Sure, it’s a luxury to design your own unique Xbox controller, but it’s an affordable luxury. If that’s something you value, the Mega Modz design tool and quality of mod service is superb.
- Brand: Mega Modz / Microsoft
- Platform: Xbox, PC
- Battery: 2x AA
- Connectivity: Bluetooth
- Headset Support: Yes
- Programmable: No
- Billions of possible designs
- WYSIWYG creator tool shows exactly what your design will look like
- Built from an official controller
- Choice of colors isn’t consistent across parts
Mega Modz Custom Xbox Series X Controller
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While Microsoft does eventually embrace a range of official controller designs for its consoles, right now the Series X controllers are quite barebones. But there comes a point in every gamer’s lifetime when they need a controller that perfectly matches their own unique style. That’s where Mega Modz comes in.
So: basque in the glory of my custom designed one-of-a-kind Day of the Tentacle themed chrome Xbox controller. I made that. While you might think it’s hideous—it’s certainly unique—it’s my kind of unique, and I love it.
Thanks to Mega Modz for letting me go mad with their designer tool, and keep reading to find out how you can win your own controller design in our giveaway!
The Xbox Series X wireless controller is compatible with Xbox platforms and PC. It connects over Bluetooth, rather than a proprietary wireless standard. It is arguably the best game controller for use on PC.
Design Your Controller
Over at the Mega Modz site, you’ll find a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) customization tool for designing your very own unique controller. Just select your chosen parts, and see an accurate visual preview of your own controller design as it takes shape.
Currently, the number of possible design options are as follows:
- 2 main body colors (black or white)
- 39 facia styles, consisting of solid colors, hydro-dipped, chrome, and more
- 18 bumper colors
- 18 trigger colors
- 18 D-pad colors
- 18 ABXY button colors
- 18 View, Menu, and Share button colors
- 7 thumbstick colors (including some two-tone and metallic styles)
- 19 grip panel styles
I did the math. It works out to just under 20 billion different combinations. In theory, you could come up with a style that literally no one else in the world has.
While most of these choices are purely aesthetic, the grip options add a layer of luscious soft touch or rubberized panels to the rear for your sweaty fingers to grab hold of in critical moments. It might not make a huge difference to your gameplay, but regardless, it feels great.
That said, the range of solid colors isn’t as exhaustive as I’d have liked. For instance, I could only find a garish pink/purple in chrome for the facia; solid color choices were limited to light pink or dark purple. Some more neon colors would be a great addition.
The choice of colors for the thumbsticks are also more restrictive still, so I chose a dark purple there, which is barely noticeable against the backdrop of pink and neon green.
Each custom part has an associated cost, so the price of your design will vary wildly depending on precisely how much you want to change. For a nice fascia and a couple of button swaps, perhaps as little as $110. If you change all the things, expect to pay closer to $150.
The visual preview in the designer tool is outstanding, giving an accurate view of how your design will come out. From a technical perspective, they obviously can’t make 20 billion different configurations of the controller just to photograph them. Instead, Mega Modz has built an image generator that combines the individual components.
One feature I’d love to see implemented is a randomization option, so you can see different combinations in action.
Mega Modz Start From Official Controllers
If you’re not familiar with Mega Modz, you should know that a key feature of the service is the use of official controllers as a starting point. Mega Modz doesn’t source dodgy third-party controllers; it starts life as an official Xbox Series X controller, then goes through the upgrade and mod process. That’s why your controller is shipped in an official box, and why you have a limited choice for the main body of the controller.
The underside is black or white, and you’ll find a standard AA battery compartment to power the controller.
The fact that it starts life as an official controller also means you can be assured of the quality. The button actuators will last as long as they should; Bluetooth will be compatible and reliable; triggers will feel as good as an original; the vibration haptics will respond as expected. If you closed your eyes, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference from the feel of the buttons or triggers.
For my testing, I was comparing against the previous generation of controllers, so there are some minor differences. The triggers now have a slight texture to give them more grip, and the D-pad has mutated into a circular design. There’s also now a Share button. But I should not, these are a part of the changes Microsoft made for the Series X; not something that Mega Modz has changed.
“Modded” Controllers
Some Mega Modz controllers have another set of features, above and beyond what a standard controller offers. Things like custom macros, and remappable buttons. At the time of writing, the additional mod features of the Series X are still in the works, so the only customization you can do is on the aesthetic side.
Quality of Custom Job
Since the internals are all original, and there are no software modifications to how the controller is used, the only thing left for us to judge is the quality of the customization process.
Poor service would manifest as scuff marks on the casing, perhaps from a screwdriver slipping or aggressive handling. The rubber grips might be attached unevenly, peeling off at the sides, or misaligned. Buttons or thumbsticks might be loose.
Thankfully, I couldn’t see any of those issues on the Mega Modz custom job. It’s not just visually astounding; the quality is as if it were produced by Microsoft Design Labs itself.
Is The Megamodz Controller Worth It?
Of course, the more customization you add to your design will increase the price. Our design worked out at about $130 total. We did go a little crazy with neon green everywhere we could though. For a more subtle custom job, you can expect to pay less.
While this sounds like a lot for a single controller, considering that an Xbox Series X controller retails for $60 normally, I’d argue that paying a $50 to $100 premium to get a unique design to your exact specification is actually pretty good value. Like a comfortable office chair or keyboard, you can afford to splurge a little on something you’ll use day in and day out.
Will it make you play better? Of course not. But your hands will look great while losing.
Sure: it’s a luxury product, but if you place value on having your own unique controller, there’s no better company than Mega Modz to do it for you.
Win a Custom Mega Modz Series X Controller
Enter using the widget below. Have a go at designing your own controller, save it to your Mega Modz wishlist, and paste the URL in the relevant entry field. If your name is picked, you’ll win your design!