Sea of Thieves
10 Best Looking Xbox One Custom Controllers
Although it won’t be available until Feb. 6, the custom Sea of Thieves Xbox One controller is an impressive sight. Its purple surface has been laser etched with translucent green “barnacles” and a mysterious skull that glows in the dark, making it perfect for any wayward sailors who’re constantly in search for their missing controller after the sun sets. A few more details, like the compass that circumnavigates the left control stick and a right trigger that’s colored to look like a golden tooth, round out the pirate theme.
Unless you decide to create your own controller in Xbox Design Lab, this is the only purple controller option currently available for Xbox One players. The colors are dark enough to match the black design of the Xbox One and Xbox One X, though they do stick out a little bit when paired with the white Xbox One S. Still, the craftsmanship devoted to its design makes it fun to look at no matter which Xbox you put it next to. Plus, the controller is limited edition, making it both colorful and a future collector’s item.
Volcano Shadow
10 Best Looking Xbox One Custom Controllers
My personal Xbox One controller of choice, the Volcano Shadow’s metallic finish is smooth to the touch. Its casing is also a bit lighter than some of the other Xbox One controllers as well. The Volcano Shadow just slides into the hand, and the player’s fingers easily glide across its fiery surface.
Though a bit on the simpler side, the visual design of the Volcano Shadow is nothing to scoff at. The red at the bottom of the controller steadily fades as it inches up the controller’s surface, eventually darkening into pure black. The bright green, red, blue, and yellow dots that correspond to the original colors of the ABXY buttons do take a bit away from the brooding aesthetic of the overall design, but thankfully they’re pretty small.
Minecraft Creeper
10 Best Looking Xbox One Custom Controllers
Considering how popular Minecraft has proven on both the Xbox 360 and Xbox One, it was only a matter of time before Xbox got a controller stylized after one of the game’s characters. The Xbox One got two, one stylized after Minecraft’s pig and another after the game’s Creeper. The Creeper controller looks way better.
The face of the controller has been redesigned with the black maw and soulless eyes of the enemy responsible for most of the destroyed homes in Minecraft’s world. There’s just something so satisfying about slamming your thumbs all over the smug little face responsible for destroying your hours of work. It’s a shame that the D-pad juts into the left side of the Creeper’s face (ruining the mouth), but the tiny, cute box of TNT on the battery case more than makes up for it. Making the letters on the ABXY buttons all blocky also adds to the overall Minecraft aesthetic.
Patrol Tech
10 Best Looking Xbox One Custom Controllers
The Xbox One has a few military inspired custom controllers. At first glance, they appear to be inspired by something like Call of Duty or XCOM. However, most of them, such as the Patrol Tech, are just military inspired to look tactical. They aren’t based on any one game, but that makes them no less awesome.
The dark blue of the Patrol Tech conceals a rubberized diamond grip. So whereas the Volcano Shadow slides around in the palm of the hand, the Patrol Tech remains firmly in place with even the loosest of grips. Some gamers, myself included, like holding their controllers with a death grip. But for those that don’t, this controller offers a stylish alternative.
Halo 5 Guardians-the Master Chief
10 Best Looking Xbox One Custom Controllers
The original Xbox became a household name with the launch of Halo: Combat Evolved. Although Halo 5 Guardians didn’t receive the same level of critical acclaim, the controller stylized after the franchise’s hero is a worthy addition to any Xbox One controller collection. Although a controller stylized after the dark grey armor of Spartan Locke was also released with Halo 5, the Master Chief controller’s detail makes for the superior design.
The layers of different shaded greens, greys, and blacks reflect the same color scheme and design of John 117’s armor. The gold-plated D-pad and triggers add a stylish flair to help the controller stand out from the other military inspired controllers. Unlike some of the other controllers on this list, the Halo 5 Guardians-the Master Chief controller comes with some stylish in-game content too. Each controller comes with a code that unlocks a REQ pack in Halo 5. Inside is the Dauntless visor, one of the cooler looking customizations for player’s multi-player Spartan.
Custom Painted Tracer
10 Best Looking Xbox One Custom Controllers
AirEffex, an online shop run through Etsy, makes some incredible custom controllers and consoles. The artist, James Harvard, carefully paints electronics with some incredible designs. He’s got a few Xbox One controllers online right now, featuring designs from Kirby, Mass Effect, and other franchises, but my current favorite is the Custom Painted Tracer.
White controllers are always a harder sell, as they reflect dirt and grime more easily than their darker colored brethren. However, this Custom Painted Tracer controller is just too cool to pass up. The controller features Overwatch’s most notable hero on the bottom left side of the controller, while “Cheers” (the beginning of her tagline) decorates the top left and the symbol for Overwatch marks the bottom right and back. Although the overall design is not as colorful as Harvard’s other work (or the other controllers on this list), this controller makes good use of the game’s notable uses of blue and orange to give Tracer some added pop.
Gears of War 4 Crimson Omen
10 Best Looking Xbox One Custom Controllers
The Gears of War 4 Crimson Omen’s battle-scarred surface is dyed with blood-red stains that give the controller a visceral look. The black joysticks and ABXY buttons are a little drab against the vibrant red of the D-pad, but the design choice is understandable. Controllers that are composed entirely of one color rarely look very good. Making the letters in the ABXY buttons blood red would have helped, but giving the letters a clawed-out look is a nice touch.
Like the Halo 5 Guardians controllers, the Gears of War 4 Crimson Omen comes with in-game content. Buying this controller will net players a unique multiplayer lobby emblem and three Gears packs for Gears of War 4. That way, anyone you play against online will know you have one of the coolest controllers around.
Titanfall
10 Best Looking Xbox One Custom Controllers
The Xbox One controller that launched with the release of the original Titanfall would have looked a lot cooler with an inverse design. A black controller with orange and white highlights would have looked incredible. This controller was probably given a white baseline to help differentiate it from the other colorful controllers of 2014.
That being said, this is still a pretty well-designed piece of hardware. Stamped with serial numbers and designations that mark the C-101 carbine rifles used by IMC Pilots and Titans, the controller is a must-have if you’re a Titanfall fan. Unless you support those filthy Militia pilots of course.
3D Printed Wood
10 Best Looking Xbox One Custom Controllers
Adam “BobsYurUncle” Grieser 3D printed his own Xbox One controller with a wood filament to give the controller a vintage look and feel. The process is easy enough to replicate yourself if you have a 3D printer. Just head over to Grieser’s imgur page for more photos as well as the link to his Thingiverse page for the files.
You don’t have to worry either, as this controller won’t ever splinter or poke you. The wood filament is not actual wood – it just looks like it. The design would actually come out quite smooth, and the rough design is a deliberate touch from Grieser to give the print a more rugged, rustic look.
Day One Edition
10 Best Looking Xbox One Custom Controllers
There’s only a tiny detail that makes the Day One Xbox One controller unique, and that’s the stamp of certification on its front. Small though that detail is, it symbolizes something very special. The Day One controller was only made available to those that preordered the console back in 2013, and since it’s long been discontinued, it remains one of the most sought-after controllers in this lineup.
