Microsoft Extends Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 Warranty Amid Hardware Issues

A move by Microsoft to extend the warranty for the current Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 comes on the heels of complaints over hardware issues.

Microsoft has extended the warranty for the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller 2 from 90 days after purchase to a full year following reports of "mechanical issues." This change retroactively applies to all previous Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 units shipped since it debuted in November 2019.

Microsoft stated via the Xbox Support website that this was made in response to a "small percentage" of users that have encountered hardware issues. In addition, the company is offering refunds to payments made for repairs outside the warranty by Oct. 31, 2020.

"We've received claims that a small percentage of our customers are experiencing mechanical issues when using their Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2," the Microsoft support article reads. "To ensure your satisfaction, we're extending the warranty coverage period on Elite Series 2 controllers from 90 days to 1 year from the date of purchase."

The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 was just added to a list of controllers suffering from "drifting joysticks" in a class-action lawsuit. First filed in April, the suit claimed that Xbox customers who are paying to have their controllers fixed once the 90-day warranty expires are allegedly paying to repair a defect Microsoft is aware of but has not addressed.

According to Windows Central, this issue, which has also been found in Xbox Elite Controller units, involves thumbsticks developing unwanted movement over time.

The original Xbox Elite Controller was infamous for not being durable, possessing grips that peeled, having faulty bumpers and suffering stick drift. Although the Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 addressed some of these issues, drifting has seemingly persisted.

The stick drift phenomenon is similar to something that has been a problem for Nintendo since it launched the Nintendo Switch in 2017. The Joy-Cons have been the subject of several lawsuits over "Joy-Con drift."

With a new console set to launch in less than a month, Microsoft clearly does not want any negative publicity placed on it, especially since it is engaged in a battle over next-gen console supremacy with Sony.