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Xbox Reveals Limited Edition White Console Bundle and Elite Controller
Sometimes it seems like the Xbox team at Microsoft sees everything in black and white. The first Xbox was black, the Xbox 360 debuted in white, and the Xbox One product line has regularly switched between those color options as new iterations of the console have been released. That pattern continues with today's announcement of the Xbox One X Robot White Special Edition Fallout 76 Bundle (say that five times fast) as well as the new Xbox Elite Wireless Controller - White Special Edition and a new Turtle Beach headset that arrives with an equally convoluted name.
You probably guessed from its absurdly long name that Microsoft announced the--ahem--Xbox One X Robot White Special Edition Fallout 76 Bundle to help gamers prepare for Bethesda's next entry in the post-apocalyptic Fallout series. The console doesn't appear to be directly inspired by Fallout 76 like NZXT's latest case was, but it will ship with the game, and pre-ordering the bundle will give you access to the game's beta test.
Microsoft also gave the Xbox Elite controller a new White Special Edition paint job. The basic premise is the same: the Xbox Elite was designed to let people customize their controller's weight, layout, and feel to their liking. Now they can do so with a white controller instead of being limited to the standard black option. Microsoft, like Nintendo and Sony, is merely offering several color options to appeal to people's individual tastes. If you were one of the many people waiting for a true refresh, though, you'll have to keep being patient.
Last but not least is the new Turtle Beach Elite Pro 2 + SuperAmp Pro Performance Gaming Audio System for Xbox One. Microsoft said Turtle Beach revised the original Elite Pro "based on feedback from numerous esports world championships and the world’s top gamers" to make it more appealing. The headset is supposed to be more comfortable as well as better at blocking external noise and delivering crisp in-game audio.
These new products could help Microsoft convince Xbox players to buy more hardware, or perhaps sway those who have been on the fence about the Xbox One X because they prefer the look of the Xbox One S, but most non-Xbox owners were probably more intrigued by Xbox All Access than these new products. Odds are that only the people with the loosest purse-strings will let new color options persuade them to buy in.
More people are probably waiting for Microsoft to finally move on from the Xbox One brand. The original Xbox One debuted in 2013, and even though Xbox One S and Xbox One X are significantly more capable, they still feel less new because they bear the same name. (The same goes for Sony and the PlayStation 4 line.) Buying a limited edition Xbox One X almost seems strange after half a decade of Xbox One releases.
But there's no sign of Microsoft or Sony ditching their existing consoles any time soon. Incremental upgrades like the Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 Pro are more likely than brand new consoles for the foreseeable future. So if you're dying to get a white console, controller, or headset, the Xbox One X bundle ships November 14 for $500, the white Xbox Elite lands October 16 for $150, and the Elite Pro 2 debuts September 16 for $249. All three products are available for pre-order from Microsoft; GameStop is also taking pre-orders for the console and Xbox Elite controller.
