I'm a big fan of controllers and the earth. The former because it helps me play games more comfortably and the latter because it's where I keep all my stuff. Microsoft has announced a new special edition controller with the upcoming Earth Day in mind. It is called the "Remix Special Edition" (opens in new tab). To further accentuate its recycled look, the controller is rather ugly and reminds one of Australia's recycling garbage cans (opens in new tab).

The dull green monstrosity is one-third made of recycled and repurposed materials, in this case recycled materials being the leftover parts of the Xbox One controller returned to raw materials. Also used are materials recycled from CDs and headlights. The controller also includes a rechargeable battery pack.

This is a great initiative, but it seems like something that should be standard practice, especially in the manufacture of leisure equipment. Microsoft explains that this is part of their quest for ways to reduce waste on their sustainability page (opens in new tab), which lays out their plans for a zero waste future.

For now, these methods give the Remix Special Edition controller a unique look and feel that no other device has. The look is said to be inspired by the natural world and earth colors, with pops of bright colors. The front plate is bin green with a beigeish brown hand grip. The back is slate-toned blue, and the pop of color is used for the booger green D-pad and trigger. If you haven't noticed, I don't like this color very much.

This look is a shame, as Xbox makes some truly stunning controllers. I have a Steller Shift purple controller that phases between blue and purple, and it is gorgeous. In addition, there is a design lab where you can customize the Elite controller (opens in a new tab) to make it look great today.

I can only assume that something as nice as this was not possible due to the manufacturing process, but Microsoft recently released a bright green Xbox controller (opens in new tab) that is still nicer than this. It's a shame that this controller adds to the perception that recycled items have to look like it. Imagine being inspired by the earth and coming up with something as dull as this.

If, unlike me, you are interested in the Xbox Wireless Controller Remix Special Edition, you can pre-order it for US$85 before its release on April 18. It's a bit more expensive than the regular Xbox controller, but considering that it comes with a rechargeable battery pack and is "earth-friendly," I think it's a fair price. Hopefully there will be cooler controllers in the future with similar or even better construction.