April is the month of the Earth (and price hikes, we guess), and Xbox knows it. With Earth Day around the corner (22 April), Xbox has announced a new wireless controller – the Remix Special Edition. Wondering how a new, more expensive controller has anything to do with Earth Day? Well, each controller is partly made up of recyclable materials, lessening the gaming giant’s impact on the environment.
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More specifically, a third of each controller is made up of old CDs, headlight covers, water jugs, and other controllers. What you get in return is a controller with “custom, earth-tone colors with subtle variations, swirling, markings, and texturing” which, in theory, gives each controller a unique feel.
We can’t see much of that taking place in the controller’s marketing, so don’t expect every one to be wildly different from one another. According to Xbox, the bumpers, triggers, and grips feature a “topographic texture pattern,” which is supposedly a nod towards, uh, “Earth’s dynamic landscape.” It also mentions that the green hue you can see on the d-pad and centre button was inspired by lichen, found in the Pacific North West.
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The parts that matter, however – controls, durability, and performance – are no different from the controllers available in stores now, besides the added weight of guilt when buying them, of course. You’ll need to fork over $85 (R1,500) to own one of these once they release around the world on 18 April. Xbox has thrown in a rechargeable battery pack since the idea of disposable batteries goes against the project’s entire ideology.
Considering these controllers aren’t made entirely out of recycled materials, could one argue that Xbox is doing more damage to the environment, while also saving on materials? Sure. Maybe. Just… don’t think about it too hard.