Summary
Picture it. It’s Friday night, pizza’s on the way, a big bottle of Mountain Dew on the floor next to you, and you’re playingGoldenEye 007on a transparent controller without a care in the world. No, it’s not 1998, it’s 2024. The era of transparent consoles and controller designs of various colors felt like it had been left behind in the early 2000s, but it seems, like the rest of us,Xboxwants that era back. At least that’s what the studio has implied via the reveal of its new Sky Cipher controller.
This is usually the point in an article about a new Xbox controller where we tell you only one of them exists and you will need to win a sweepstake thousands of others have entered to get it - looking at you,Deadpool and Wolverine’s chiseled backsides. Not this time. Not only is there more than just one Sky Cipher, but pre-orders for it are open right now. If you’ve got $69.99 of video game accessory money to spare, place your pre-order now ready for the controller’s release on May 16, 2025.
Although the Sky Cipher is clearly an ode to the transparent consoles and controllers of old, that’s where the similarities between it and theN64controllers you threw down in anger when someone had the gall to pick Oddjob. Not only are the inner workings of today’s controllers far more advanced, but the transparent blue color of the Sky Cipher is accompanied by sky blue grips and a matching metallic d-pad and triggers.
Now Give Us A Matching Console
The Sky Cipher is not compatible with theXbox One, but it can be used with yourPC, iPhone, or Android device. It also boasts up to 40 hours of battery life. The Sky Cipher has successfully taken some of the attention away fromPlayStation’s Astro Bot controller.PlayStationconfirmed that the controller Astro will use to travel between planets has been turned into a real-lifeDualSense. Pre-orders for the AstroPS5controller will begin on Jun 11, 2025.
Xbox Sky Cipher Controller
A throwback to a time when transparent consoles and controllers were widely available, Xbox’s Sky Cipher is transparent blue with sky blue grips, triggers, and a d-pad. It boasts 40 hours of battery life and is compatible with the Series X|S, PC, and mobile.
The Sky Cipher reveal also comes afterthe closure of the Xbox 360 marketplace. Its shutdown was announced almost a year ago and on Monday, the reaper finally arrived to take it away. Xbox cut the prices of 360 games by up to 90 percent during the final few months of the marketplace. However, if you’re only learning about all this now, you’re already too late. All 360 games you own will still function, even ones with online capabilities if the servers are still live, but you may no longer buy digital games through the 360 storefront.
