The Xbox Design Lab will be closing down for several months starting in mid-October 2020 — that means you have just a few weeks left to get yourself a custom Xbox One controller in time for the Holiday 2020 season.
If you're not quite familiar with the Xbox Design Lab, it's a pretty cool service run by Microsoft that lets you make a custom Xbox controller. Gamers can select colors from 9 distinct sections of an Xbox One controller, and that's just the start. There are also options for rubberized grips, metallic paints, and different styles of buttons. You can even get a custom-engraved message for your Xbox Design Lab creation.
As you're probably aware, we're getting ready to ramp up for the next console generation. With Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S pre-orders opening tomorrow, gamers might be wondering about getting a custom controller for their new console. That option surely on the way, but one thing is certain — you'll soon be unable to get yourself a custom Xbox One controller.
When Does the Xbox Design Lab Close?
The Xbox Design Lab will be temporarily unavailable starting on October 13, 2020, and will return sometime in 2021. We don't yet know if Xbox One controllers will be returning after 2021.
As Windows Central reports, the following message has popped up on the service's website:
"Xbox Design Lab will be unavailable beginning October 13[,] 2020, and returning in 2021. There's never been a better time to lock in that perfect, personalized gift for Holiday" [sic]
Why is it closing down? Presumably, Microsoft is taking the time to set up the service for Xbox Series X controllers. That means that the website will likely need a redesign to accommodate all of the options available to gamers for their next-gen peripherals.
What's unclear is whether or not Xbox One controllers will still be available after 2021. Considering the launch of a new console generation is just a few weeks away, this may very well be your last opportunity to get a custom Xbox One controller from this service.
You can get your own custom Xbox One controller from the Xbox Design Lab from now until October 13, 2020, at prices ranging from $69.99–$102.95 depending on the options you select. The service is expected to return sometime in 2021.
Are you sad to see the Xbox Design Lab closing down? Do you think we'll still be able to get Xbox One controllers in 2021? Let us know in the comments below!
