Halo's 20th Anniversary celebrations don't look like they're ending anytime soon, because new products just keep coming. Hyperkin is releasing a special wired Duke controller themed after Halo's iconic AI, Cortana.
Arguably Xbox's most popular franchise, Halo has been receiving limited edition products ever since its inception 20 years ago. Last month, Xbox revealed the Halo Infinite limited edition Xbox Series X console and Elite controller, which are perhaps the pinnacle of Halo memorbillia. Hyperkin is a third party manufacturer who make everything from controllers, to modernized retro consoles. A couple years ago, Hyperkin revived the Duke controller for Xbox One, the beefy controller disappearing when the Xbox 360 released.
Hyperkin recently unveiled its stunning Cortana inspired Duke controller for Halo's 20th Anniversary. The controller was designed in collaboration with 343 Industries and Xbox and is compatible with Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC. It is a beautiful translucent purple, with the right grip featuring a stylish etching of Cortana, and on the back is the Halo "20 Years" insiginia. Cortana's appearance has changed throughout Halo, and the controller captures her original look with a stern expression and short hair.
As far as technical specifications go, this controller is identical to black and white Duke variants, also to be releasing soon. It has a 3.5mm headset jack, a detachable Type-C cable, and the bumpers mirror the black and white buttons. Exclusive to the Cortana controller though is a special Cortana montage that plays right inside the Xbox button, which likely feature some of Cortana's greatest moments. This controller, along with the black and white variants, are up for pre-order now at $89.99 until November 1.
Of all the Halo themed consoles and controllers fans have gotten over the years, this may in fact be the first controller themed after Cortana. Much of Halo's Xbox-oriented merchandising is based off the Master Chief, featuring hallmarks of his iconic suit, or the Halo canon in general, with strange geometric patterns based off the Forerunners' aesthetic, or olive drab UNSC-inspired pieces. Halo 5's Spartan Locke broke tradition when he received a grey and blue Xbox One controller alongside a Master Chief one. Cortana is arguablly just as important to the Halo franchise as Master Chief, so it is great to see her getting some love with this controller.
Source: Hyperkin