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Xbox One Elite Controllers Selling Out "Instantly"

If you find one, buy it before it's gone, Microsoft advises.

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Microsoft's Xbox One Elite controller launched in October alongside Halo 5: Guardians--and it's been a hot item ever since. The initial allocation sold through quickly, and every time Microsoft can replenish stock, the controllers seem to fly off the shelves. That's what Xbox boss Phil Spencer said recently on Twitter.

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Responding to a fan on Twitter who was able to find an Elite controller, Spencer said, "I'm glad you found one. We keep shipping more in but they sell out instantly."

The unique controller, which carries a premium $150 price tag, is currently completely sold out at Microsoft's own online store, as well as at GameStop, Target, Amazon, and Best Buy.

There is another way to get your hands on an Elite controller. You can buy the Xbox One Elite model that launched in November; it comes with a 1 TB console and the unique, transforming controller. And with Microsoft's recent $50 price cut on all Xbox One systems, you can get it for $450 instead of $500.

In November, Microsoft warned that Elite controller supply "may be limited through November." Later that month, the company said demand for the controller "exceeded our planning."

For more on the Elite controller, check out GameSpot's hands-on impressions in the video above.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com

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BonkDaCarnivore

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Edited By BonkDaCarnivore

Absurd price aside, I'm still failing to see what the big deal is about this controller. I played with one at PAX Prime this year. The worker bee stood next to me for 10 minutes talking about all the features it had and all the cool stuff you could do with it - and all the while, I'm thinking to myself "Good god, these triggers are WAY too sensitive, I keep accidentally tripping them" and "man, this thing weighs too much, they really should have used a lighter wei....damn, just accidentally hit the trigger again" and "I guess swapping the buttons is kind of cool, I wonder what it cos...ugh, hit the trigger again".

When he told me it was going to be $150, I'm pretty sure I failed in holding back a derisive snort. I remember walking away thinking no way in hell would anybody be dumb enough to pay that. But I was using logic, and not considering this is an industry where the consumer goes out in droves to buy the latest "hand and a gun" game that's just like every other hand and a gun game they own, just with different skins and maps (and no story) - for 60 dollars, then pays even more for maps. It's an industry that convinced people microtransactions are a great thing in full-priced games, that DLC is fantastic, and that shipping a game with a load of bugs is preferable to delaying delivery a couple of months to do proper QA. My bad.

I guess it's true what they say about a fool and his money....

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roxor3

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Edited By roxor3

@bonkdacarnivore: No you are just viewing it from your narrow point of view, instead of trying to understand (or just being a troll). You're talking about gaming but you have an account on a gaming industry website, don't think you're high and mighty and above it all.

First - The price is actually on par and better with comparative controllers. You don't want to spend the money, no one is forcing you.

Second - the Trigger sensitivity can be adjusted, so while your little arms are hurting holding the controller you won't accidentally pull the trigger.

A fool and his money buy games, a fool and his money buy PCs to play games, buy consoles to play games. Once again you think you are so mighty, but your not, you just refuse to realize other people like differently than you.

For me I bought this an don't regret it at all. A controller is your INPUT for the console. It is the one thing you use every single time you play a game. I didn't buy it to be more competitive, because I could care less about trying to dominate online. I bought it because it enhances my interaction with every game I play. It feels a lot more solidly built, it is more comfortable (assuming you don't have weak ass arms), and I can customize every aspect to play how I want to play.

Now I could have bought a whole whopping two new release games for that price and after 20 hours of game play I would be right back to where I was, or I can invest in this, that makes every single game more enjoyable (to me, yes it does). Why do people spend $70+ on a mouse for their PC when a $10 dollar does the same thing? Why do people spend $100's of dollars on steering wheels when a $50 dollar allows for the same game play? It's because they change how you interact with the game/device.

So think it is too expensive fine, that is your opinion, think it is too heavy fine, but don't act just because you don't understand having one doesn't mean there are not many out there that do. And yes if they made a comparable first party controller for the PS4 I would buy that for my PS4 too, it is just too good to pass on.

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demonkingx5

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@bonkdacarnivore: "Absurd price" I have you seen the price of them scuf controllers ?

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Moonco

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Moonco  Moderator

Selling out instantly just like the Xbox One :-p

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xhawk27

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@Moonco: Someone is salty because they use a crappy controller.

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alveiro29xbox

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next month gonna buy one for sure

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nissanmaxima

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@alveiro29xbox: yup, I'm getting mine in January or February. I didn't think they'd be selling like this either.

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BonkDaCarnivore

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Well, at least now we know what was so important that people had to have their minimum wages raised to $15 for....

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brian419

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I don't care how great these things are, it's ridiculous to spend $150 on a controller. Microsoft makes just enough to keep the craze going. Retailers sell out and then that makes people want them that much more. Nintendo did the same thing with the Wii it's first six months on the market, stock sells out and then people beg for more. I remember Sony doing the same thing with the PS2 slim, everyone had to have it including myself. I can't fault Microsoft for doing the same, I just can't justify the purchase.

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JoshRMeyer

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"Microsoft advises"... Hey, buy my product before they sell out! 2 for a dollar or 3 for a buck!

