The Xbox Adaptive Controller’s Packaging Is A Big Deal

It’s been well documented at this point that the new Xbox Adaptive Controller is a big deal in terms of making sure that each and every gamers can play games to their full potential.

This deal is a massive passion project for Microsoft, even to the point that every little bit of packaging has been carefully crafted to ensure that almost anybody can open it. Reading through the massive 1000+ word blog post that Microsoft put out this morning, all about the packaging, made me realise just how clever it is.

The packaging has physical touch-points, visual queues and structural elements that have been incorporated to make sure that every gamer can open packaging, even to the point that someone with limited mobility could use their teeth to rip open the packaging. Whilst it might seem silly to the average gamer, it’s a massive deal for those with limited mobility.

The video below is well worth a watch. Here’s some of the little details that you should keep an eye out for.

  • Discreet air cells integrated into the shipper packaging for protection for the product while maintaining a small footprint and clean design.
  • Every major step of the unboxing incorporates loops, a feature that we heard resounding positive feedback on from beta testers. Loops are a highly proven lever to assist in accessibility.  The leveraging of loops begins with the tear-strip on the single shipper, kicking off the out-of-box experience seamlessly.  On the retail box, a specially designed ‘break-the-seal’ label (which keeps the box lid secured to the base) employs two loops, for multi-directional removal.   A soft, grey loop initiates the opening experience, then there are integrated loops on both the paper Quick Start Guide (QSG) and cable folio.  There are five loops on the XAC packaging from beginning to end.
  • An open cavity area under the controller, enabling multiple ways to remove the controller from the box, including pulling via the loop or sliding it out directly.
  • The box has a low centre of gravity, grounding the unboxing experience and creating a sense of stability for the end-user. Additionally, the hinged lid provides a low-effort, single-pivot access into the package.

The Xbox Adaptive Controller will release in September for $129.99 AUD.