The Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 is a near-perfect gamepad that incorporates monster battery life, back paddles, a charging dock, and many more great features that make it hard to quit. Sadly, Microsoft itself may force you to quit on this controller after 6-12 months.
Amazon recently revealed that the Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 is a frequently returned item. I discovered this when I myself was looking for a replacement, since my bumpers on my Elite Controller no longer work — a common defect.
In a bid to save money, I decided to ask some friends for advice on how I could potentially fix it myself. I was thrilled to discover that it is, in fact, very easy to fix.
In this handy Xbox help guide, I'm going to show you what worked for me!
You will need
How to easily fix your own Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 bumpers
The Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 is a great gamepad, but it's undeniably fickle when it comes to its bumpers. They're quite prone to becoming sticky, often caused by dust or other debris getting stuck inside the actuator. Thankfully, it's easy to fix.
- Remove the joysticks and detachable d-pad from the controller simply by pulling them out.
- We're going to remove the faceplate using a knife, or preferably a proper pry tool.
- The faceplate is held on by plastic clips, and you need to come in underneath the d-pad as shown below. Then, twist the knife or the pry tool upwards to start popping off the clips.
Note: If you are using a sharp knife, the soft body plastic will most likely get some superficial damage. If you can, grab a pry tool from Amazon like this one, but if you don't care about a bit of damage a sharp but thick-based household knife should suffice.
- Once you've gotten enough clips off to use your hands, you can gently pull the faceplate off the rest of the clips. Be careful not to bend the faceplate, or you could warp the rubber on the grips.
- Next, you're looking for a piece of plastic that sits underneath the button inside your bumper, as depicted below. Use tweezers to remove it carefully.
- Next, use a straw or compressed air to blow dust and debris out from around the problem bumper and its button.
- Now, you can use some Isopropyl 99% alcohol (Amazon), or WD-40 to further clean around the button. I used regular WD-40 with cotton swabs on mine.
- Now, put the plastic back into its original place using the tweezers.
- Click in the bumper a few times to make sure it's properly seated and housed.
- Now, you can replace the faceplate by simply gently pressing the clips into place.
An easy fix, but there are alternative controllers that shouldn't need fixing at all
This fix may not work for everybody, particularly if the plastic for your bumper is damaged or warped. Microsoft's Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 models simply aren't the most hard-wearing in the world, sadly, although we have high hopes that some of these issues will be fixed on whatever "Elite" controller comes next from the firm.
If you don't want to replace your Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 or this fix doesn't work, you can get a much better, more hard-wearing controller from Razer that has many of the same features. If you just want something affordable that comes with back buttons, there's also an option from GameSir worth considering too.
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