Xbox has unveiled a limited edition Gears of War controller to mark the release of Gears of War: E-Day, but fans have criticized the £85 price point, calling it “insane” and “baffling”.
Design and Features
The E-Day Limited Edition Xbox Wireless Controller features 3D-moulded details inspired by the emergence holes of the Locust, the series' antagonists. The Crimson Omen is the centerpiece, with a cracked asphalt design and glowing red cracks. The A, B, and Y buttons are blacked out, while the X button and D-pad are transparent red, with matching red-coloured right hand stick and trigger buttons. A dark silver metallic COG tag on the battery cover and rubberised back and side grips complete the design.
A second controller is available exclusively through the Xbox Design Lab, featuring artwork by heavy metal illustrator Luke Preece, who designed a skull “perched atop crossed Lancers”.
Fan Reaction
Initial reactions were positive, with one Reddit user saying: “They look fire.” Another wrote: “My wallet is not gonna be happy.” However, some fans expressed disappointment that there was no Elite Series option, with one saying: “Just wish one of them would be an Elite Controller but these are nice.” Another referenced hardware reliability, adding: “They look amazing but they'll still get stick drift in less than 6 months.”
Others criticized the price, with one user noting: “You can pre-order it on Amazon right now, I just did.. but for £84.99, which is insane for a standard controller.” Another said: “Really cool, but much too overpriced for what is essentially a standard Xbox controller with a fancy design. I can't personally justify the $30-$40 premium just because it looks cool, I could almost buy 2 controllers for that price.”
Availability and Release
Both controllers are available for pre-order now, ahead of release on September 30. Xbox also announced an officially licensed 8BitDo charging dock that comes with the E-Day Controller. The controllers are available on the Microsoft store and were sold out in the US at the time of writing, but UK buyers found listings on Amazon.
