A change Microsoft is making to the current Xbox Series X controller with the next-gen Xbox controller has seemingly been confirmed by Xbox itself. It’s not a major change, but rather a subtle one; a subtle change that has divided Xbox fans. As you may know, Microsoft has yet to formally reveal its next-gen Xbox machine, but its existence has been confirmed under the codename Project Helix, which may be released alongside a new and dedicated handheld.
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At the start of the month, the new Xbox Elite Controller 3 leaked. Meanwhile, this past week, Microsoft officially revealed the new Xbox Nano controller, a small, budget-friendly controller. Both of these things are relevant because both have a new font style for the face buttons: X, Y, B, and A. And the font style of both is the same, which in turn suggests it’s a soft reveal of a larger redesign of the face buttons coming with the next-generation Xbox. Naturally, this hasn’t gone unnoticed by Xbox fans, who, as noted, are a mixed bag when it comes to the redesign.
As you can see below, the new design sports a sleeker and more modern look, which gets away from the roots of the original Xbox buttons even more, something nostalgics won’t appreciate. To this end, many have remarked that the new buttons look like the buttons of an Xbox controller knockoff.
One thing I noticed about the Xbox nano contoller is the the color, design, font noticeably changed on the contoller and is the exact same as the elite series 3 that leaked a while back
Take a look
Definitely a new style probably going to be xbox helix controller pic.twitter.com/ipOwhR4OXB
— OriBox (@OriBox1) October 14, 2026
Xbox Fans Divided
“I don’t know how to explain it, but the letters look weak and frail,” writes one Xbox fan in the replies to the X post above. Another adds, “I’m not a fan; it needs to be bolder.”
These are about half of the replies. The other half like it, which shows just how difficult it is to redesign hardware. Xbox can play on nostalgia, but the nostalgia for Xbox controllers doesn’t run as deep as nostalgia for the PlayStation controllers of yesteryear.
“I very much like that. These letters look more like symbols now, though I’d prefer them to be bolder,” reads a third reply. A fourth further adds, “Honestly? I like it; it’s sharp, fancy and modern.”
All of that said, take everything here with speculation as far as it concerns the controller of the next-gen Xbox. The controller for Project Helix will likely make use of the same design, for a variety of reasons, but there is no guarantee of this.
At the moment of publishing, Xbox has not commented on the speculation, and it’s unlikely to do so, especially considering it involves an unconfirmed leak of the Xbox Elite Controller 3. And of course, it’s going to want to save all next-gen talk for the various big reveals it’s no doubt already brainstorming and planning.
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