Earlier Thursday, Xbox announced that custom Xbox Series X/S controllers are now available through the recently revived Xbox Design Lab. The gaming giant has had a very busy week, with the majority of activity stemming from its joint E3 2021 presentation with recently acquired Starfield developer Bethesda.
Taking a big step back, Xbox Design Lab was first launched in 2016 and ran through October 2020, when the service was shuttered just before the Xbox Series X/S launch. Considering the timing, this was not believed to be a coincidence and that Xbox Design Lab would return sometime after the launch of the Series X/S. As luck would have it, that is exactly what has happened, and Xbox Design Lab lives once again.
During its 2021 Games Showcase Extended, Xbox announced it was bringing back its popular customization service. Starting with the base Xbox Series X/S controller shell, 18 colors are available for players to choose from, including three new ones not previously included for the service's Xbox One iteration. If shoppers cannot decide on one color, they're in luck, as Xbox Design Lab features the option to use several different colors on one controller. From there, gamepads' nearly every facet can be customized, including the bumpers, triggers, thumbsticks, D-pad, and (perhaps most importantly) face buttons.
Xbox's Director of Product Marketing Navin Kumar even mentioned that one of the available ABXY button options is "a throwback to the original Xbox 360 controller," meaning that players can faithfully recreate the classic white-and-grey controller from 2005 and relive their gaming glory days. The controllers start at a flat $70, with custom engravings adding $10.
Following its big splash at E3 2021, the Xbox's Games Showcase Extended was announced to would provide more detailed looks at upcoming games and their development, making the return of Xbox Design Labs an unexpected appearance. It's a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.
With E3 2021 in the rearview, it is looking like Xbox used the event as a spring board to bounce back in 2021, following a Sony dominated 2020. Xbox has continued its commitment to its xCloud and ecosystem philosophies, announced several huge exclusives slated for 2021 and 2022, and even announced an Xbox mini-fridge. After spending a console generation being criticized for a lack of first-party titles, Xbox appears poised for a 2021 comeback, all while laying the groundwork to potentially flip the tables in 2022 against PlayStation's and Nintendo's wider hardware sales successes.
Source: Xbox/YouTube