Xbox Design Lab has reopened for custom Xbox Series X controllers

Table Of Content

• Customize with interchangeable components
• Hisense HRM260N6TSE refrigerator review: Simple useable tech in a fantastic appliance
• Solutions – How to Modify Deadzone Settings in Rocket League
• Upcoming and Available Xbox Games in Wired Direct 2024
• Xbox Design Lab has reopened for custom Xbox Series X controllers
• Xbox Wireless Controller

He's also written for GamesRadar+, Official Xbox Magazine, PC Gamer and other outlets over the last decade, and he has a degree in computer science he's not using if anyone wants it. I’ve been PCMag’s home entertainment expert for over 10 years, covering both TVs and everything you might want to connect to them. I’ve reviewed more than a thousand different consumer electronics products including headphones, speakers, TVs, and every major game system and VR headset of the last decade. Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019.

Customize with interchangeable components

Mix and match colors on different parts until settling on a design that is uniquely yours and have it shipped right to your door. Although it has only eight body color choices and zero patterns, the Elite Core features additional options that the regular Xbox gamepad lacks. You can choose between a plus-shape or circular direction pad in one of 10 different metallic finishes, and individually change the color of your thumbstick caps and base rings (23 options). The face and menu buttons have several more color options than the standard controller's mostly monochrome choices.

Hisense HRM260N6TSE refrigerator review: Simple useable tech in a fantastic appliance

If you're looking for a highly personal controller, especially one built for Xbox, PC, and mobile platforms, there aren't many places to look. Some manufacturers like PowerA offer controllers with various colorways and designs, but these controllers are often more affordable entries and still limit options. Some "pro" controllers have swappable faceplates, which can be a great alternative if you also value added features on your controller, but this requires additional work and shopping on your part. Whether you are looking for a custom designed controller for yourself, a loved one, or a special gamer in your life, Xbox Design Lab provides a broad canvas for you to design the perfect controller. Since Xbox Design Lab launched in 2016, the number one fan request has been to include Elite controllers in our unique customization program to empower further personalization of our premium controller. Now you have billions of colorful ways to make the most customizable controller from Xbox unmistakably yours!

Solutions – How to Modify Deadzone Settings in Rocket League

Since the deadzones are measured in terms of vertical and horizontal components, in actuality, this value is halved, to which we’ll approximate as ±21% difference. ColorWare is likely the closest competitor to Xbox Design Lab, as the company specializes in a wide array of custom products. You can grab an Xbox Wireless Controller from ColorWare in an impressively wide array of colors, but you'll be limited to the body, back, D-pad, and engraving. ColorWare controllers are also more expensive than Xbox Design Lab, making it hard to recommend unless the company offers a colorway you can't find or replicate at Xbox Design Lab. Endless possibilities for customization and a tried-and-true design that excels at cross-device play is a recipe for success, and Xbox Design Lab doesn't disappoint.

As you can see, along the diagonal, the analog input is effectively emulating a square deadzone. That said, the downside is that Xbox Design Lab-made controllers are a bit more expensive, especially if you opt for the laser engraving. A custom controller comes to $79.98 before tax here in the US versus the $59.99 you’d regularly pay for a standard gamepad – though it should be noted that the service is available globally and your local prices might vary. For one, several popular color options from the first generation of Xbox Design Lab are still nowhere to be seen, like the gorgeous gradients. Still, there are still some older colors that players would like to see appear as options in the new Xbox Design Lab.

Alongside the Aqua, Lunar, and Stellar Shift designs making their debut on Xbox Design Lab, we are equally excited to introduce the newest member to the Shift series family – Cosmic Shift. These color-shifting top cases change color with light and motion – including the blue shimmer of Aqua Shift, silver-gold shimmer of Lunar Shift, blue-purple shimmer of Stellar Shift, and white-pink shimmer of Cosmic Shift. Choose from a variety of button styles to match your colour scheme, apply your favourite metallic finish to the d-pad, and add a splash of vibrant colour to your thumbsticks and bumpers. Xbox has also created a series of new Xbox Design Lab controllers inspired by many popular X-Men characters.

Xbox fans are confused as to why Microsoft keeps restricting limited-edition consoles to sweepstakes.

You must wait a few weeks for the gamepad to arrive instead of picking it up at a store, but that patience and willingness to pay extra means you can kit out your controller with your favorite colors. And that controller personalization makes Xbox Design Lab worthy of our Editors' Choice award. Xbox Design Lab is an excellent addition to the Xbox ecosystem, and I hope it continues to improve moving forward with new options and greater availability. Regardless of what you create, it'll be truly "you," and it'll be able to follow you wherever you game, across Xbox, PC, and mobile devices.

