Wherever Xbox Design Lab is available
Last year, the people at Xbox whet the appetites of LGBTQ+ gamers and allies with their wonderfully colorful and inclusive Xbox Pride controller. I know some people consider the sheer multitude of different multicolored flags that decorate the queer community to be excessive, but nerts to them. All these flags are delightful, and when you put them all together, they can become outstanding pieces of art. Last year’s Pride controller is a work of art. Unfortunately, it’s a rare piece of art as those beauties were only sent out to a few choice influencers and media members. I didn’t make the cut to get one last year (as I am not an influencer, barely a part of the media, and an all-around terrible gay man), but that won’t be a problem this year.
Xbox announced today that its design for the 2022 Xbox Pride controller will be made available in the Xbox Design Lab starting on June 9. The unique faceplate for the controller features 34 interwoven community flags. As with all other Xbox Design Lab controllers, players will be able to customize the rest of the device to their liking.
Outside of that fabulous controller, Xbox is also dropping new Pride merchandise for the month of June and is once again giving away the Dontnod – er, Don’t Nod – adventure game Tell Me Why for free. There are also new profile themes to download, nameplates and emblems from 343 Industries, and owners of Forza Horizon 5, Forza Horizon 4, and Forza Motorsport 7 will be gifted a 2009 Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster with rainbow livery later this month. That’s a whole lot of Pride coming your way.
As it did last year, Xbox is also donating to a wide variety of LGBTQ+ charities this month, including African Rainbow Family, National Center for Transgender Equality, and Fulcrum UA, to name a few. The Xbox blog has a complete listing of everything it’s doing for Pride this year, as well as details on how players can help support organizations that assist LGBTQ+ communities by donating Microsoft Rewards points.
CJ Andriessen
Just what the internet needs: yet another white guy writing about video games.
