Perhaps more so than any console manufacturer in history, Microsoft has had a fascination with changing the look and design of its controllers during the console lifecycle. If you thought that the Nintendo Switch had a lot of colour variations with it's Joy-Con, prepare to be blown away by the sheer variety on offer with the Xbox One controller range.
We've rounded them all up for you below, so you can find your perfect controller which expresses your personality. If none of these are any good, then Microsoft still have you covered with the Xbox Design Lab. Now that's dedication!
Cyberpunk 2077
Live the mercenary life with the Xbox Wireless Controller – Cyberpunk 2077 Limited Edition, featuring a rugged design based on Johnny Silverhand and tech-enhanced insignia. Buy it here.
Phantom Magenta
Equip yourself with the Xbox Wireless Controller – Phantom Magenta Special Edition, featuring a translucent design that fades to dark pink, and textured grip for enhanced comfort. Buy it here.
Elite Series 2
The all-new Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 features over 30 new ways to play like a pro, including adjustable-tension thumbsticks, new interchangeable components, up to 40 hours of rechargeable battery life, and limitless customization with the Xbox Accessories app on Xbox One. The black design looks pretty slick. Buy it here.
Midnight Forces
Equip yourself with the Xbox One Special Edition Midnight Forces Wireless Controller, featuring a modern camouflage pattern and unique military look. Impulse Triggers deliver fingertip vibration feedback, so you can feel every jolt and crash in high definition. Buy it here.
DPM X019 Exclusive
This intriguing design was cooked up by Microsoft to celebrate its X019 conference. Designed in collaboration with maharishi's DPM Studio, it merges lizard-brushstroke camouflage with iconic London landmarks. Only 1000 of these were produced, so it's unlikely that you'll be able to find one in the wild.
Night Ops Camo
Lock and load with the Xbox Wireless Controller – Night Ops Camo Special Edition, featuring a rugged black, grey, and metallic gold camouflage pattern. Buy it here.
Sport Blue
Equip yourself with the Xbox Wireless Controller - sport blue special Edition, featuring a vibrant blue design with metallic accents. Buy it here.
Gears 5 Kait Diaz
Equip yourself with the Xbox Wireless Controller – Kait Diaz Limited Edition, featuring a snow-weathered design inspired by Kait’s armour, an etched trigger grip, and rubberised diamond grip on the back case. This Xbox Wireless Controller captures the look and feel of classic COG gear. Button mapping allows you to customise your controller just the way you like it. Buy it here.
Fortnite Special Edition
Battle to be the last one standing with the Xbox Wireless Controller – Fortnite Special Edition, featuring an epic purple design, the legendary Dark Vertex outfit, and 500 V-Bucks to spend any way you want. Buy it here.
Phantom White Special Edition
The Phantom white special edition features a translucent design that fades to white which we think is rather lovely. Buy it here.
Sport Red
The Sport Red Special Edition features a cool red design with black and silver accents. Very sporty! Buy it here.
Player Unknown's Battle Ground
Player Unknown, who is he? Nobody knows! Player Unknown's Battle Ground Special Edition controller features a distressed black digital camo design which definitely looks the part while you kick ass and take names in PUBG. Buy it here.
Phantom Black
The Phantom Black Special Edition features a translucent black design that fades to champagne gold. We think it's one of Microsoft's more sophisticated designs. Buy it here.
Xbox Elite White
Get pro-level precision with the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller, featuring an arsenal of swappable components. This white coloured edition with its silver accents looks really classy. Buy it here.
Gray / Blue
The dark grey design with light grey and blue accents, and textured grip makes this a worthy purchase when choosing your next Xbox One controller. Buy it here.
Armed Forces II
Own the battlefield with the Xbox Wireless Controller - Armed Forces II Special Edition featuring a modern camouflage pattern and textured grip for enhanced comfort. Buy it here.
Sport White
Equip yourself with the Xbox Wireless Controller - Sport White Special Edition, featuring a fresh white design with mint and silver accents. Buy it here.
Combat Tech
The Combat Tech Special Edition features a sleek, dark green military design with black, silver, and orange accents. Get ready for combat. Buy it here.