Easily pair and switch between Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles, Windows PC, and mobile devices with Xbox Wireless and Bluetooth. Stay in the game with up to 40 hours of rechargeable battery life and refined components that are built to last. Add stylish pastel colours Soft Orange, Soft Pink, Soft Green and Soft Purple that add an elegant suite of colours to design with.

So, unless you were to hold the stick fully towards any of the sides, then your input will always be stronger than intended. These prices can quickly go up, however, with optional upgrades like metallic triggers and D-pad, unique colorways for the body, rubberized grips on the rear and sides, and engraving. As previously mentioned, another high-level mechanic I’ve noticed is considerably easier with a squared deadzone is using the ball as a surface to reset your flip from. Another reason they are much easier is because you are able to recover more quickly after the reset. If you didn’t know, to achieve a flip-reset, you’re required to touch the ball with all four of your wheels (and some force) at once, but at the same time, your undercarriage will make contact with the ball. The undercarriage of your car is the weakest part of it, and actually has the unique quality of slowing the ball down when making contact.

Flip resets (off the ball) are also markedly more easy to achieve with a squared deadzone, however controlling the ball in the air can be a lot more difficult to achieve without using a very high deadzone value, such as 0.25 or higher. It seems that now Microsoft feels it's in a better position to accommodate both its own manufacturing needs – the controllers it needs to go inside each new console package – as well as the custom controller crowd. As for the latter, Microsoft has considerably expanded the availability of Xbox Design Lab to additional regions, with the most recent expansion adding over 10 new countries (you can see the full list above).

You can select a choice of colors—23 for the standard gamepad, 8 for the Elite Core—for the controller's front, back, bumpers, triggers, direction pad, thumb sticks, face buttons, and menu buttons. The true highlight of these new additions is the brand-new Cosmic Shift, only available through Xbox Design Lab. Beginning with the ocean and culminating in deep space, the Cosmic Shift encapsulates the endpoint of this grand journey through the universe. The white-pink shimmer is perfectly subtle, reminiscent of a star-filled nebula, providing a unique aesthetic for you to get your hands on.

Other customization options include a choice between a cross-shaped or faceted D-pad and a laser-engraved message of up to 16 characters on the rear. The full Elite accessory set, however, isn't included in the custom Elite Core's base price. Finally, the carrying case (black, with eight color choices for the Xbox logo) and charging base will set you back $39.99.

Players can choose from a variety of different colors to customize nearly all the external parts of the Elite Series 2 controller including the body, back case, D-pad, bumpers, triggers, thumbsticks, and buttons. You can even choose between a cross-shaped or faceted D-pad and for the first time ever in Xbox Design Lab, color-customize the thumbstick base and ring. Further personalize your design with laser engraving to add your name, Gamertag or custom 16-character message.

Xbox Reveals Special Edition Dream Vapor Controller And Design Lab Vapor Series - TheGamer

Xbox Reveals Special Edition Dream Vapor Controller And Design Lab Vapor Series.

Posted: Wed, 31 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Finally, if you want more than one solid color for your gamepad's body, you can pick one of six patterns for $9.99. Unfortunately, those patterns are just five camouflage color variations, and perhaps the ugliest interpretation of the Pride flag I've ever seen. I'm not insulting the flag, just the implementation; the layout on the gamepad's faceplate is a mess. Note that these patterns only apply to the controller's front; you still need to choose a flat color for the back.

Save up to 3 custom profiles and 1 default profile on the controller and switch between them on the fly with the Profile button. Designed to meet the needs of today's competitive gamers, the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 features over 30 new ways to play like a pro. Enhance your aiming with adjustable-tension thumbsticks, fire even faster with shorter hair trigger locks, and stay on target with a wrap-around rubberized grip. Pick from 25 accent colors for thumbstick toppers, thumbstick rings, View/Menu/Profile buttons, bumpers and triggers, and the carrying case and zipper pull. The car on the left spins with a squared deadzone whilst the car on the right uses a regular deadzone. The area in blue describes where input can be received from the controller within the limits of the deadzone.

“‘Hey let’s show off some very cool controllers but not sell them’ LET ME GIVE YOU MY MONEY," said another. While plenty of the original designs slap, like the latest X-Men ‘97 variation, there’s just one glaring issue, you can’t actually buy them. Any attempt by you to obtain more than the stated number of entries by using multiple/different accounts, identities, registrations, logins, or any other methods will void your entries and you may be disqualified. By entering you (your parent/legal guardian if you are not the age of majority in your legal place of residence) agree to be bound by these Rules. The announcement was made during the Xbox Games Showcase Extended event where we caught our first glimpse of newly minted Xbox Series X controllers.