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You can now customize Xbox Elite Series 2 controllers

Microsoft said it’s been players ‘number one fan request’ for the Design Lab program

A mostly purple Xbox Elite controller with hints of orange and sky blue. The controller is very lightly illuminated, on a stand, in front of a black background. Image: Microsoft
Nicole Carpenter is a senior reporter specializing in investigative features about labor issues in the game industry, as well as the business and culture of games.

Microsoft has finally extended its Xbox Design Lab to include Xbox’s Elite Series 2 controller. Starting Tuesday, players will be able to customize their Elite Series 2 controllers in all sorts of ways — color, D-pad, thumbsticks, paddles, and engraving, among others.

Microsoft’s starting price for a customized Elite Series 2 controller is $149.99 — slightly more than the base $129.99 for an unmodified unit — and goes up with different add-ons. Players have been eagerly awaiting this announcement since Microsoft teased the program in September, calling it the “number one fan request” since Xbox Design Lab debuted in 2016.

There are options for “nearly all” of the Elite Series 2 external pieces — its front and back body, D-pad, triggers, thumbsticks, and buttons, Microsoft said. It extends even to choosing the cross-shaped or faceted D-pad and color customization for the thumbstick’s base and ring. As with the Xbox Wireless Controller, engraving is an option.

“The best part is that Elite Series 2 controllers are designed to be fully customizable with interchangeable components, so you can play with a specific setup that works best for you, Microsoft wrote in a news release. “Choose the right components to unleash your best game, such as metallic paddles and different shaped thumbsticks.”

Customized Xbox Elite Series 2 controllers can be considered one of Microsoft’s “Core” controllers, like the white version of the controller. That’s because it doesn’t come with any of the extra components, like a charging dock, differently-shaped thumbsticks, carrying case, or adjustable paddles. It’ll be the controller, a thumbstick adjustment tool, and a USB-C cable in the box. If you’re looking for all those extras, the whole package will start at $209.99.

If you choose to purchase the controller without the extra components but change your mind later, Microsoft does sell them all as part of the Complete Component Pack for $59.99.

The Xbox Design Lab is open to orders from “the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, most Western European countries, and select Southeast Asian countries,” according to Microsoft.