What is Designed for Xbox?

In a nutshell, Designed for Xbox is a program that third-party Xbox accessory companies can apply for and join that allows Xbox engineers to oversee the production of a particular accessory. The accessory that's being developed — be it headphones, displays, controller, or more — is then tested by Xbox engineers for quality purposes that check the product's performance, safety, and security. It also means that the item is built for continuous compatibility across both Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One console generations.

Alongside the basic green logo, there is a Designed for Xbox Limited Series logo as well, which is silver in colour and used for premium accessories with unique designs and custom-made features made specifically for Xbox. There aren't too many of these items on the market right now but know that they come with a price tag to reflect their Designed for Xbox Limited Series standing.

There are accessories in the Designed for Xbox program that are built for each of your Xbox-supported devices, whether that be Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, tablet, or mobile. The sticker doesn't necessarily dictate the price of the accessory either, meaning there are products available to cater for all budgets, unless it's a Limited Series item.

Designed for Xbox highlights

We've had a chance to play with a number of items from the huge list of Designed for Xbox accessories, such as headsets and controllers. Here are just a few of our top picks:

Headset — LucidSound LS100X Wireless Gaming Headset: The LS100X is fantastic value for its $100 price tag. Sporting an extremely long battery life of up to 130 hours, intuitive controls, both Bluetooth and Gaming modes, and three sound modes that offer some great bass feedback. They lack a little in the microphone department, but for the price and the adaptability they offer, we think it's an acceptable loss. Check out our LucidSound LS100X Wireless Gaming Headset impressions for a deeper dive.

Controller — Turtle Beach REACT-R Xbox controller: We were really impressed with this $40 wired Xbox controller in our Turtle Beach REACT-R impressions, thanks to its comfort, additional 'Superhuman Hearing' technology for use with any wired headset, audio controls, and rear 'Quick Action' paddles. In fact, you'd be hard put to find a better controller at that price tag, and it performs admirably.

Cloud gaming controller — Nacon MG-X Pro Controller: Coming in slightly bulkier than the MGX, Nacon's MGX-Pro offers a more contemporary Xbox controller feeling when playing your Xbox Cloud Gaming titles. It is an Android-only device and sports Bluetooth 4.2, so it's not a direct plug-in like Razor's Kishi, but we didn't really notice any delay that wasn't associated with cloud gaming during our Nacon MGX-Pro impressions. It's a smart bit of kit and definitely beats having to clip your phone on top of a standard Xbox controller — it does come with a price tag of $80, though.

Brands and products

We've compiled a list of the companies with Designed for Xbox products and what accessories they have on the market.