The Xbox 360 controller is coming back

A third party accessory manufacturer has announced a modernised Xbox 360 controller for use on new Xbox consoles and PC

Hyperkin has announced that it’s bringing back the iconic Xbox 360 controller for use with modern Xbox consoles, as well as PC, with new features but a couple of disappointing drawbacks.

The new controller, called the Hyperkin Xenon, looks to be a near-perfect replica of the iconic Xbox 360 controller, but it does have some modern touches as well. Like the Series X and S controller, it features a share button, which was absent on the original, as well as a 3.5mm audio port for use with headphones and headsets.

Unfortunately, it does look like it suffers from a couple of drawbacks. The primary one is that there’s no wireless capability, so the controller must be connected via USB at all times. It’s also not compatible with the original Xbox 360, which is understandable, but would’ve been a nice touch.

Today, 17 years ago, the #Xbox360 launched to much acclaim. Now announcing the Xenon, a replica of the official #Xbox 360 Controller - licensed with Designed for Xbox - for Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Windows 10|11 PCs.

Full circle. Back in control.

Details to come!#Keep05Alivepic.twitter.com/3ElNhLNdrN

— Hyperkin (@Hyperkin) November 22, 2022

Finally, it doesn’t seem to support the Xbox 360’s ring of light, a four-segment LED circle around the Xbox button on the controller that indicates what player position the controller is assigned to. It’s not that big of a deal for the new controller to be missing that – Xbox Series consoles aren’t limited to four players like the 360 was – but it is a pretty iconic part of the design that’s missing here.

Unfortunately, that’s about all we know about the Hyperkin Xenon so far. The company is so far staying quiet on the finer details. Pricing, release date, or even when we’ll know more are pretty much up in the air. All we know for sure is that it exists, it’s coming, and it’ll be officially licensed for use on Xbox One, Xbox Series, and Windows 10 and 11 PCs when it does.

This isn’t the first classic Xbox controller that Hyperkin’s brought back from the dead. Back in 2018, the company released a modernised replica of the original Xbox Duke controller. Like the Xenon, it was wired-only, but it did have a very attractive LCD screen with an animated Xbox logo on the front.

The Hyperkin Duke controller recreated the first Xbox controller, which was largely thought to be uncomfortable and unwieldy. Picture: Hyperkin

In other Xbox news, Xbox manufacturer Microsoft reportedly offered Sony a 10-year Call of Duty deal, in an effort to quell concerns that the company might make the series exclusive to its Xbox platform. Microsoft said that it intends to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation for as long as possible, but the 10-year offer should see it remain on the platform until at least the end of the console generation, if not longer.

Microsoft is also working on an Xbox streaming console, which it says is “years” from release. The console would plug into the HDMI port of a TV and allow players to stream games from the internet using Xbox Game Pass’s cloud streaming technology, but the company says the cost of production is too expensive to consider right now, despite the hardware being more or less finalised.

Written by Oliver Brandt on behalf of GLHF.