If you're looking to customize your own Xbox controller right now, I've got some bad news, as the Xbox Design Lab is currently down. Naturally, that means that no new orders can be placed at this time.
According to Microsoft, this downtime is because the Xbox Design Lab is being switched to a new payment platform.
It's not clear at this time exactly how long the Xbox Design Lab will be down. Still, it doesn't seem like it's going to be a particularly zippy turnaround, as Microsoft is allowing players to sign up with their email addresses in order to be notified when the Xbox Design Lab is back online in full.
While you can't place a new order at this time, players wanting to test different controller color combinations can still do so right now. The Xbox Design Lab's different customization suites are still functioning, and you can even save a particular design for later.
Similarly, players can still download files for unique thumbstick toppers, which can be 3D-printed and used with the Xbox Adaptive Controller, depending on a user's exact needs.
The Xbox Design Lab has been running for almost a decade
Microsoft first introduced the Xbox Design Lab back in 2016, letting players create a custom controller that wasn't available anywhere else. Notably, players could have a small message etched, making it perfect for adding a Gamertag or a friendly jab to a gift.
Over the years, the company introduced a number of significant improvements to the service, including adding the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 to the customizable lineup. More recently, Microsoft has been adding special shells to commemorate notable Xbox first-party games and events.
In 2024, Fallout-themed controller shells were added to the Xbox Design Lab to celebrate the then-upcoming Fallout TV series. Later in the year, the company added a design for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, memorializing the first Call of Duty game to launch day one into Xbox Game Pass.
What future improvements could come to the Xbox Design Lab?
It'll be interesting what sorts of improvements come to the Xbox Design Lab in the months and years ahead.
Custom console colors have been widely requested by the Xbox community, and this item was even discussed in Xbox plans that leaked back in 2023 as part of the Microsoft vs. FTC court hearing.
These plans were outdated when they leaked, a fact emphasized by Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, so it's not clear when or if this will happen.
Still, letting players pay extra for a custom Xbox console color seems like a natural way to expand the Xbox Design Lab to me, and I'd be shocked if this never ends up happening. That's especially true considering Microsoft is currently planning an official Xbox handheld.
The device is still years away, but imagine being able to add translucent components like in the Xbox controller lineup? That's something I'd absolutely pay for.
Personally, I'm a big fan of color-coordinated themes. A couple of years ago, I ordered two controllers from the Xbox Design Lab, and I themed them around Morgan Yu and Emily Kaldwin, two protagonists from Arkane Studios' Prey and Dishonored 2.
