Microsoft has joined the wave of companies offering customers the right to repair their own hardware at home, by providing tutorials and the parts to mend Xbox Wireless Controllers themselves.
The Microsoft store in the US now lists replacement parts for the standard Xbox Wireless Controller and Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2. That includes the main PCBA board, a full button kit in either black or white, and even the top casing – pretty much everything you'd need no matter the issue.
In addition, the firm offers documentation on how to fix its controllers, plus YouTube videos to give you an even better understanding of the process. That includes one on how to fix the Elite Wireless Controller 2.
This is a big boost for anyone with an Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S or an Xbox One who has one of the newer controllers and doesn't want to shell out full whack for a total replacement.
It's especially useful for those who have bought the premium Elite 2 controller, which costs around £140 / $140 today.
The repair program seems to be exclusive to the US at present, with prices there ranging from $19.99 for the top case of a standard controller up to $49.99 for the PCBA of an Elite 2. We hope it'll extend to the UK soon.
What about the PlayStation DualSense?
We also hope that Sony is watching and has something similar up its sleeve. While the amazing DualSense Edge can have its thumbstick modules replaced when they wear out, we've found the conventional DualSense controller for the PS5 isn't as durable as Xbox's equivalents.
In fact, we've gone through four or five DualSense controllers since the PlayStation 5 launched less than three years ago. Common problems include the thumbsticks becoming baggy and therefore less precise, and buttons being too spongy after a while. Both of these could be solved by allowing us to replace them, rather than having to wait for a sales period – such as Black Friday – to buy a new controller entirely.
Fingers crossed then that Microsoft's scheme is just the beginning for the console games industry as a whole.