Sea of Thieves Limited Edition
Weigh anchor and get ready to fight, sail, and loot in style with the Xbox Wireless Controller - Sea of Thieves Limited Edition. Gaze into the murky depths of the deep purple translucent design, adorned with laser etched barnacles, one treasured golden trigger, and haunted by a mysterious skull that glows at sundown. Buy it here.
Project Scorpio
When Microsoft first revealed the existence of the Xbox One X at E3 2016 it was under its "Project Scorpio" name. While this slightly rubbish codename has been dropped in favour of the X branding, this controller was a limited edition to celebrate it with its unique branding. Good luck finding one in the wild.
Minecraft Creeper
Prepare to create, explore, and survive your own Minecraft adventure with the Minecraft Creeper controller, featuring the iconic green Creeper design, textured grip for enhanced comfort, and ABXY buttons with classic Minecraft font. Enjoy custom button mapping and up to twice the wireless range. Buy it here.
Minecraft Pig
Oink oink! Here's a pink piggy version of the Xbox One controller for Minecraft fans. Buy it here.
Volcano Shadow
The Volcano Shadow Special Edition features a sleek, streamlined design and fiery red metallic finish which we think looks pretty rad. Buy it here.
Patrol Tech
The Patrol Tech Special Edition features a sleek, dark blue military design and diamond rubberized grip for enhanced comfort. Buy it here.
Gray / Green
This lovely controller design features a light grey design with green accents, and textured grip. Buy it here.
Recon Tech
The Recon Tech Special Edition features a sleek, dark grey military design. Get ready for action. Buy it here.
Ocean Shadow
Experience the enhanced comfort and feel of the Xbox Wireless Controller - Ocean Shadow Special Edition, featuring a faded light blue metallic finish. Buy it here.
Winter Forces
The Winter Forces Special Edition features a sleek, arctic camouflage design which wouldn't look out of place in a Bond movie. Buy it here.
Green / Orange
This charming Xbox One controller sports a sleek, military green design with orange accents. Buy it here.
Red
With a red front and a darker tone on the rear, this Xbox One controller is the one to get for fans of the colour red. Buy it here.
Blue
Yo listen up, here's the story. About a little guy that lives in a blue world. And all day and all night and everything he sees is just blue... like this Xbox One controller which is very blue. Buy it here.
Dawn Shadow
The Dawn Shadow Xbox One controller features an eye-catching metallic magenta rising into a matte black finish. Buy it here.
Battlefield Military Green
The only way to get this military themed green Xbox One Controller was with the Battlefield 1 special edition Xbox One S console bundle. You'll be lucky to find one of these in the wild now.
Deep Blue
Another limited edition Xbox One controller which went on sale along with various Xbox One S bundles of the time, this charming blue controller is now very hard to come by.
Storm Grey
Another limited edition controller variant in a stormy grey style. This could only be picked up with a Xbox One S 500GB console in selected regions, either with FIFA 17 or Battlefield 1.
Gears of War 4 Crimson Omen
The Gears of War 4 Crimson Omen Limited Edition features a laser-etched design, one unique multiplayer lobby emblem, and three Gear Packs. Buy it here.
Gears of War 4 JD Fenix
Another controller aimed at Gears of War fans. The Gears of War 4 JD Fenix Limited Edition features a laser-etched design, one unique multiplayer lobby emblem, and three Gear Packs. Buy it here.
Gears of War 4 Elite
Etched with lasers, brutal battle scars, and several layers of detail, this Gears of War Elite controller really looks the part. Buy it here.
Black
This unassuming black controller was bundled with the Xbox One X. Nothing to see here folks, buy yourself a second controller with a bit more colour. Buy it here.
White
This pure white controller was launched alongside the Xbox One S, with its simple white design making it a timeless classic. Buy it here.
Dusk Shadow
The Dusk Shadow Wireless Controller features a faded blue metallic finish with a soft-touch feel. Buy it here.
Copper Shadow
Here's the Xbox controller Chester Copperpot would use. With is faded metallic finish and soft-touch feel, this is a classy controller. Buy it here.
