New Xbox Series Consoles Hit the Market in October With Pre-Orders Available Now
At Gamescom, Xbox also showed off four new accessibility offerings, including new controllers.
Posted 2 months ago
At Gamescom, Xbox announced the release dates for its upcoming Series X and S consoles that were revealed back in June.
The Xbox Series S - 1TB system in Robot White ($349.99), Xbox Series X - 1TB Digital Edition in Robot White ($449.99), and Xbox Series X - 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition ($599.99) consoles will be released on October 15, though they won’t hit some countries until October 29. Pre-orders for all three systems are available now.
To bring the joy of video games to more players, Xbox also revealed four new accessibility offerings, including new controllers.
First, the Xbox Adaptive Joystick was designed “for players with limited mobility.” The wired controller has four buttons on the front along with a standard Xbox thumbstick. Two additional buttons were designed to “mimic the bumper and trigger placement on a traditional controller.” Every button will be customizable to enable players to create an experience that suits their needs and tastes. The Xbox Adaptive Joystick will launch in early 2025 exclusively at the Microsoft Store for $29.99.
The Xbox Adaptive Joystick
©Xbox
Next, 3D printable files for adaptive thumbstick toppers are now available through the Xbox Design Lab service. Six new thumbstick options are available for 3D printing, including one shaped like a dome and another shaped like a stick. You can read a breakdown of all six designs on the Xbox website.
Elsewhere, the 8BitDo Lite SE controller is now available for $59.99. Like the Xbox Adaptive Joystick, it was designed “for gamers with limited mobility.” According to Xbox, the controller “features low-resistance buttons and highly sensitive Hall Effect joysticks, making it easier for everyone to play.” Plus, every button (including LT, LB, RT, and RB) is found on the top of the controller, allowing it to be used on a flat surface. With this setup in mind, the controller includes a non-slip silicone mat to prevent it from moving around while in use.
In addition to the main controller, the 8BitDo Lite SE "includes two programmable Super Buttons that players can map without any extra software and are fully compatible with the Xbox Adaptive Controller."
The 8BitDo Lite SE
©Xbox
Finally, ByoWave Proteus Controller is now available in the U.S., Europe, U.K., and Canada for $299. It focuses on customization by offering different modules that can be snapped together to suit the player’s needs and tastes.
You can read even more about Xbox’s new accessibility options (including new accessible packaging) on the company’s website.