Microsoft is boxing up its initial shipment of player-customized Xbox Design Lab controllers for the Xbox One, announcing that its first wave of vibrantly colorful gamepads will arrive on player doorsteps in September.
Xbox Design Lab controllers are still up for pre-order, and newly created designs will ship out within 14 business days.
The Xbox Design Lab is an online customization program that allows players to outfit Xbox One controllers with colorful shells, buttons, analog sticks, and d-pads. Microsoft notes that Xbox Design Lab controllers offer players 8 million different color combinations to choose from, and custom-crafted designs can be shared across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Xbox Design Lab gives players an easy way to identify their Xbox One controllers in a group setting with a personalized touch. Custom-built controllers can also be outfitted with a laser-engraved 16-character message, making it easier to identify your hardware if an opponent tries to swipe your controller at a local meet-up.
Microsoft’s made-to-order Xbox Design Lab controllers are currently available for purchase in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, and the company plans to “[bring] Xbox Design Lab to more Xbox markets in 2017 and will have more to share in the near future.”
Xbox One owners have multiple options with regard to controller input, as the recently launched Xbox One S console introduced a redesigned controller with Bluetooth support, boosted wireless range, and textured grips. Players who demand precision may opt to pick up the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller, a $150 device that boasts customizable metal analog sticks, a disc-shaped d-pad, and rear slots for interchangeable paddles.
Hardware appears to be a major component of Microsoft’s Xbox platform strategy, as the company recently revealed that an upgraded version of its Xbox One console is in the works. Code-named “Scorpio,” the upcoming Xbox One hardware refresh is rumored to feature a faster GPU, VR compatibility, and support for 4K resolutions.
Xbox Design Lab controllers can be customized and ordered via Microsoft’s website. Prices for custom orders start at $80.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.