We got all the Xboxes together to meet the Xbox One X!

While the design of the Xbox console itself has been kind of all over the place, the controllers have been more of an evolution. Again, the Duke is missing in action, but I threw an official photo of the beast into the gallery below for reference. That thing was huge. From there, it’s been pretty linear. The Xbox “S” controller shrunk the form factor pretty significantly, looking like a more contoured version of the Dreamcast controller. From there, the 360 controller smoothed things out and dropped the support for controller-based memory units and add-ons and, most importantly, dropped the cord in the first big move to wireless controllers. The silver controller pictured features a transforming directional pad meant to give gamers playing fighting games and retro titles better control over their games. Whether it actually worked is subjective, but it was Microsoft’s first foray into enthusiast controllers.

The Xbox One controller was, in truth, more a tweak than anything else. The nurled grips on the sticks is appreciated, but the shoulder buttons only clicked on the outside, a move that felt weird to gamers even if it was meant to improve ergonomics. The next big jump came in Microsoft’s much-lauded Elite controller – the one with that gem-like directional pad. Coming in at 2.5 times the price of a standard Xbox One controller, the Elite controller comes with its own case and charging cable, as well as one other directional pad, two sets of analog sticks, and four optional paddles that can stick magnetically to the back of the controller.

The Elite controller launched just over two years ago, and was a good part of the reason I picked up the Xbox One Elite bundle on my own dime. It became a favorite controller for me immediately and it’s still something I pick up as my first controller for both Xbox and PC gaming.

Looking at the history of both the Xbox console and its controllers, we can come to a couple conclusions. Whatever the next Xbox is – an Xbox Two, an Xbox Infinity, an Xbox One X 1X, or whatever else, it’s either going to be big enough to be a space heater, or small enough to fit into a handbag. The controller, meanwhile, will probably end up being another slight tweak. If we’re lucky, maybe the next generation of Xbox will include the Elite controller’s changes as a bundle, but that’s not the case this time around – the Xbox One X controller is the standard Xbox One controller available in stores right now.

We’re sixteen years deep into the Xbox legacy. Do you still have your original Xbox sitting in a closet somewhere? Xbox and PlayStation have traded blows through the years, both at retail and among fans, but there’s no question that the Xbox has done its own thing and has its own history.

Article source: https://www.technobuffalo.com/2017/11/01/xbox-one-x-family-photo-gallery/