Halo 5: Guardians Master Chief
To celebrate the launch of Halo 5: Guardians, Microsoft released two limited-run controllers designed around the game's main characters. Here's the controller Master Chief would use. Buy it here.
Halo 5: Guardians Locke
The second controller in the Halo 5: Guardians line is inspired by Spartan Locke, the Master Chief's primary foe throughout the game. The gunmetal plating with blue highlights really reflects Locke's unique appearance. Buy it here.
Xbox Elite
Microsoft's first premium Xbox controller was a winner, albeit very expensive. It's since been superseded by newer versions of the elite controller, but for the time this was great.
Armed Forces
Now superseded by the Armed Forces II Xbox One Controller, this is a classic design that military enthusiasts will no doubt love.
Forza Motorsport 6
Released alongside Forza Motorsport back in 2015, we have to say we quite like this navy blue controller with its racing stripes to make it go faster. Buy it here.
Covert Forces
The Special Edition Covert Forces Wireless Controller features a modern camouflage pattern and military look. Buy it here.
Midnight Forces
The Midnight Forces controller offers a nocturnal take on the original camouflage design, embracing blues and blacks in a darker theme. This controller also features black analogue sticks and a metallic directional pad. Now superseded by the Midnight Forces II controller, this was a classic in its day.
Call of Duty Advanced Warfare
To celebrate the release of Call of Duty Advanced Warfare, this special edition controller is the only controller dedicated CoD fans would use. Buy it here.
White
To celebrate the launch of Sunset Overdrive, Microsoft released this white themed controller. Strange they didn't do a more colourful one, but there we are.
Camouflage
This classic camouflage design has since been made redundant by the newer Armed Forces design, but it was a classic for its time.
China Day One
While the Xbox One hasn't sold particularly well in China to date, it was nice of Microsoft to bundle in a "China Day One" themed controller when it launched the Xbox One Console in China after the 14 year console ban was lifted. Shame no-one in China bought one.
Titanfall
Titanfall fans were well served with this bold controller design based on the mech action game.
Launch Team
This white Xbox One controller is super rare as it was only given to select Microsoft employees. If you spot one in a yard sale, you will know it, as it says "I Made This, Launch Team 2013" on the front. If you do happen to find one in the wild, just don't be that person and put it on eBay. Treasure it forever.
Day One
If you were lucky enough to pick up an Xbox One at launch, you might have got this unassuming black controller with the "Day One 2013" branding in the middle. Extremely rare now.
Black
Here's where it all started. The OG Xbox One controller improved on the Xbox 360 controller in so many ways. Sure, the design isn't exactly original, but it got the job done.
Wowzers, that's a lot of different Xbox One controller designs! Which one is your favourite?
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Comments 8
I have Titanfall, Forza 6, Volcano Shadow, Sports Red, Sports Blue and the regular version 2 black. My favourites are the Forza 6 and the ”sports” variants, as they have the lovely rubber grips.
Is there a difference between textured grips and rubber grips? I wanted the grey-green one before Xmas but I opted for the sport blue because of the rubber grips on it (same price in sale but sport blue has a higher RRP). The grey green one just looked like one solid piece on the back side of it so I assumed it was just textured plastic instead of rubber
I gotta give Microsoft some serious credit here. Some of these are downright sexy!
It seemed like Nintendo was going the same thing with Switch Pro-controllers until they just seemed to stop for unknown reasons.
@ralphdibny Yes, the textured grip is bumpy hard plastic while the rubber grip is bumpy rubber.
I have the white xbox one s one and really love it. The triggers are fantastic and it woks perfectly with my windows 10 laptop. I prefer the analogue sticks to be symmetrical though.
I've always wanted the Titanfall one. Just love the design.
@JoakimZ brilliant thanks for the reply. I might consider the grey green one in a future sale if work gets better, don't think I can afford it in the current climate though
Just as the Armed Forces II is a re-release for the newer Bluetooth enabled controller, I think Copper Shadow should get the same treatment. That is one elegant looking controller.
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