Create your custom controller before Xbox Design Lab temporarily shuts down

Xbox controller
Xbox controller (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Xbox Design Lab is a program that allows you to custom build your own unique Xbox controller from hundreds of combinations.
  • The program will become temporarily unavailable soon, so interested gamers should get in their order before October 13, 2020.
  • Xbox Design Lab won't return until 2021, indicating that they're making major changes to the program.
  • It's possible Xbox Design Lab is making the change to the new Xbox Series X and S controller, which will take time.

Microsoft's Xbox Design Lab is a fun service from the company that allows players to create practically any Xbox controller they could imagine. With a vast array of color options and customizations that can be combined in almost any way, it's easy to obtain the perfect Xbox controller to play with. Xbox Design Lab has created hundreds upon hundreds of different choices, but interested players shouldn't wait long before putting in their own order, as the program will be temporarily shutting down starting October 13, 2020.

After October 13, 2020, the Xbox Design Lab will no longer be available, and presumably won't be returning until sometime in 2021. While Microsoft doesn't provide a reason for this decision, it's likely to prepare and outfit the Xbox Design Lab with the new Xbox controller that will debut with Microsoft's next-gen consoles, the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.

Those consoles are coming November 10, 2020, so the Xbox Design Lab shutdown gives Microsoft plenty of time, and prevents any overlap with the next-gen consoles. However, it could be months before the Xbox Design Lab makes a return with the new controllers, so interested players should create their custom controllers soon so they can get them in time for the new consoles. Fortunately, most current Xbox accessories will be fully forwards compatible with the Xbox Series X and S, so you don't have to worry about your new custom controller not working.

The Xbox Series X and S may come out on November 10, 2020, but pre-orders are starting September 22, so mark your calendars!

Xbox Series X/S

Main

CATEGORIES
Zachary Boddy
Staff Writer

Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter @BoddyZachary.

Latest in Xbox
The Thing: Remastered key art
The Thing comes to Xbox Cloud Gaming's "Stream Your Own Game" library alongside other new arrivals
Cover art for Heroes of the Storm.
Xbox Game Pass will give you more benefits in free-to-play games like Heroes of the Storm
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 accessibility settings at launch.
Activision user research workers form union under Microsoft
Xbox Game Hubs 2025
A quick look at Xbox's new "Game Hubs," a small new feature that may be more meaningful than you think
8BitDo Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard Xbox Edition
Drop everything — the Xbox keyboard is on sale
Xbox
Microsoft's Xbox strategy has reader opinions split almost perfectly in half
Latest in News
Cloud servers
Microsoft has killed "several" data center projects in the U.S. and Europe, according to reports
Photo of Microsoft's new sign-in page for Xbox.com using the Microsoft Edge browser.
Over one billion users will get a new Microsoft user experience, and it has a dark mode
The Thing: Remastered key art
The Thing comes to Xbox Cloud Gaming's "Stream Your Own Game" library alongside other new arrivals
Promotional screenshot of heroes fighting a giant in Pillars of Eternity
Obsidian's classic Baldur's Gate successor 'Pillars of Eternity' is getting a surprise turn-based mode later this year, alongside other updates
Atomfall
Atomfall reviews and Metacritic scores are in: Here's a roundup of what everyone's saying about this new Game Pass survival game
Screenshot of one of the new flat world presets in Minecraft.
Minecraft testing new flat world presets and a better way to locate your friends in-game