Every Xbox Design Lab option explained – what you can tweak

Table of Content

Microsoft has updated its official guide to Xbox Design Lab, detailing how players can personalize the Xbox Wireless Controller and the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 across 10 customization areas. The platform includes live previews and the ability to save configurations to a personal gallery. The 2025 refresh also spotlights accessibility additions with 3D-printable thumbstick toppers. Below is a concise breakdown of what’s supported and how the options differ between controller families.

Two controller families supported

Xbox Design Lab covers both the standard Xbox Wireless Controller and the pro-oriented Elite Series 2. The Elite model retains its advanced hardware – including adjustable thumbsticks, hair trigger locks and rubberized grips as standard – while the Wireless Controller can be configured with optional grips. Both families share broad color and finish choices, with Elite offering additional metallic treatments and deeper part-by-part customization.

10 customization areas – what you can change

Xbox Design Lab splits personalization into 10 distinct categories. Players can mix finishes, patterns and colors, and on Elite, customize multiple sub-components per part. Here’s what the updated guide confirms:

• Body – Entire front case. Wireless offers matte colors plus patterns like Vapor, Shift, Camo, a Pride design, and game-inspired options (for example, a Fallout top case). Elite adds matte colors, game-inspired looks and the Cipher series with a transparent shell.
• Back – Rear case behind the grips. All standard colors available to match or contrast with the front.
• Grips – Optional rubberized back and side grips on the Wireless Controller; rubberized grips are standard on Elite Series 2.
• Bumpers – Top buttons and the bridge between them. Wireless uses the standard color palette; Elite offers metallic finishes.
• Triggers – Standard colors on Wireless with additional metallic options; Elite provides a set of metallic designs that can match or contrast the bumpers.
• D-Pad – Wireless supports standard colors, including metallic. Elite lets you choose the classic four-direction or the Faceted D-pad, with single-tone metallic finishes and multi-toned Chroma options.
• Thumbsticks – Wireless can use any standard color. Elite separates customization of the metal base, thumbstick ring and topper for finer control.
• ABXY buttons – Wireless includes 7 designs (from classic colored to various two-tone treatments). Elite expands this to 20 treatments, including colored variants.
• View, Menu, Share buttons – Wireless offers 5 designs for the center buttons; Elite provides 24 color options.
• Engraving – Both controllers support a 16-character engraving for names, Gamertags or short messages.

Design tools built in

Xbox Design Lab includes a real-time preview of every change and the option to save multiple designs into a personal gallery. That makes it easier to compare variants side by side before finalizing a configuration.

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Accessibility: adaptive thumbstick toppers

Microsoft collaborated with community members, charities and a hospital involved in adaptive gaming and 3D printing to release complimentary 3D-printable files for adaptive thumbstick toppers. These files are designed to support a range of accessibility needs and work with both the Xbox Wireless Controller and the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2. Design Lab also offers thumbstick topper designs for the Xbox Adaptive Joystick.

Updated for 2025

The official guide notes that it was originally published in 2024 and has been updated for 2025, reflecting the current set of finishes, patterns and configuration choices across both controller families and the latest accessibility assets.

Why this matters – a clearer path to the right build

The refreshed breakdown centralizes what can be personalized on each controller – helping players understand differences between the Wireless and Elite models, plan their colorways and patterns, and account for accessibility needs with printable toppers.