God Help Me, I Tried the Furry Sonic Xbox Controllers

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This is a hero's journey into the heart of existentially terrifying, hedgehog-themed merch.

The Esquire Gamer Zone is a safe space. So let's talk. Pop culture has Sonic fever right now, with the recent debut of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in theaters. An overwhelming need to go fast, collect rings, and style our 'staches like Doctor Eggman. But for us gamers, the ones who have supported Sonic all these years through thick and thin, what can we do to really show him love?

We can win furry, Sonic-themed Xbox controllers of course. Yes, this is a real thing. Microsoft teamed up with the Sonic peeps to create an Xbox Series S with a classic gold ring around the fan and a decal of Sonic and Knuckles duking it out from the new movie. It all comes nicely packed in a ring container, which holds the star of the show: the mammal controllers. Red for the echidna Knuckles, and blue for our favorite hedgehog, Sonic. The controllers are only hairy on the front, but rest assured, that is still plenty of fur. Sadly, you can't purchase these bad boys. You’ll have to count your lucky rings and hope the hedgehog gods smile upon you, by entering Xbox’s official competition to win the kit here.

But is it practical to game with these shagged contraptions, or is a pure gimmick? I decided to find out and re-review my favorite titles with the Sonic furry controllers. Let's find out how they withstand the life of a gamer.

First things first. I booted up the Xbox and went through my library to decide where to land. Now, at the risk of receiving many Xbox is better! responses, I am normally a PlayStation and Nintendo gamer. Just the way I grew up. I still