Xbox one vs Xbox one x/s build quality - the bumper problem

I've been an xbox enthusiast since the og xbox console, and Microsoft has always led the way with controller tech and durability. However, the most recent xbox one s/x controller is easily the least durable control Microsoft has released. Let's break this down by comparing the xbox one controller to the xbox one s/x:

Context on controller one and one s/x usage and condition - average use is around 10-15 hours per week with no damage and kept in great condition.

The xbox one controller has lasted me over 4 years and is still going strong. The B button is beginning to stick a little but it's an easy fix.

The xbox one x/s controller didn't even last 7 months before the RB broke (we'll get to images in a second) and then 6 months later the LB broke.

The reason? Less plastic, cheaper material. Take a look at the below image. The left is the xbox one controller, look how much surface area exists to support the constant pushing of the bumpers. The right is the xbox one x/s controller, again notice how much smaller and less durable/structural the plastic is. After only using the xbox s/x controller for a little over a year, both bumpers have broken (at the bottom of the image you can also see what a broken bumper looks like).





And now we get to the frustrating part of it all: warranty and replacement parts. Because my controller is a little over a year old, it is no longer under warranty to receive a new bumper, the cost associated with sending it to be replaced out of warranty is within a few dollars of purchasing a brand new controller. A replacement part (say for the Xbox one controller) would only cost me around $4, and yet Microsoft refuses to sell you replacements parts for their controllers.

Again, I am a huge fan of Microsoft and Xbox, I've been using their products all my life. But why make a newer controller lower quality? By simply structurally supporting the bumper like they did with the xbox one controller, people can enjoy their controller for 3-4 years before a replacement. But with the build quality of the xbox one x/s and already having to purchase a new controller a year later? I start thinking about the PlayStation dualsense.

If any Microsoft admins get a chance to read this, would love this post to make its ways back to the dev team, you are moving in the wrong direction.

- A Xbox Enthusiast

:)