We now have reason to believe that Starfield will have special merchandise for the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.
As reported by Insider Gaming, there will be a Starfield controller and a Starfield headset.
The controller leaked days earlier, and that was confirmed by K. Asante of the XboxEra podcast. At the same time, K. Asante revealed that a headset would be arriving as well.
Microsoft has been generous when it comes to themed Xbox controllers. Interestingly enough, they seem to be quite proud of their controllers, possibly even more than their consoles. Gamers have also been huge fans of the controllers, so much so that Xbox layout controllers are made for non-Xbox platforms, including not just PlayStation and Nintendo’s platforms, but every other company that wanted in on the market, including Ouya, Amazon Luna, etc.
Microsoft even provided a service called Xbox Design Lab, where gamers could order their own custom color build for their own Xbox controller.
So there’s no surprise that Microsoft is making a Starfield controller here.
Subsequently, a Starfield themed headset doesn’t quite make sense, but fans might still want it. In this case, players won’t be able to make use of it as Bethesda has clarified that there won’t be any online co-operative or competitive gameplay component to Starfield. Unless this headset is a hint that Bethesda has been hiding for some time down the line, gamers will just be getting a pretty headset. But maybe they can use it to chat with friends while playing Starfield.
The big question would be if Microsoft will offer a Starfield themed Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S. It doesn’t seem like one is forthcoming this time. We had reported on rumors that there would be a special edition Diablo IV edition of the Xbox Series X. While it was fun to speculate on it, it turned out it would just be a regular Xbox with a digital copy of Diablo IV in it. Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD Wii U edition offered more with a themed Gamepad.
But many things are definitely between Nintendo and Microsoft. Nintendo makes special edition consoles to this day, and it’s easier for them to do so as their business is built around making a profit per console sold.
Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and Series S consoles are expensive to buy, and also, expensive for Microsoft to make. If Microsoft could have considered doing this before the pandemic, today it may not make business sense.
On the flip side, Nintendo’s Switch consoles are small and cheap, making them easy to collect. It’s probably a good thing that Microsoft isn’t trying to get their fans to buy multiple Xbox Series consoles, if you think about how expensive and big they are, and how much power those consoles take.
If you look at it that way, Starfield controllers and headsets are perfectly fine.
Starfield will be released on Xbox Series X|S and Windows via Steam on September 6, 2023. It will also be Day One on Game Pass.
