The savings come from Microsoft dropping the Elite’s carrying case, cradle, rear paddles, analog sticks, and alternate steering pads. The removal of the paddles is odd, as the connections remain on the back of the gamepad and the controller looks a bit bare without them. The Elite Core has two three-way locking switches to shorten trigger throws. However, it also has contacts for a charging dock that is not included, as well as four small buttons and slots for removable palettes that are also not included. The buttons are designed for use with the Elite’s metal paddles, and while you can awkwardly press them with your fingertips, they’re too flat and small to be used reliably without the paddles. The lack of paddles underscores the difference between the Elite Core and the Elite: accessories. The Elite Core is completely devoid of extra parts. There are no rear paddles, no alternate analog sticks, and no plus-shaped directional pad. The controller doesn’t come with a charging cradle or carrying case, but it does come with a cloth-wrapped USB-A to USB-C cable for charging and wired use. The Elite Core works with Windows PCs and Xbox consoles either wired or wirelessly. It uses the Xbox wireless connection with the consoles, which reduces latency and allows you to use the headphone jack. If you want to use it wirelessly with your PC, you have to use Bluetooth, or find a new hard-to-find Xbox wireless adapter. The Xbox Accessories app for Windows and Xbox offers the same set of customization options for the Elite Core as for the Elite. It allows you to remap buttons, including rear paddles, adjust sensitivity curves for the analog sticks, set dead zones for the triggers, adjust vibration intensity and even change the colors of the Guide button LEDs. The app is one of the big advantages of using an Elite controller, as it doesn’t offer the same options as the standard Xbox controller.
