More details regarding the Xbox One's new controller have arrived, highlighting a number
of new features that you can expect to see during E3 and when the console launches later
this year.
Microsoft says the controller has been designed specifically for gaming.
It will be familiar to anyone who knows and loves the Xbox 360 controller, but comes with
more than 40 new innovations.
There are now four vibration motors: one in each grip for standard rumble, and two more
in the triggers.
Now, for instance, when you pull a trigger to fire a gun, you'll feel a quick jolt.
Headset audio has been improved through the new controller.
Microsoft says in-game chat will now, in many cases, be clearer than talking on the phone.
Thumbsticks are smaller and require 25 percent less force to move, so you can react more
quickly in a first-person shooter.
The d-pad -- the one drawback to the 360 controller -- has been replaced with one that pays homage
to classic controllers.
The A, B, X, and Y buttons have been lowered and brought closer together.
And Microsoft says a three-step manufacturing process gives the buttons a more premium look,
as if the letters are suspended in 3D space.
Using invisible reflective technology -- commonly seen on motorcycle riding gear -- Kinect can
pair the controller with the person holding it, so that if a two people are playing a
multiplayer game, the console will know which side of the TV each person is sitting on and
give them the appropriate split-screen space.
The new controller will also feature a low power state to help conserve battery life
when it is not in use.
We'll be getting some quality time with the Xbox One controller next week during E3, so
stay tuned for more details and impressions right here at IGN.