Xbox announced another new Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One controller this week with the unveiling of the Stellar Shift controller, a unit that is compatible with both consoles as well as the PC platform. As the name suggests, this controller is part of the “Shift” collection that includes others such as the Lunar Shift, and while it does have some of the features that the others in the collection sport, such as textured triggers and other grips , it has something that other controllers don’t have. It: An exclusive wallpaper for your console.
The new feature was highlighted in the Xbox controller announcement, along with a preview of what this background would look like. Intended to match the controller’s aesthetic, the dynamic background below adds a swirling space scene to your Xbox, but only if you have this controller.
“A special feature of the Stellar Shift Xbox Wireless Controller that you don’t want to miss is the unique dynamic wallpaper that only unlocks once you connect your new controller to your Xbox Series X|S console,” says the Xbox announcement for this new controller said. “Dynamic wallpapers are animated additions that bring your Xbox dashboard to life. Enjoy the deep purple and blue swirling design as you make your way to wherever your Xbox takes you.”
We know, it’s beautiful. That’s why we’ve made it into a dynamic wallpaper that you can get by connecting your new Stellar Shift to your Xbox Series X|S console. Download the details here: https://t.co/cRFhTwPJjc
You’re welcome đź’« pic.twitter.com/eMT3dg82rM
— Xbox (@Xbox) February 7, 2023
Interestingly enough, it seems that the way this controller’s wallpaper works is that it doesn’t stay on your console permanently if you switch to a different wallpaper at any point. Xbox said you can switch back and forth at any time just like you normally would with wallpapers, but if you want to apply the Stellar Shift wallpaper after using something else you’ll have to “hold the Stellar Shift controller back on connect the console and navigate to the menu to reapply.”
Regardless of how it works, it’s an unprecedented and useful feature for Xbox to implement. This version of the controller is considered the “special edition”, although there is no other version of the controller to choose from, and it still costs $69.99 like other Xbox controllers.
It looks like the Shift family of controllers will continue to grow, given that we’ve already seen a number of them, although it remains to be seen whether future controllers will include these kinds of features.
