This year’s Gamescom has been full of interesting gaming news, but only a select portion of it is sure to have battle royale gamers exclaiming ‘Winner winner chicken dinner!’.
Adding to what seems to be an endless conga line of themed Xbox controllers, Microsoft has announced the impending release of an official PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Xbox One gamepad. Set for release on October 30, 2018 for an MSRP of $69.99, the new peripheral will feature a handful of notable aesthetic and physical differences that might make it a worthwhile purchase for big PUBG fans, and maybe only those individuals.
Microsoft’s official product page refers to the accessory’s design as “distressed black digital camo”. Breaking things down, the left analog stick is outlined in an ominous blue, which is a cheeky little nod to the game’s ever-shrinking death circle. You know, the one that’s constantly moving combatants to the center of the map lest they slowly bleed and perish in gradual agony. It would be rad if the blue accent was backed by LEDs and glowed, but from what I can tell, that’s not the case. Simply a neat paint job, but interesting nonetheless.
Then there’s a shooting reticule situated around the right analog stick, a PUBG logo stamped on the back, a red ‘X’ on the right trigger (which, according to Xbox product manager Bree White, is “iconic of where the concept of battle royale started”) and a worn-looking golden directional pad. Probably the most significant addition to this particular gamepad is the inclusion of rubber grips on both the left and right triggers. Past controllers, like those in the special Tech lineup, have included rubber grips on the handles, but never before have they been part of RT/LT with Xbox. I really like this feature, and although I’ve yet to test it, I’m thinking it’ll be a welcome addition (and hopefully one that makes its way into future controllers).
Even though I love limited edition stuff, I’m a little…underwhelmed? I appreciate the small nods to PUBG’s world, but I would have liked to at least seen some yellow/gold incorporation from the game’s iconic logo. This upcoming release seems a bit bland and uninspired, especially when compared to something like the amazing Sea of Thieves controller. I know PUBG isn’t exactly the most colorful game on the market, but I feel like the design team could have gone the extra mile and made the whole package a bit more appealing. I mean, some chicken dinner references would have been great. Instead we’re left with what amounts to a basic black camo controller with several mediocre decorations. Stylish but uninteresting, though I am psyched about the grips.
In addition to the limited edition controller unveiling, it was revealed that PUBG will exit Game Preview mode and “graduate” to being a full-fledged real title (insert cynical Pinocchio reference here) on September 4, 2018. This updated release will include features like in-game currency, the Sanhok map and a new deathmatch War Mode. You’ll be able to buy the complete version both digitally and in physical retail disc form, though if you already own the preview iteration, a patch containing all the fresh content will be pushed to your console.
Last of all, the Xbox Design Lab will be receiving a handful of new camo and shadow customization options (5 and 5 respectively), which should allow you to create a way cooler controller than the PUBG one.
Previous article A cryptocurrency is making huge inroads in Venezuela as inflation runs wild — and it’s not bitcoin or the Petro!
Next article How to get started with and get more out of the Apple TV 4K.