Last call
Xbox Design Lab was quietly one of the neatest offerings of the Xbox One generation. Microsoft built a portal where users could create their own controllers and every component’s look could be customized. No longer restricted to official models on store shelves, players could design a controller to look however they wanted.
Design Lab is going offline for a bit. On October 14, Microsoft is temporarily pulling the plug on the whole Design Lab service and it won’t return until sometime next year. Presumably, it’s a shift in production so that Microsoft can sell the new slightly-revamped Xbox Series X controllers.
Microsoft is sending off the old Design Lab with one last bang. If you’re fine with the old model of Xbox controller (which will still function perfectly fine on Xbox Series S/X), you can get $10 off a custom controller. There’s no need for a coupon or anything; the discount automatically applies on the Design Lab site. The offer is good until October 14, which is when Design Lab disappears for a bit.
If you’re on the fence about current- and next-gen controllers, here are the upgrades for the Xbox Series X’s gamepad. It has: A hybrid D-pad instead of the cross design, a dedicated share button, rubberized textured grips around the back, and a USC-C charging port. It’s mostly minimal stuff, which is why Microsoft isn’t raising the prices for controllers on Xbox Series X.
So, go get yourself $10 off a custom controller if aesthetic is more important to you than minimally-improved functionality. Or, just put that $60 toward the new Shock Blue Xbox Series X controller. That thing has aesthetic for days.
Xbox Design Lab [Microsoft]
