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| Image: Microsoft |
On Monday, Microsoft revealed a whole bunch of new details on its next-generation console, the Xbox Series X. Xbox team, detailed some of the enhancements you can expect to see on the Xbox Series X's controller when it becomes available later this year.
The console is expected to be released in holiday 2020, and with it, players will get a new controller, which is said to be improved upon the Xbox One controller “in smart, revolutionary ways.”, even if you don't buy an Xbox Series X at launch, you'll be able to use the controller with your current Xbox One console. Moreover, it will work with existing Xbox One accessories like Microsoft's first-party chatpad. Thanks to the addition of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) support, it will also be easier to pair the controller with PC, Android and iOS devices. For charging, it features a USB-C port.
Microsoft outlined the controller’s details in an interview with Xbox senior designer Ryan Whitaker.
According to Whitaker, a set of "system-wide" improvements the company calls Dynamic Latency Input (DLI) will lead to less latency while gaming. The technology works by sending information more frequently from the controller and then matching it with the frames you see as you play a game. Whitaker claims DLI can reduce gameplay latency by a couple of milliseconds at "every step of gameplay," making in-game actions feel more "instantaneous."
Taking a page from the PlayStation 4, the new controller features a dedicated Share button. Tapping the button will allow you to quickly and easily upload screenshots and videos of a game you're playing. The accessory also borrows a couple of design ideas from Microsoft's Elite controller. Notably, it features a hybrid d-pad that combines the strengths of the Elite controller's standard and faceted d-pads. Microsoft also added more tactile texture to the controller's triggers and bumpers. There's a similar "yet more subtle" pattern on the grips, as well. Lastly, the d-pad, bumpers and triggers now feature a matte finish to make them feel more consistent.
Whitaker said the Xbox team designed the new controller with inclusivity in mind: “improved ergonomics for a wider range of people, better cross-device connectivity, easier sharing, and reduced latency.”
The new controller should fit more hand sizes — “especially smaller hands,” Whitaker said. Bumpers have been rounded, triggers reduced, and grips sculpted for better accessibility. The new D-pad, too, is designed with the intent to boost “performance and accessibility,” according to the designer.
“When looking at the wide range of game genres and personal playstyles today, the D-pad is used in a lot of different ways,” Whitaker said. “The slightly deeper dish gives your thumb a nice little ‘home’ to sit in. The angles are finely tuned to give you a good amount of leverage with minimal movement.”
Like the Xbox Series X, the new controller will launch sometime this holiday season -- provided the ongoing coronavirus pandemic doesn't throw the company's plans into disarray. As with the console, it's not clear how much the accessory will cost -- though we do have some of how it will compare with Sony's upcoming PlayStation 5 controller.
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