Opinion: I’m crying out for more colors on Xbox
It’s been over eight years since the Xbox One launched, and albeit the console’s UI is practically unrecognizable from the primary iteration that greeted players in 2013, one element has stubbornly stood the test of time: the restrictive amount of profile colors available.
In a world where every mouse and keyboard is capable of putting on a self-contained RGB display – and more consumers than ever are illuminating their home entertainment centers with glowing LEDs (which can help elevate even the foremost humble of setups into something eye-catching) – the shortage of color options on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S stands out. It’s at odds with the sheer amount of customization options the remainder of the console offers also, but unfortunately, it continues to be overlooked with every major update.
The Xbox Series X and a full family of Xbox consoles allow you to tinker to a satisfying degree. you’ll change your profile picture, use achievement art as your background, organize your favorite games into specific groups and rearrange the house screen to fit your preference.
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You can also pick between light and dark themes, change the transparency of the tiles, and even organize your games in several pleasing ways, like seeing which titles are enhanced for Xbox One X.
And albeit the Xbox isn’t the superior, intuitive user experience you will find, especially for newcomers, there’s an appealing amount of granularity on offer to those that wish to explore every possible setting. (It took me years to get this Xbox feature as a result.)
True colors
But when it involves profile colors, which are neatly integrated throughout the Xbox interface, it feels annoyingly restrictive. There are 21 colors to settle on from, which admittedly seems like tons. But the matter is, half of them are identical. you’ve got light green, a darker green, a teal, a lighter teal, a purple, a lighter purple, then on then forth. Some key colors are missing, too, like black, white, and yellow, limiting your ability to precise yourself or match your current setup.
What makes the matter more frustrating is that on Windows 10, there are 48 standard color types to settle on from. you’ll even create a custom accent color employing a color picker and brightness slider. Not every color is supported, as you would possibly expect, but there’s a far greater chance you’ll be ready to create a glance that’s much more personal to you.
Technicolor dream box
Microsoft’s new Xbox Wireless Controller designs also ignite my desire for more color options further. I want to inject that striking neon yellow color of the new Volt Xbox Wireless Controller into the Xbox dashboard, but the closest option available I can pick maybe a mild orange…
Demanding that Microsoft add more profile colors could seem sort of a trivial request, and in some ways, that’s exactly why it’s so irritating that we still only have the stock 21 colors from 2013 at our disposal. Suppose Microsoft could provide a minimum of match the color options available on Windows 10. In that case, that might be a start, and it might greatly benefit Microsoft’s goal of creating PC and Xbox ecosystems that feel more aligned.
Consider this a colorful cry out for help, Microsoft.
