It’s the era of tech accessories. You’ll find wireless charging stands, tech backpacks, and virtually any accessory you can imagine. Gaming manufacturers have often led the charge, with platform holders pushing out everything from candy-colored faceplates to garish headsets festooned with RGB lighting.
Microsoft is one of the leading proponents. Its Xbox Design Lab is the tip of the spear. What is Design Lab, and can it help you express your style?
What can you do with Xbox Design Lab?
Xbox brand marketing has often made expressing your individuality by way of expensive accouterments a priority. Xbox Design Lab is built to let you do just that, this time with custom controllers.
Design Lab presents the base Xbox Wireless Controller or Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 as a palette and allows you to paint it in a range of colors and patterns. Both controllers work with the Xbox One, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X. They can also be paired with PCs and other devices. The Wireless Controller is a standard gamepad with the usual spread of face buttons and a D-pad. The more expensive Elite controller adds metal triggers, interchangeable analog sticks, and back paddles for extra functionality.
Design Lab promises billions of potential colorways (as well as a handful of preset patterns), allowing you to alter the color of most components. There aren’t any functional customizations, but you can add an engraving along the bottom of the face for an additional charge.
The Elite allows you to add packs of paddles, thumbsticks, or a carrying case plus a charging pack.
How does Xbox Design Lab work?
The Design Lab site guides you through the customization process with an intuitive wizard. You’ll choose whether you want a standard Xbox Wireless Controller or the advanced Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2. Next, you’ll choose the overarching color or design for the frontplate. The Elite gamepad only offers solid colors for the frontplate. The base Wireless Controller includes a selection of ten patterns like camouflage and metallic ombré alongside the standard color options.
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Easily connect your Xbox Wireless Controller to any device
After choosing a color or pattern for the frontplate, which will be the dominant feature of the controller, you’ll select colors for the sections and components. You can individually set the color for the rear plate, bumpers, triggers, face buttons, D-pad, and more. With the base Wireless Controller, you can get rubberized side and back grips, though the Elite includes them by default. The Elite controller offers more colorways for the face buttons and lets you change the color of the stems of the analog sticks, options that aren’t available on the vanilla gamepad.
Source: Microsoft
After selecting the color and design options, you’ll add a custom engraving of up to 16 characters to the bottom of the frontplate. Then, if you’re buying an Elite, you’re asked if you want to add accessories. Otherwise, you’re ready to finalize your purchase.
How much does an Xbox Design Lab controller cost?
The final cost of your controller depends on the design choices you make. A Wireless Controller starts at $69.99. An Elite with no add-ons runs $149.99. Both controllers have additional options that carry an upcharge, like metallic color choices for some components or rubberizing the grips on the base Wireless Controller.
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Adding an engraving to either controller costs an additional $9.99. The engraving is the only design upcharge for the Elite version of the controller, though accessories can get pricey. The carrying case plus charging pack is $39.99, while a set of paddles costs $26.99.
You can spend between $69.99 and $109.93 (before tax) for a base Wireless Controller and between $149.99 and $256.95 for the Elite controller with all three accessory options.
Stand out in the comfort of your home
Spending money designing a controller that few are likely to see may seem extravagant. An Xbox Design Lab controller isn’t about showing off to others. It’s about adding joy to your personal gaming experience. If you’re a streamer or have people over to game, you may have plenty of opportunity to show off your creation.
Either way, a base Wireless from Design Labs only costs $10 MSRP more than a standard, uncustomized Wireless gamepad. It isn’t a massive splurge if you want a little color in your gaming setup.
When you have your hands on your new controller, here’s how to sync it to all your devices.
