A couple of weeks ago, my go-to Xbox One controller got into an altercation with a 200kg electric wheelchair and lost. After spending hours browsing online stores for the perfect pre-built replacement, I decided to return to Microsoft’s Xbox Design Lab and make my own. It’s blue, pink, and yellow and uniquely mine. I love that.
Even if someone else goes through the Design Lab process and comes out the other end with the exact same combination of front, back, sticks, buttons, and triggers as I did, my experience was unique. The design went through many different iterations. The face was pink. The face was yellow. The triggers had a metallic finish. I pondered black buttons with four colour X, Y, A, and B buttons. After about an hour of fiddling, my baby controller was born.
My custom cost me $US66 ($97), about $20 more than I would have spent on the pre-made, semi-translucent “Phantom White” model I was looking at on Amazon. As far as I am concerned, it’s a small price to pay for the unique experience, and I adore the end result.
While Nintendo and Sony don’t have similar services, custom Dualshock controllers and Joy-Cons are out there, just a Google search and a few extra dollars away. Something to think about next time you accidentally run over your gamepad with a massive wheelchair.
Leave a Reply