Xbox Design Lab to temporarily go offline next month: Microsoft urges gamers to hurry

Microsoft might not have many exclusive titles on its library for a while now, but when it comes to customisation options, it has a leg up the competition. Occasionally, Sony offers a special edition model with a gamepad that matches the design of the console. However, the DualShock 4 is only limited to certain colourways curated by the manufacturer. On the other hand, the Xbox Design Lab service lets players fully personalise their controllers. To the surprise of fans, the company announced plans to temporarily cease its operations ahead of the Xbox Series X release on Nov. 10, 2020.

Thankfully, those who want to own a bespoke Xbox controller before the next-generation system becomes available can still do so until Oct. 14. As of now, there is no official word from Microsoft as to when it plans to reopen Xbox Design Lab. It was originally launched in 2016, and allowed Xbox One owners to choose from 40 colour options for selected parts of the controller. The Verge notes that there are more than a million combinations possible.

This practically means that each $80 gamepad ordered via the Xbox Design Lab is exclusively unique. So far, the only communication from Microsoft indicates it will be "offline temporarily" in order for the manufacturer to add more "updates." There was no established timeframe as to when exactly in 2021 the service will return.

Analysts speculate the reason behind it would likely be to work on the system in order to support the latest Xbox controller that will ship alongside the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. From what Microsoft already disclosed about its upcoming platform, the gamepad has received several tweaks to improve its ergonomics and performance.

Theses changes include the replacement of glossy surfaces on the buttons to matte, tactile textures on the triggers, and its size was reportedly adjusted to fit smaller hands. Furthermore, although it still uses AA batteries, gamers can use the official rechargeable battery packs or regular rechargeable batteries and charge them via the USB-C port. The Xbox Series X will retail for $499, while the Xbox Series S is priced at $299. Meanwhile the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition will sell for $499 and $399, respectively.