June is Pride Month, a time to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and all its members, and Xbox is joining the party by making its Pride-themed controller available to everyone. Last year, the company released a Pride controller as a limited-edition item for select members of the community, but this year’s design will join the Xbox Design Lab for all consumers to customize and purchase for themselves.
The 2022 Pride controller’s design was inspired by the colorful flags that represent each of the identities and orientations that make up the LGBTQIA+ community, and Xbox has created an immersive experience to give the members of this community a chance to speak about their identities themselves. The site features over 30 different flags, and anyone in the gaming community who identifies with a particular flag can submit their own story.
Players who want to show their pride with more gear can also find Pride-themed apparel in the Xbox gear store, including collaborations with some of Xbox’s in-house studios like Obsidian and Double Fine. Players can also claim Pride-themed rewards in both Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 4, Forza Horizon 5, and Forza Motorsport 7.
Xbox is also making major donations to LGBTQIA+ charities and non-profits during the month of June, including $170,000 to organizations like Mermaids and OutRight Action International and $25,000 each to the Transgender Law Center and Trans Life.
The Xbox Pride Controller will be available in the Xbox Design Lab on June 9th, 2022.