Photos of an unreleased Microsoft Xbox Cloud Gaming controller have leaked online, thanks to a Brazilian website called Tecnoblog. The diminutive controllers look like something 8BitDo would release, though the D-Pad and home button feature the familiar Xbox aesthetic.
This is actually being manufactured by Microsoft, according to a report by The Verge. It supposedly features a rectangular body, short grips, staggered thumb sticks and the usual complement of Xbox buttons. It looks like two colors will be available, as photos show the controller in both black and white.
Despite the size, this could be a great controller for cloud gaming. That’s because it reportedly uses Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth to connect directly to Microsoft’s service, which should reduce latency. It can also connect via Bluetooth when needed.
It even uses an actual rechargeable battery. Any Xbox player knows the company has had a major and inexplicable preference for AA batteries for decades now. The controller is powered by a dual-core ARM Cortex A7 in a Realtek chipset, according to analysis by Digital Foundry.
The controller remains unannounced, so we don’t have pricing or availability information. However, this leak could force Microsoft to put out something official in the near future.
