Xbox Elite Series 3 Details Reportedly Leak via Design Lab
Details for an unannounced Xbox Elite Series 3 controller, codenamed Edessa, have reportedly leaked through Microsoft's own controller customisation system. The records surfaced on 6 October 2026, and point to the first full refresh of Xbox's premium gamepad in years.
The original claim comes from Reddit user esketitethan, who says they found configuration records and 3D component models inside Spectrum Customizer, the backend provider behind the Xbox Design Lab site. That post was spotted by Digital Foundry and summarised by VGC on 6 October 2026. Digital Foundry also reported that the leak came via Microsoft's own Design Lab.
The headline detail is choice. The reported files offer a pick between Hall effect and TMR sticks. Both use magnets rather than rubbing parts to track movement, a setup designed to resist stick drift, the wear that makes an untouched thumbstick wander on its own.
The records reportedly list standard, loose and tight Hall effect sticks, plus a TMR magnetic sensing option. TMR means tunnel magnetoresistance, a newer type of magnetic sensor prized for precise position tracking. TweakTown noted both stick types are described as magnetic in the leaked Design Lab details.
Another listed motor option is called "Advanced Haptics (VCAs)" alongside Impulse Triggers. Impulse Triggers are the small rumble motors inside the triggers of current Xbox controllers. VCAs are voice-coil actuators, a type of precise vibration hardware used to deliver sharper, more detailed feedback.
The reported options also include an audio scroll wheel, metal faceplate options and low-friction or silent sticks. Paddles get more attention too, with additional paddle designs listed for the extra back buttons that define the Elite line. The D-Pad choice reportedly covers standard, cross and "grippy" versions.
Elite is Xbox's premium pro-style controller family, built around remappable inputs and swappable parts. The first Elite Controller was released in October 2015 for Xbox One, followed by the Elite Series 2 released in November 2019. Microsoft added Design Lab customisation for Elite Series 2 controllers in 2022, letting buyers mix colours and parts through its online builder.
This is not the first unconfirmed sighting. IGN reported on 11 August 2026 that a purported Elite Series 3 prototype had ended up in a customer's hands, following an alleged leak in May 2026. That prototype was reported to feature Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth and a 3.5mm jack.
For players, this matters if it holds. Drift has dogged premium controllers for years, and repairs are fiddly. A factory choice of magnetic sticks would be a practical fix, not a cosmetic one.
