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---
description: Microsoft underestimated how popular its new customizable Xbox One controller would be.
title: Why You Can&#x27;t Find That Awesome New Xbox One Controller
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# Here's Why You Can't Find That Awesome New Xbox One Controller


![Lisa Eadicicco](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta24f1d2424cdf115/69889434cd1bba5a48700c86/lisa-eadicicco1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)

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[Lisa Eadicicco](/author/lisa-eadicicco/)


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## Lisa Eadicicco


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Updated: Dec 13, 2023 9:22 PM CUTPublished: Dec 29, 2015 4:32 PM CUT

![Inside The 2015 E3 Electronic Entertainment Expo](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt65e2657340e2e2c9/698870225f570f10f9b1e3b6/gettyimages-477386950-1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=3:2)

A man holds a Microsoft Corp. Xbox One Elite controller during the E3 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, California, U.S., on Tuesday, June 16, 2015.

A man holds a Microsoft Corp. Xbox One Elite controller during the E3 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, California, U.S., on Tuesday, June 16, 2015.Bloomberg—Bloomberg via Getty Images

![Lisa Eadicicco](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta24f1d2424cdf115/69889434cd1bba5a48700c86/lisa-eadicicco1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)

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[Lisa Eadicicco](/author/lisa-eadicicco/)


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## Lisa Eadicicco


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Updated: Dec 13, 2023 9:22 PM CUTPublished: Dec 29, 2015 4:32 PM CUT

If you hoped to get one of Microsoft’s new [Elite](http://time.com/3922267/xbox-elite-wireless-controller/ "undefined") controllers for your Xbox One this holiday season but got left empty handed, you probably weren’t alone. The company “underestimated” demand for the product, according to Chris Capossela, Microsoft’s chief marketing officer.

When the controller was introduced at the E3 conference in June, Microsoft received feedback indicating its $150 price might have been too high, Capossela said on [TWiT.TV’s Windows Weekly show](https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/445?autostart=false "undefined"). As such, the company didn’t anticipate how popular the item would be this holiday season. Just before Black Friday, however, retailers urged Capossela and his team to get more units on store shelves.

“Here’s the product we totally underestimated,” Capossela said.”If I could have built 10 times the number I built, I would have.”

The Elite controller is currently out of stock on Amazon, BestBuy.com, GameStop.com, and Target.com, although you can get a deal that bundles the controller with _Halo 5: Guardians_ for $200 at GameStop. Another [bundle](http://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one/consoles/elite-bundle "undefined") option includes an Xbox One console, Elite controller and 1TB drive for $499 MSRP.

When should you expect to see more Elite controllers on store shelves?

“While the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller is sold out in many retailers around the world, we are working quickly to get more units in the hands of fans,” a Microsoft spokesperson tells TIME. “We expect more units to arrive at retailers each week but supply may be limited through March 2016.”

The Elite controller differs from the standard controller in that it has hair trigger locks for more precise control and a textured pad instead of the traditional directional pad. It’s also highly customizable and includes four bumper pads under its grips.

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