Ikea’s new collab turns Xbox controllers into furniture

For anyone who’s twiddled their way through several dozen hours of Halo or Grand Theft Auto, the newest Ikea home furnishings collection will probably look very familiar.

The nine-item collection, named Yxstaby, is a collaboration between Ikea and Xbox focused on furniture and objects meant to be used by gamers. Several of the main design moves come directly from the Xbox controller itself.

There’s a mint green pillow that’s X-shaped like the directional arrows of the controller’s D pad. There’s a faceted metal dish that mimics the form of the rounded D pad buttons on <a href="https://www.xbox.com/en-US/accessories/controllers/elite-wireless-controller-series-2?wfExp=382A” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>special Elite Series controllers. And there’s a compact stool that looks like a giant version of the controller’s thumbstick, complete with a slight rounded bottom that lets a user pivot in all directions, just like the thumbstick.

But the Yxstaby items are not meant to merely ape the controller. Ikea’s designers worked directly with Xbox’s designers to come up with pieces that address the evolving way gaming happens inside people’s homes.

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“Gaming has advanced from the basement. People play games in all the rooms of the home,” says Carl Ledbetter, head of design for Xbox devices. “The biggest change is designing products that meet people where they want to play, how they want to play, and any place they want to play.”

That means playing on computers, consoles, and handhelds, sitting on couches, chairs, or even the floor. Ikea and Xbox designers worked together to develop the furniture and furnishings that could accommodate these varied modes.

For the console player, the designers came up with a chalkboard-style TV stand that can hold a large flat screen while also storing the console and its peripheral cords and devices. Set on wheels, the TV stand can be moved closer to players during game time.