Screenshot by Destructoid

Xbox Design Lab controllers get a pearlescent visual upgrade

Shiny!

Microsoft has announced that it’s deployed a striking new visual customization option to its Xbox Design Lab for controllers. While it could never stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Destructoid’s own take on what a proper Xbox controller ought to look like, the new Cosmic Shift shell option is a delight in its own right. Basically, Cosmic Shift is only the latest in a long line of “Shift” visual customization options available via the Design Lab. Whereas most regular Xbox controllers are flat in color, Shift colorways are far more interesting with their pearlescent surfaces.

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The Shift lineup was originally introduced back in 2021 with the Aqua Shift controller, which was soon followed by the Lunar and Stellar Shift options. While these remained relatively exclusive and moderately rare in the years since, Shift colors have now finally been made available as optional customization features in the Xbox Design Lab. They’re not cheap, either, as choosing the Shift body for your controller will add an extra $9.99 to your final price.

Screenshot by Destructoid

The Xbox controller’s latest visual upgrades

Obviously, the big piece of news here is that you can now use Shift colorway options to customize your very own Xbox controllers. Collectors may be particularly thrilled by the fact that there’s an all-new Shift option available as well, and it’s wholly exclusive to the Design Lab: Cosmic Shift. Cosmic Shift is a white-ish shell with a pink shimmer, and this color combination helps it stand out even when compared to the other, older versions of Shift.

There are some relatively minor caveats to keep in mind here. Firstly, it would seem that only the “Body” portion of the controller currently supports the Shift colorways, meaning that the other parts of your custom controller will remain decidedly non-pearlescent. Secondly, these options do not appear to be available on the Elite Xbox controller, which is a bit of a bummer in its own right.


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Image of Filip Galekovic
Filip Galekovic
A lifetime gamer and writer, Filip has successfully made a career out of combining the two just in time for the bot-driven AI revolution to come into its own.