New video discusses the process and changes behind latest Xbox controller. It’s all about comfort.
Xbox’s Major Nelson and general manager, Zulfi Alam take an in depth look at the design behind the new Xbox One controller, Microsoft revealed today. Over 40 changes encompass the controller and as Zulfi points out, much of the alterations are derived from, believe it or not - the battery door.
The “[battery door] drove a lot of design changes,” notes general manager, Zulfi Alam. As the video demonstrates, the battery door is now integrated, versus the the Xbox 360 design which protruded from the back of the controller.
Alam says the team went through hundreds of models, coupled with hundreds of user-research studies taken from countless hours of gaming, before settling on the product we see today. The idea behind this was to find the most comfortable design for players.
For example, Xbox 360’s controller case had screws, which - according to Alam - caused discomfort for players after extended play time. The new controller has a screwless housing. In addition, the thumbs sticks are a tad bit smaller and have a soft, rubber padded, wrapping to improve ease of play - not only for general use, but for lengthy game sessions.
The same improvements can be said of the new D-pad. On the 360 controller, the D-pad was raised, bulky and had an awkward feel to it. Xbox One’s design exhibits a cleaner shape, with a more intimate installation to the motherboard, yielding quicker response times.
Moving forward, Xbox One’s most intriguing new feature lies beneath the Xbox Button; though Zulfi Alam is quick to point out that this feature is more than just a button. Yes, pressing this switch takes you to your dashboard, but what most people don’t know is that a light pipe sits underneath the surface that surrounds the button. This surface is made up of transparent aluminum, that, when powered on - allows light to shine up through the window. Furthermore, IR LEDs now sit between the trigger buttons, that communicate with the Kinect camera. So, when you pass the controller to another player, the system will automatically shift profiles - granted if you’ve created one - to that new player; and visa versa. Because of this, according to Zulfi, Xbox One always knows where the controller is and who is playing.
We managed to get some short - but sweet, play time with Killer Instinct and Ryse: Son of Rome; and our immediate take away was, in a word: comfortable. The controller has a complacent feel in your hands; and more importantly, has a sleek button layout that feels much more responsive. Maneuvering thumbs sticks, pulling triggers or hitting A, B, X, or Y feels sharp and smoother than ever before and these aren't even fully polished titles, mind you.
That said, games will only benefit from this design and we can’t wait to play other titles with the much improved controller. Xbox One is set to launch this November for $499.99.
