3. Incredibly, they claim they bought the pad for $200 on OfferUp. In May, leaked images from a Brazilian regulator revealed that the Xbox Elite 3 would have two new scroll wheels on the bottom edge, a second wireless mode for connecting directly to Xbox Cloud Gaming servers, and a new “pairing button” that can also switch between those servers and your console. Could that torque button work? Today, we have a possible answer: it could be located right next to the Xbox Elite 3’s built-in display, a previously undisclosed feature. The screen looks almost exactly like the leaked diagram from May showing the mode switching dialog, with a torque button on the left: Apparently the screen can show other things too. In another photo, it shows a URL that takes me to a Microsoft cloud resource that I don’t have permission to view. That gives these images some extra credibility. Unfortunately, the Redditor says that the driver is not working. “It doesn’t pair with an Xbox or with a cable. Only the red light blinks, but it doesn’t do anything wired or wireless,” they wrote. In other photos, we can see the controller’s new scroll wheels, its four rear paddles, its battery compartment, its carrying case, and a different detachable D-pad design than the one we saw in the May leak. The Redditor says the triggers click when you lock them in the quick trigger position. But beyond the screen, the most intriguing image is the one inside the controller’s battery compartment. It appears that Microsoft has made efforts to make this driver serviceable at home by including a QR code that presumably leads to a repair website and accessible Torx T6 screws. Still, none of these features are secure. The controller is clearly a prototype, with “NOT FOR SALE” labels on both the platform and its removable 5.8 watt-hour battery, and many placeholder identification numbers for various regulatory bodies. The Verge’s Microsoft expert Tom Warren says his sources believe this driver will still be available later this year.
