Xbox Almost Cancelled Its Adaptive Controller Before A Change Of Heart

Xbox's Adaptive Controller is one of the most innovative gaming products we've ever seen from one of the big manufacturers; it opens the door for many, many different ways to play. While Microsoft has been lauded for developing and releasing the accessory, as it turns out, the controller almost never came to market.

In a new interview with The Verge, Microsoft's Robin Seiler reveals that at one stage, the pad was "on the cut list", before teams across Xbox and Microsoft Surface claimed that the accessory was too important to leave on the cutting room floor.

"Across teams, Xbox and Surface, we said, ‘No this is actually important for the world. This isn’t about revenue or brand positioning; it’s just important for people to be able to play games if they want to'."

Given the reception to its release — and the sheer number of consoles, setups and needs that the Adaptive Controller caters to — we're very glad Microsoft managed to get this thing out the door.

The interview also explains that since the controller launched, Microsoft has altered its stance on accessibility within its Surface department - in fact, right across Microsoft as a whole. It looks like the teams' persistence paid off with the Adaptive Controller!

Are you surprised to hear that this controller almost never came out? Let us know!