Retro-Inspired Transparent Sky Cipher Xbox Controller Available for Preorder [CNET]

The new device harkens back to an era when transparent plastic was all the rage.

The new Sky Cipher Special Edition Xbox controller, due out in August, might bring back fond memories to veteran gamers who remember the transparent-plastic craze of the 1990s. 

Microsoft released information about the $70 controller, which debuts on Aug. 13 and is available for preorder, in a post announcing, “Transparent tech is making a major comeback!” That might remain to be seen, but the Sky Cipher certain has the looks: it’s blue with metal features and a silver interior and has all the usual features you’d expect in a modern Xbox controller: Bluetooth compatibility with PCs and mobile device, a dedicated share button, a 3.5mm audio jack and 40 hours of battery life with two AA batteries, the company said.

The company said that with this release, it has revamped the packaging for its controllers to remove single-use plastics and a QR code instead of a paper manual. The packaging itself is also 22 percent smaller, Microsoft says.

Transparent game controllers, and even game consoles, were popular in the 1990s, riding a wave of popularity that was ushered in, in part, by the colorful iBook clamshell design. You can still find some sold today, but they’re typically from third-party manufacturers and not from the major game console companies themselves such as Sony, Nintendo or Microsoft.