Brazil Regulator Publishes Images of Upcoming Xbox Elite 3 Controller

Brazil's Anatel regulator accidentally published images of Microsoft's upcoming Xbox Elite 3 controller on May 14, 2026. The leak came hours after leaked images of a smaller Xbox Cloud Gaming controller appeared online the same day. Tecnoblog posted the images that show the successor to the Elite 2 controller.

The Xbox Elite 3 controller includes an interchangeable D-Pad, paddles and two new mysterious buttons. It also features two new scroll wheels at the bottom that could relate to controller adjustments or serve as a new input method for games such as Microsoft Flight Simulator. The D-Pad on the Elite 3 is slightly refined compared with its predecessor.

A new pair button on the Xbox Elite 3 controller can switch between local mode and cloud mode to connect directly to Xbox Cloud Gaming servers. In cloud mode this should improve latency for cloud streaming games. The smaller Xbox Cloud Gaming controller that leaked earlier on May 14, 2026 also has a cloud mode button.

Microsoft appears to be moving to a removable rechargeable battery in the Xbox Elite 3 controller. The filings at Anatel indicate this updated controller has a 1,528mAh removable battery compared to the Elite 2's 2,050mAh battery capacity. The Verge reported these details from the regulatory images.

The Elite 3 controller design appears more refined overall. Images posted by Tecnoblog show the interchangeable D-Pad, paddles and the two new scroll wheel buttons clearly. How the new cloud mode works on Xbox controllers is illustrated in one of the leaked images.

It is not clear when Microsoft plans to release these new Xbox controllers. The Verge reported that given they are leaking at regulators an announcement could come at the upcoming Xbox showcase in June. Tom Warren wrote and published the article on May 14, 2026 at 8:52 PM UTC.

The Verge reported that the removable battery can be found on the Elite 3 controller in the Anatel filings. The smaller battery capacity marks a change from the 2,050mAh unit in the Elite 2. All images in the report originated from Tecnoblog after the Anatel publication.