Here are some renders of the upcoming original Xbox One 'Duke' controller

By Jez Corden
published

Xbox creator Seamus Blackley has been working with Hyperkin to introduce a bit of nostalgia for OG Xbox fans.

Seamus Blackley led the charge for the original Xbox right from its inception, leading the team that built the platform. The original Xbox launched back in 2001, and coupled with the creation of Xbox Live, it changed console gaming forever.

For those of us lucky enough to have been gamers during that special era, you may remember the first iteration of the OG Xbox controller, dubbed the "Duke." Games accessory manufacturer Hyperkin wants you to say hi once again to the Duke, targeting a holiday 2017 launch.

The Duke controller is notorious for its size and weight, but some of its design principles eventually evolved into what we have today on the Xbox One, which is, frankly, probably the best video game controller ever made.

Retro products and nostalgia are pretty big in gaming right now. Nintendo fans have the retro SNES Classic (opens in new tab) to look forward to (or be frustrated over due to the lack of stock), and Sony has produced special PlayStation 1 edition consoles to celebrate the anniversary of their own gaming platform a little while back. This Hyperkin Duke controller will bring a bit of that nostalgic fun to Xbox fans.

These 3D renders are being used by Hyperkin to build the first production units, and they give us an idea of what to expect. The OG Xbox controller didn't have shoulder buttons. Instead, it used additional white and black buttons to go with the now-iconic ABXY buttons that have become standard across all Xbox consoles.

Designed for use on modern Xboxes, you can see that the start and back buttons have been replaced by the menu and view keys, found on all modern Xbox controllers. Additionally, the underside of the controller sports the standard 3.5mm audio jack, included in the second iteration of Xbox One controllers from this generation.

Perhaps the most intriguing thing about the Duke controller is that the central Xbox branding icon will be a full LCD panel. When pressed, it will act as a replacement for the Xbox home button found at the top of modern controllers. It will also display the logo animation from the original boot cycle on its LCD screen. Hyperkin is exploring other uses for the LCD display, so stay tuned.

Whether you loved or hated the OG Xbox controller, it's a welcome throwback for fans of the original console, especially if you're playing Halo CE Anniversary (opens in new tab) in retro mode, or any future title hitting OG Xbox backwards compatibility.

We'll keep you posted on availability as we learn more.

Jez Corden
Jez Corden

Jez Corden is a Senior Editor for Windows Central, focusing primarily on all things Xbox and gaming. Jez is known for breaking exclusive news and analysis as relates to the Microsoft ecosystem while being powered by caffeine. Follow on Twitter @JezCorden and listen to his Xbox Two podcast, all about, you guessed it, Xbox!

14 Comments
  • I mean I love it but I need my bumpers
  • I'm with you on that bumpers are just a better fit but live this controller I have big hands and went well in them.
  • Oh I'd totally be there day one for this as I loved the original. I also have large hands. But then i pictured playing halo five with this. And throwing the Lb and Rb inputs to the white and black buttons in the face would throw off my dash and grenade throw respectively
  • This controller does have bumper, along with the Black/White buttons.
  • Who’s said it’s not gonna have the bumpers ? I never heard them say it won’t have bumpers as I’m almost sure that would be a huge issue if they don’t include them as the bumpers are a most for a good majority of games especially shooters like Halo, cod ww2, battlefield, etc as those games virtually require bumpers for grenades, and what not, and while I’m sure it could work without them I mean why not include the bumpers in addition this way players can have options, and I would be somewhat surprised if that’s not the case. 
  •  This controller was horrible.. I mean, it got replaced by a better controller, nuff said. 
  • No question I'm gonna get one. I happen to enjoy the Duke. Unlike some people...
  • God I loved this controller. My hands are large and this fit perfect.
  • This is so awesome. I'm with others regarding the bumpers, however. But nostalgia.
  • This was the most comfortable controller I ever used. Definitely a must have for Xbox fans
  • that big bulky logo in the middle should be a touch screen so  we can scroll thru menus faster.
  • The Duke abides!
  • Impossible to don't buy it :)
  • I love it.... Because I hated it so much. Definitely want one. Can we get some Mad Catz throw back nostalgia controllers just to make the retro controller crappiness complete.  I want to be able to give these to my kids some day and be like "back in my day we played games on this not your fancy holo, VR onesie"