To celebrate the finale of Marvel Studios' Lokiseries, Xboxhas designed controllers for each of the show's mischievous Variants. Loki stars Tom Hiddleston as the titular Marvel anti-hero who must journey through time in order to find his purpose. The Disney+ series' exciting season finale aired on July 14.
During the 2021 Games Showcase back in June, Microsoft announced that Xbox Design Lab would reopen for custom Xbox Series X/S controllers. The controller customization service first launched back in 2016, allowing players to design their own custom Xbox One controller which would then be shipped within one month of purchase. The original Xbox Design Lab was closed back in October 2020, shortly before the launch of the Xbox Series X/S, but the service has now been brought back to life for gamers to enjoy. The new setup features 18 color options alongside a variety of options for the controller's bumpers, triggers, and face buttons. The Design Lab gives players the freedom to create whatever controller they desire, ranging from bright multi-colored designs to simple recreations of the classic white Xbox 360 controller for Series X/S.
In honor of the season finale of Loki, Xbox has posted a number of Xbox Design Lab controllers to fit with the show's numerous variants of the titular character. Each of the controllers makes fitting use of green, Loki's most frequently associated color, but yellows and blues also serve to add variety to each creation. The Trickster seems to represent the primary Loki, with its primarily green color, while The Horned One's use of yellow suggests an association with Richard E. Grant's "Classic Loki." The primarily blue-colored Frost Giant controller hints at Loki's true heritage as a son of the frost giant Laufey, while The Scaly One is a perfect fit for the show's most bizarre and reptilian Variant.
Microsoft's Xbox controller is an iconic piece of gaming hardware, with the design changing very little since the 2005 launch of the Xbox 360. The controller is therefore instantly recognizable, and Xbox has taken advantage of that fact in order to create unique variations for specific occasions. One notable Xbox controller design was sent to streamers and influencers during Pride Month 2021. The stylishly colorful controller design incorporated the flags of various LGBTQ+ communities, with a message on the back reading "Show your Pride on every side."
Xbox Design Lab allows for the creation of wholly original controller variants, and this system is not just useful to gamers. Microsoft is able to use this program to quickly make controller variations, which is useful for both promotion and the creation of new products. With Marvel Studios' Loki focusing heavily on alternate versions of the titular character, it is only appropriate that Xbox would celebrate through the creation of several controller variants.
