You never forget your first game console, but like the bond between a newborn and parent, the bond between a gamer and their first controller is even stronger, forging muscle memories that will last a lifetime. And if your first console happened to be the Xbox 360, you might be thrilled to learn that Hyperkin is bringing it back — sort of — with Xbox One and Series X|S compatibility.
With movies like Elektra, Son of the Mask, and Spielberg’s War of the Worlds, 2005 was a mostly forgettable year, although it did bring us the first follow-up to Microsoft’s foray into console gaming: the Xbox 360. With 24 million units sold, the original Xbox was a surprising success, thanks in part to Microsoft stealing Halo away from the Mac and making it an Xbox exclusive. But as Microsoft’s first-generation console, the Xbox was a little clunky (it was more or less a gaming PC in a smaller box), and its beefy controllers are still a solid punchline when reminiscing about gaming industry missteps.
The Xbox 360 was a much sleeker console that brought with it a new controller with wireless capabilities and a design that was far more comfortable to hold. It would more or less define the design of Xbox controllers (and inform the design of competing controllers) from 2005 on, but while it looks similar to what’s included with Microsoft’s modern gaming hardware, those with a collection of past Xboxes have probably discovered that the 360’s controller isn’t natively compatible with the Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S.
The new Hyperkin Xenon won’t make old Microsoft controllers suddenly work with new hardware, but it will give Xbox 360 devotees who’ve upgraded to the Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S a more familiar gaming experience. An officially licensed Xbox product, the Xenon is named after the codename for the first generation Xbox 360 console, but includes some modern updates, like Menu, View, and Share buttons.
The Hyperkin Xenon is also compatible with PCs running Windows 10 and 11, and can be connected to a console or a computer with a USB-C cable for lag-free gaming. As for pricing and when you’ll be able to upgrade (or downgrade? in this case), Hyperkin plans to reveal those details at a later date.