Xbox Elite Controller Lets You Tweak Vibration Intensity, But Gamers Want More

Something that dropped truly has heads turning. On another note, do you know that the vibration intensity could be changed if you do have the Elite controller? The intensity! Just imagine the absolute power of deciding the intensity on how much your hands really got to vibrate during an absolute mad firefight or against high-speed racing. Kudos to the Official Xbox support account for dropping that nugget and linking the support page for further explanation.

But here is a thing—while it seems some of the gamers are excited about the customization, some others aren’t. The comments under the tweet seem rather mixed, with some almost having no shame in saying that they just keep it off. The CyberRej user simply writes, “Off 100% of the time.” Tom is of a similar mind: “No, it needs to be turned off.” So, there’s definitely a dissenting camp when it comes to rumble.

Now, in LarZen’s view: “Can’t wait for a new Xbox controller with new modern haptics instead of that old rumble engine.” Honestly? That kind of spells it out. The DualSense on PS5 has been lauded by many for being the next-gen haptics, so maybe it’s normal for the Xbox folks to be clamoring for an upgrade on their side.

But hold on; this story just got bigger. Replies became very frankly left-field after one mentioned Hall effect sensors. William Durocher then proceeded to give a *sort of* explanation, telling how magnets are used to prevent stick drift. Heiko Weber, apparently unsure of the topic, asked for more info only for William to admit he has never used them but heard they are supposed to be good. Classic Internet scenario-people trying to hype a product without even giving it a shot.

Meanwhile, Heiko had a different controller issue to report: His Elite’s joystick snap back was so hard that it sometimes registered input when he wasn’t expecting to. Ugh, that sounds uselessly irritating in competitive games where precise control means everything.

Coming full circle: while vibrations from the Elite controller do work for those who want them, many don’t use them or want them improved. With all the hype around next-gen haptics, maybe it’s time for Xbox to finally pursue theirs.

So essentially if you want to set your vibration intensity and you really have an Elite controller, well, there you go. Judging from at least half the replies, though, you’ll probably keep it off anyway. But good to have an option.

And if you are still stuck with stick drifting and weird joystick behavior, look out for Hall effect controllers. Or just hold tight in hope of a new Elite that’s packing all that good stuff from Xbox. Until then, happy gaming—rumble or not.