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Microsoft’s oversized original Xbox controller is being resurrected for the Xbox One

Microsoft’s oversized original Xbox controller is being resurrected for the Xbox One

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The Duke rides again!

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The oversized controller from the original Xbox console — aka “The Duke” — is making a comeback on the Xbox One this holiday season, via Polygon. Accessory maker Hyperkin is partnering with Microsoft to bring back the legendary controller for the Xbox One and Windows 10 devices.

The new Duke is a slightly modernized version that will be, for the most part, a “faithful recreation of the original controller's form factor.” That’s not to say there won’t be any new features: Hyperkin is updating the controller with “a logo display screen, left and right bumpers, and a 9 ft. detachable cable.”

One of gaming’s most (in)famous pieces of hardware

The news is timely too, given that Microsoft announced earlier today that it would be adding backwards compatibility for the original Xbox to the Xbox One at its E3 keynote today.

For those not familiar with The Duke’s majesty, it came into being alongside the original Xbox when it was released on November 21, 2001 in North America. The Duke remains to this day one of gaming’s most infamous pieces of hardware, considered by most to be comically oversized and dreadfully uncomfortable. The negative feedback led to its eventual replacement by the smaller Xbox Controller S, which was originally designed for the Japanese market. The Xbox 360 and Xbox One controllers that followed also took design cues from the Controller S, instead of the Duke’s princely size.

The recreated Duke is being built with the guidance and blessing of Seamus Blackley, one of the designers of the original Xbox and long-time proponent of the massive controller.

There’s no concrete word on price or release date, but hopefully Hyperkin will have more to share soon.