Xbox has opened pre-orders for its Xbox Wireless Controller X25 Special Edition, turning one of the most distinctive pieces of its 25th-anniversary hardware into something fans can actually order.
The controller launches on 20 October 2026 and uses a translucent OG Green design inspired by the original Xbox era. Xbox says pre-orders are open now in select markets, with availability varying by retailer and region.
For anyone who wants a piece of the anniversary collection without committing to the much more expensive Series X25 console, this is likely to be the more accessible way in.
The X25 controller is now official and available to pre-order
Xbox Wire has confirmed that the X25 Special Edition Wireless Controller is available separately from the anniversary console, with pre-orders open now in select markets ahead of its 20 October launch.
Xbox is also actively promoting the controller directly to customers, reinforcing that this has moved beyond the earlier teaser stage and into a full retail release.
The company’s official UK product page describes it as a celebration of Xbox’s legacy, built around translucent OG Green styling and design touches that reach back to the original console’s 2001 launch.
OG Green is doing most of the heavy lifting — and that is the point
The biggest attraction is obvious: the shell.
The X25 uses translucent OG Green across the top and rear casing, giving owners a partial view of the technology underneath. Xbox has even made the battery door translucent — something it describes as a first for an official Xbox Wireless Controller.
It is deliberately nostalgic rather than subtle. The green Xbox button references the original glowing green ‘X’, while the black triggers, white bumpers and coloured ABXY buttons lean heavily into the brand’s earliest visual identity.
That makes sense. A 25th-anniversary controller does not need to pretend it is a completely new piece of hardware. Its job is to make long-time Xbox players remember why the original machine felt different when it arrived in 2001.
It is still a familiar Xbox Wireless Controller underneath
Despite the anniversary styling, this is fundamentally the familiar current-generation Xbox Wireless Controller rather than a new Elite-style design or a major technical redesign.
That means the appeal is primarily aesthetic and collectible. Players already happy with the standard Xbox controller should know broadly what to expect in terms of layout and everyday feel.
For some buyers, that will be enough. Limited-edition Xbox controllers have long been an easy way to personalise a setup without replacing a console, and the X25 has considerably more historical significance than a routine colour refresh.
A much easier anniversary purchase than the Series X25
The controller also arrives alongside the Xbox Series X25 Limited Edition, the translucent anniversary console Microsoft is positioning as the centrepiece of its 25-year hardware celebration.
That machine is a much bigger commitment. The controller, by comparison, lets existing Series X, Series S, PC and compatible-device owners add the anniversary look to hardware they already use.
We will be looking separately at the Series X25 and whether its price makes sense, because the value equation is very different from buying a special-edition controller.
Xbox is leaning hard into 25 years of history
The X25 controller forms part of a much wider anniversary campaign. Xbox has already announced a global FanFest tour, anniversary profile elements, Game Pass collections and other community-focused celebrations.
Our earlier look at Xbox’s 25th-anniversary plans covers how Microsoft is spreading that celebration across hardware, events and the wider Xbox ecosystem.
There is also a bigger historical reason the green controller works. As we explored in 25 Years of Xbox: How Microsoft Changed Gaming Forever, the original console arrived as an outsider and went on to shape online console gaming, digital ecosystems and Microsoft’s entire approach to the industry.
Should you pre-order the Xbox X25 controller?
If you already need another controller and like the original Xbox aesthetic, the X25 is easy to understand. It is a familiar controller wrapped in one of Microsoft’s most meaningful special-edition designs.
Collectors have an even clearer reason to look at it. Unlike a generic seasonal colour, the X25 is directly tied to the company’s 25th anniversary and uses design cues that should remain recognisable long after the celebrations are over.
Anyone buying purely for functionality can be more relaxed. There is no need to replace a perfectly good standard controller just because the shell is green, and Xbox has not positioned the X25 as a technical leap over its existing pad.
The UK Xbox product page currently notes that prices and availability may vary by retailer, so buyers should check the final local price before treating a pre-order as automatic.
Tech Torque Verdict
The Xbox X25 Special Edition Wireless Controller gets the anniversary brief right. It does not need a complicated new feature set; the translucent OG Green shell, original-inspired details and connection to 2001 are the feature.
More importantly, it gives existing Xbox owners a way to join the 25th-anniversary hardware celebration without buying another console.
For long-time Xbox players and collectors, this is likely to be one of the most appealing pieces of the X25 range. For everyone else, it remains a familiar Xbox controller wearing a particularly good suit.
