The Xbox One Elite Controller, which is modular, lets users swap the physical layout of the controller, and costs $150, was always meant to be a niche product- that’s how it was marketed, and the intent with which it was made. It shows in the controller’s branding, its price, and even in its original announcement at E3.
So Microsoft can’t exactly be blamed for making them in smaller quantities- after all, the last thing they want to do is stuff the inventory channels with an expensive product no one wants, after all. But, just ahead of the controller’s launch on October 27, it seems as though it’s in too short supply to actually meet demand. According to Reddit users, Amazon.com (US, UK, and Germany) have the controller listed as “unavailable”, while the Microsoft store currently lists the ship by date as the 16th of November.
That’s not all- apparently GAME UK employees confirmed that initial stock would not meet preorder demand. Customers who pre-ordered the game are reporting that their orders’ ship dates have been moved forward to November. Basically, it sounds like the kind of mess that the Wii U Gamecube Controller Adapter led to last year.
Hopefully Microsoft can fast track manufacturing of these things, if for no other reason than to meet demand.