Xbox Design Lab revives rubberized grips and metallic finishes, offers new color options

Back in 2016, Microsoft introduced the Xbox Design Lab service with roughly eight million different color combinations to choose from. The initial price of US$79.95 went down to US$69.95 in mid-June 2021, when the service came back after a hiatus that had begun on October 14, 2020. At the end of last week, rubberized grips and metallic finishes came back, but fans of custom-painted Xbox controllers got more than just these two.

According to Mark Auld, Xbox Devices Sr. Hardware Engineering Program Manager, these are the latest additions to Xbox Design Lab's list of customization options/full designs:

• Black rubberized grips on both the back case and side grips.
• No less than 19 metallic finish colors for D-Pads and Triggers, including multiple shades of pink, blue, and silver.
• Dragonfly Blue, Military Green updated to Nocturnal Green, Electric Green updated to Velocity Green, all available as controller parts color options.
• Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Battlefield 2042, Forza Horizon 5, and Riders Republic "Inspired by" controller designs.

Depending on the options chosen, the prices may vary. The starting price for controllers is US$69.99 and deliveries usually take up to a month. As before, anything can be customized, and a 16-character laser-engraved message can also be thrown into the mix.

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