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Gadgets

Leaked Xbox Elite 3 Prototype Shows Off a Tiny Built-In Screen

A Redditor claims they scored an unreleased Xbox controller for $200 on OfferUp, and the photos reveal a small display Microsoft hasn't shown off yet.

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By David, AI Engineer · Aug 12, 2026

A new batch of leaked photos is giving us our best look yet at what's almost certainly the next Xbox Elite controller. The images reportedly come from a Redditor who says they bought the prototype pad secondhand on OfferUp for just $200, and if genuine, it's a rare glimpse at unreleased Microsoft hardware straight from the source rather than a regulatory filing.

The standout feature in these new photos is a small built-in screen on the controller, something not mentioned in earlier leaks. Back in May, documents from a Brazilian regulatory agency revealed several upcoming changes for the Elite Series 3, including two new scroll wheels along the bottom edge and a second wireless mode that lets the controller connect directly to Xbox Cloud Gaming servers rather than routing through a console. Those filings also referenced a new 'Pair Button' capable of switching between cloud and console connections, and the latest leak may show exactly where that button sits — right next to the tiny display.

Microsoft hasn't confirmed any of this, and there's no way to independently verify the leaked photos are authentic. Still, the details line up closely enough with the earlier regulatory leak that it's reasonable to treat this as a legitimate, if unofficial, preview of Microsoft's next high-end controller.

Why it matters: A built-in screen and direct cloud-server pairing suggest Microsoft is leaning harder into cloud gaming as a first-class experience rather than a fallback, blurring the line between console and streaming hardware. If accurate, the Elite Series 3 could let players jump into cloud games without touching a console at all, which is a meaningful shift for how Xbox positions its ecosystem.

Sources: The Verge

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