Xbox have confirmed the rumours of a new controller model for the Xbox 360 today with community rep Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb lifting the veil to give us a good look.

It's not a major overhaul but gamers that like to use the D-pad arrows when available might be interested to see the new screw mechanism that aims to make D-Pad movement control more accurate and responsive.

The engineers have come up with an ingenious solution with a d-pad that can go from a plus to a disc with the twist of the wrist.

It also does away with the Red/Green/Blue/Yellow buttons for the first time, opting for a greyscale pallette. For a closer look at the new D-Pad in action, check out the video on Major Nelson's blog.

The controller is due to hit U.S. shelves (only with a new Play & Charge kit) on November 9th 2010. Hyrb mentions that a European release is expected in Feburary 2011, so Australia will likely see them around then also.

Grey scale looks really cool oddly enough. Bout time they fixed the s***ty D-pad controls too as so many times I push up and the thing goes left or right instead. Now if they can just make the damn thing bigger so people with big hands like myself don't feel like they are holding a toy that is threatening to snap at any moment, i'll be very happy.

last edited by DM at 14:52:05 01/Sep/10

Here's the vid to save you clicking through - it says it all really. Interesting design with the D-Pad.

Now if they can just make the damn thing bigger so people with big hands like myself don't feel like they are holding a toy that is threatening to snap at any moment, i'll be very happy.

you must be a f***ing giant.

i think the controller colours look f***ing stupid and completely clash with my black xbox.

but what ever.

you must be a f***ing giant.

bahahah my thoughts exactly.

I'm with that other guy, I find the controller just a tad too small and my hands get cramped :(

Also I guess they'll have to change all their games & UI that say press red to go back since there's no red button any more.

The greyscale is dumb.

What they should do is have the left thumbstick as normal, but make the right thumbstick a little mini trackball. Would make controllers leet for fps games.

I've never had a problem with the current D-pad

Play many arcade games? It's suckiness is really exposed on those.

I've never had a problem with the current D-pad

Yeah that's probably because you use it to switch between weapons or change views or some other lame s*** once in a while.

In a fighting game try doing this combo with precision motion timing:

>v><><>><^^^^^^>^>^<<<^^^^v^^^>^>^>>^^>^>^^^>v^ light punch.

and that's just for a 2 hit combo.

but make the right thumbstick a little mini trackball

Holy f*** what an awesome idea. Why hasn't someone worked this out as a sort of premium controller type deal?

I reckon that would be just as good as a mouse when you get used to it. Also this was the infamous SwissCMs idea.

Wtf, how is the 360 control too small? I'm 6'5", and so my hands are proportionally large, and the 360 controller fits absolutely perfectly in my hands.

You're either like 8 feet tall, or you're full of s***.

I actually liked the size of the first controllers on the original xbox...

^ Me too. It wasn't huge like everyone complained. At least not to me and that felt more natural