In September 2023, the existence of a new Xbox controller was leaked due to the inadvertent sharing of an internal Microsoft document as part of the FTC vs. Microsoft legal fight. The controller, codenamed Sebile, would feature improved wireless, direct-to-cloud connection, Bluetooth 5.2, new modular thumbsticks, replaceable and rechargeable batteries, and other minor improvements. The big addition, though, was the DualSense-like haptics feature.
Microsoft Gaming boss Phil Spencer did not hide his appreciation for the PlayStation 5 controller when it launched alongside Sony’s console in late 2020. A few months later, he reiterated the concept while also teasing that Xbox would have to catch up in this area. The document leak proved he was very serious about that. However, since there haven’t been any official updates on the topic, there was no way to know whether the project bore fruit. After all, it could have easily been canceled.
Fans needn’t worry too much about that. Tech4Gamers spotted a newly published patent clearly linked to the Sebile Xbox controller. The patent was originally filed in late August 2023, just before the aforementioned FTC leak. Here’s the patent’s abstract:
A device configured to generate haptic feedback is disclosed. The device includes a housing, a connector, and a haptic motor. The connector includes a mount end coupled to the housing and a distal end spaced away from the mount end. The haptic motor is coupled to the distal end of the connector. Activation of the haptic motor causes the haptic motor to move relative to the housing to generate the haptic feedback.
Moreover, Windows Central followed up by adding that the new Xbox controller is definitely still on the way. However, it is now planned to launch alongside the next Xbox console. Microsoft chose not to invest in a mid-generation refresh like Sony’s PlayStation 5 Pro; they are instead all-in on the forthcoming generation, which Xbox president Sarah Bond teased would bring the biggest technical leap ever seen in a console.
At the same time, there are some wild rumors that Microsoft could launch the new hardware earlier than Sony, perhaps as soon as 2026, to get an advantage over its competitor (the PlayStation 6 is currently believed to be targeting a 2028 debut). If that’s the case, then the Sebile Xbox controller might not be that far off, either.
