What you need to know
- Microsoft has announced a new custom Pride-themed Xbox controller design as a part of the company’s Pride celebrations for 2022.
- The Pride controller features 34 LGBTQIA+ community flags, with other customizable elements available via its Xbox Design Lab service.
- Microsoft opens orders for the Pride Xbox controller from June 9.
Microsoft has announced a new Pride-themed Xbox controller headed to its custom Xbox controller service. The design has been unveiled as a part of the company’s planned Pride celebrations for 2022, with online orders for the gamepad opening via Xbox Design Lab on June 9.
The first Pride-themed Xbox controller surfaced in 2021, with a limited design shared among creators, though never available for public sale. The new controller launches directly into Xbox Design Lab for public purchase, joining the already exhaustive customization options available through the service.
The custom shell draws inspiration from 34 LGBTQIA+ community flags, interwoven to “celebrate the nuance, complexity, intersectionality, and strength of the many LGBTQIA+ communities,” according to Microsoft. “You can customize all other parts of the controller with a broad color palette, metallic finishes, rubberized grips, and even add engraving to make your Pride controller unique to you.”
Xbox Design Lab first debuted in 2016, since upgraded and expanded with new colors and customization options. Microsoft transitioned the service to its latest Xbox controller revision in June 2021, matching the controllers included in the box with Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles. The Xbox Design Lab store was taken offline earlier this week, teasing impending upgrades to the design-your-own service.