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Furwings

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Yeah a $150 US ($179 CDN) controller is just flying off store shelves...

More like:

"We ship like hundreds of these things every couple weeks and they keep selling out!!!"

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Verenti

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@Furwings: Yeah. "Selling out" is a meaningless term. It just means they shipped less than the demand, which is a common practice to drive up demand.

It's just bullshit.

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PtsdGamer1

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@Furwings: They would lose money. You live in some fantasy fanBOY land, come on down and join the rest of us, little one.

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Furwings

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@ptsdgamer1: So they can't even sell out of consoles marked down to $299 for the holidays but a controller that costs half that is just selling like hotcakes right? How bout some actual hard numbers? Oh wait Micro$haft stopped bragging about numbers (which they weren't shy about last generation) this gen. Who's the one in "fanBOY" land here?

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demonkingx5

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Edited By demonkingx5

@Furwings: How about PC users also bought it as well since it works for the PC too, also i've seen it sold out on amazon before.

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Mirimon78

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@demonkingx5: <--- pc gamer, didn’t buy it for pc gaming, that is what ds4 is good for since it uses standard bt, and has built-in mouse supporting pc gaming since launch..

Also, it isn't configured for mutant hands...

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demonkingx5

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Edited By demonkingx5

@Mirimon78: doesn't work with all games without some 3rd party software while x1 is standard & will work.

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Mirimon78

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@demonkingx5: it does, unless that game in particular ignored i/o standards and opted for msft's proprietary system (they get paid by msft to do this, just fyi...).

But yeah, run ds4 windows tool.. free, fast, works on everything and then some

... this is pc, its not like you are locked out of everything....even when msft wants you to be.

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vscott453

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@Mirimon78: Let me teach you. Xinput is apart of Directx api. It IS the DEFACTO standard for games. Therefore xinput is used for controller support. Making the xbox controller also be the standard since its protocol is also xinput.

The reason you need ds4 windows tool or any other is to change its protocol to have an xinput wrapper.

While you are free to do whatever you want, don't assume ps4 controller will work for everything when wrappers aren't 100% guaranteed.

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Mirimon78

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@vscott453: xinput is not the standard, since we are in the US, and nearly every gaming rig runs windows, it has been included by design, it is msft proprietary, and only came out later during xb360 life cycle.

Ds4 works natively on its own, with any pc vist and up and any mac. Ds4 windows tool is something else, which grants the ability to do some serious mapping and customizing, and enabkes the mouse pad for pc use, it also works with every single game in the steam catelogue.... perhaps there is a game it won't work with, but since it is replacing xinput why would it faulter, unless msft dies something about it.

You realize that it was only a while ago the xb1 controller gained the ability to work on pc right??? Because it natively does not actually work with pc, you have to firmware patch the controller and update ur pc drivers.. so really, its the xb1 controller that doesn't work with everything on pc....

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vscott453

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Edited By vscott453

@Mirimon78: Having Ds4 make a controller actually work with its drivers, or 3rd party driver does not make it native. DS4 literally turns the controller into an xinput controller through emulation. It is doing something that the hardware wasn't built to do. There is nothing native about a ps controller on a pc. You seriously have no clue what you are talking about.

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Mirimon78

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@vscott453: no... natuve means it works all on its own, plug and play, no additional steps needed... and it does. Natively it supports standard controller functions, which is everything but control of the touch pad and lights and any other extra, non standard buttons.... it does that, been doing it since day one (which is a good year plus longer than the xb1 controller, WHICH DOES NOT WORK NATIVELY as it required additional steps just to use.

Don't confuse using and controlling every feature with a tool with a native support.

Phillips hue lights for example come with thwir own app, but to really get everything out of them you need to use 3rd party apps... get it now? One actually has TRUE native support, the other doesn't, that same one also has far better pc gaming features when ran via a 3rd party app... (oh, and true native wireless... no dongles needed...).

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vscott453

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Edited By vscott453

@Mirimon78: You are delusional. Micorsoft built the the drivers natively within the os. It is embedded in it. You WILL not get the ps3 controller working without installing something to make it work. It isn't plug and play at all. You are seriously off your rocker.

Microsoft owns windows. They own xbox controllers, and they own directx. They all work in tangent in its own ecosystem. Sony DOES NOT fit in that ecosystem. And you want to come on here and tell stories that your ps controller works natively with the pc? Then some bs about it only configuring lights and the touchpad. Dude I am not stupid. And you shouldn't be thinking people are. Your arguements are laughable and almost sad that you think your ps controllers are native. You first say you use ds4, and now you changing it to some touchpad and lights. You are only fooling yourself. You are really blowing crap out of your ass for no reason. Its fine if you can use your controller, but its not native AT ALL

IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE XINPUT. XINPUT IS WHAT MAKES THE CONTROLLERS NATIVE.

Directinput =/=xinput thus it is not native.

You really need to go learn something dude.

http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/176263-how-to-use-a-dualshock-4-to-play-pc-games

http://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/1/648814396207498449/

http://restartreplay.com/pc/using-your-ps4-controller-for-pc-gaming/

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Furwings

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@demonkingx5: Well you could be right because if there's one thing PC gamers actually do buy it's hardware ;)

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