Xbox ‘Remix’ controller features more recycled materials for Earth Day
thesixthaxis.comMicrosoft has revealed the Xbox Wireless Controller – Remix Special Edition, a new limited edition controller that emphasises the use of recycled plastics and resins to mark Earth Day, while also highlighting the company’s push toward more sustainable practices.
The Remix controller has taken inspiration from the natural world for its colours, the front case inspired by lichen in the Pacific Northwest, while the new plastic mould for the bumpers, triggers and side grips have a topographical texture to them.
What will make this controller unique is that the colours come from a process called Regrind. This turns to Microsoft’s own production lines to take leftover Xbox One era controller parts, and reprocess them alongside new plastics to create new Xbox Series controllers, which have had a subtly refined shape. It’s a similar idea to the regular post-consumer recycled (PCR) resins that are also being used, which reclaim material from car headlight covers, plastic water jugs and CDs.
By weight, around one third of the controller’s plastics come from recycled sources for the exterior, and around half for the internal component. This point will be accounted for across the entire production line and individual controllers will have some variance.
The Xbox Remix controller will also bundle in the Xbox Rechargeable Battery Pack instead of coming with a pair of single-use batteries as the rest of the Xbox controller line up does. This, however, sees Microsoft bumping up the price from $60 to $85 – Xbox gamers are better off using rechargeable AA batteries, to be honest. Companies could also drive change by making these partially recycled products cheaper than non-recycled ones.
Microsoft has been integrating PCR into their hardware
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