Hyperkin takes us back to the early 2000s with its new Xbox controller.

I've long thought that Xbox has the best controllers in gaming. From the get-go in 2001, Microsoft broke onto the gaming market with innovative and stylish game controllers, including the massive and unwieldy OG Duke controller with its uniquely-designed joysticks and hulking frame. It turns out that the most popular Xbox controller wasn't even meant for the U.S.
If you grew up with the OG Xbox, odds are that you fell into two camps: Either you handled the oversized Duke, or you opted for the S controller with its uniform joysticks and more comfortable user-friendly casing (there was probably a Mad Catz controller or two in there but no one really wanted to use those all that much). Having already resurrected the Duke, peripheral-maker Hyperkin is now bringing back the S controller.
Originally made for Japanese gamers, the Xbox S controller eventually replaced and phased out the Duke to become the leading pack-in Xbox device.
Hyperkin's take on the S controller is called the DuchesS, filling out the Duke and Duchess theme. It's a wired controller that's compatible with the Gen 8 Xbox One console family, the Gen 9 Xbox duo, and of course Windows PCs. It sports a share button, USB-C connectivity (USB-A to USB-C because the Xbox Series X/S do not have native USB-C ports), and a 3.5mm headphone port for headphone wearers.
Price and release date availability have yet to be announced, but the current Hyperkin Duke controller retails for a steeper $90, making it more of a collectible peripheral rather than an easily-accessible device.




