Minus the controller, Rare Replay perfectly captured the feeling of playing classic NES and SNES video games on modern hardware. But this new controller from Hyperkin aims to give Xbox One gamers a true retro experience.
Hyperkin, the company behind retro-gaming gadgets like the Retron 5, Supaboy, and the Smartboy, have just unveiled a new Xbox One/Sega Genesis controller mash-up that looks adorable.
The Hyperkin X91 focuses on Xbox One gamers who miss the feeling of holding a classic gamepad.
After the release of Rare Replay in 2015, Hyperkin’s head of Design and Product Development Chris Gallizzi felt the experience would be more enhanced with a classic controller. “The idea came from Rare Replay being announced. Myself and my electronic engineer wanted to use a retro controller to play these games and decided to hack an N64 controller to work on an Xbox One,” Gallizzi told Digital Trends. Hyperkin rigged a Nintendo 64 controller to an Xbox One and was able to get it to work. The concept got a lot of exposure and that is when Hyperkin started working on a retro-focused Xbox One controller.
While the X91 looks very cool, it is odd that the D-pad isn’t on the left. “There are certain requirements needed to be met with Xbox,” Gallizzi said. For example, the original prototypes didn’t have triggers. While Microsoft allows certain exceptions for fight pads and racing wheels, the X91 was neither of those things, so Hyperkin had to follow what Microsoft wanted.
Apart from giving a retro feel, a major advantage is its size. The X91 is smaller than a standard Xbox One controller, making it much more accessible for kids.
The controllers are up for pre-order now and are set to release on February 21 for $30. Colors include black, white, and red.
