Microsoft’s 25th anniversary Xbox controller now appears to have a release date, with a new report pointing to an October launch for the nostalgia-heavy Xbox X25 Special Edition Wireless Controller.
According to Dealabs, the Xbox X25 controller will be released on October 20, 2026, priced at $79.99 in the US. Pre-orders are reportedly scheduled to begin on August 26, putting the announcement firmly within Microsoft’s Gamescom 2026 plans. Microsoft has not yet confirmed those release details, so the date and pricing should be treated as reported information for now.
The controller itself is not exactly a surprise. Microsoft unveiled the Xbox X25 Special Edition Wireless Controller during the Xbox Games Showcase in June, alongside a matching Xbox Series X25 console. Both are part of the company’s celebrations marking 25 years since the original Xbox arrived in 2001.
Visually, Microsoft is leaning heavily into that history. The X25 controller uses a translucent green design that recalls the color closely associated with the early Xbox brand. It is a familiar strategy for gaming hardware manufacturers, where anniversary products increasingly serve as collectibles as much as everyday accessories.
What buyers should not expect, based on what has been revealed so far, is a major change to the standard Xbox controller formula. The X25 is primarily a special-edition design rather than a new generation of controller hardware. That distinction matters at $79.99, since buyers are essentially paying for the anniversary styling rather than a significant upgrade in functionality.
Microsoft may have more ambitious controller hardware waiting elsewhere. Recent reports and leaks have pointed toward an Xbox Elite Series 3 controller with potential hardware changes, although the company has yet to officially announce such a device. If those reports prove accurate, Microsoft could end up targeting two very different audiences: collectors interested in the X25 and players looking for more advanced features from a future Elite model.
There is also the question of the matching Xbox Series X25 console. Dealabs reportedly has no release information for the anniversary console, leaving it unclear whether Microsoft intends to launch both products together. A coordinated release would make sense given their shared design and anniversary theme, but there is currently no confirmation that this will happen.
Gamescom should provide a clearer picture. Microsoft is expected to have a significant presence at the 2026 event, and an August 26 pre-order date would give the company an obvious opportunity to formally detail the X25 controller’s availability.
For Xbox owners, the X25 looks less like an essential hardware upgrade and more like a carefully timed piece of anniversary memorabilia. Whether that is enough to justify the $79.99 price will depend largely on how much value buyers place on translucent green plastic and 25 years of Xbox nostalgia.
