During tonight’s The Game Awards 2019 broadcast, a lot of surprising announcements happened. We’ve seen a new FF7 Remake trailer, and some news about some Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 DLC. Then Microsoft blew a lot of people’s minds by unveiling the full moniker and more details about Xbox Scarlett, now known as Xbox Series X. The company also just dropped some new details about the controller the device will use. Now it’s not The Duke levels of screwup or anything but the controller for the newly announced Xbox Series X line of consoles will take some getting used to.
On the official Xbox page, the company noted that the controller’s “size and shape have been refined to accommodate an even wider range of people.” This comes as Microsoft makes serious effort to increase accessibility in video games. If they also coincide this push with various control options for disabled gamers, it could be a big win for them and gamers all over the globe.
The company also revealed its latest Xbox controller will be wireless by default, and includes some other adapted features. There’s now a “Share” button, similar to what the DualShock 4 has. This will enable gamers to “share” their experiences, possibly to social media. And it’s pretty clear that Microsoft will work Mixer integration into the platform, as they did with Xbox One.
And not only does this new control scheme include a dedicated share button, echoing Sony’s share features a little bit, the D-pad for the new controller is a pretty big departure for longtime Xbox fans. The smoother operation and streamlined designed looks a bit similar to the Xbox Elite in terms of visual look , and probably overall usability as well.
The Xbox Series X. still doesn’t have pricing yet, and neither does the controller, as we’re still a few months away from the console launching. Although if the controller is pretty pricey, at least you get some extra support. Microsoft confirmed that the controller will also work with the previous Xbox One models, as well as Windows 10 PC.
