Microsoft is revealing several new retail accessories which will launch in time for the holidays, including two colorful controller designs and a white stereo headset.

With the holiday season quickly approaching, Microsoft is going through its usual routine of preparing a line-up of Xbox products sure to pull in shoppers looking for deals. Whether it be a sale, a bundle, or a new product entirely, gamers can expect Microsoft has something in the works. Case in point: a slew of new accessories Microsoft just revealed, including two new controller designs and a "Special Edition" Xbox Stereo Headset, all of which will be available by the end of October.

As part of Microsoft's big Xbox One S holiday push, the hardware manufacturer wants plenty of accessory options available on store shelves for shoppers. That includes delivering on a previously made announcement - an updated Xbox Wireless Controller with Bluetooth and several other new features. Here's a short list of all upcoming accessories, along with their planned release windows:

  • Xbox Wireless Controller, black - $59.99 - September
  • Xbox Wireless Controller PC Bundle - $59.99 - October
  • Xbox Wireless Controller, blue - $64.99 - September 27 (Exclusive to Best Buy and Microsoft Stores)
  • Xbox Wireless Controller, Dawn Shadow Special Edition - $69.99 - October 4
  • Special Edition Xbox Stereo Headset, white - $64.99 - Late October (Exclusive to GameStop and Microsoft Stores)

Note that the white Special Edition Xbox Stereo Headset is indistinguishable from its standard Xbox Stereo Headset counterpart in all but color. This special edition is colored white specifically to accompany the launch of the Xbox One S, which along with its bundled controller are both painted white. For the gamer that must be color coordinated, the special edition will be a required purchase -- just as long as there's a GameStop or Microsoft store nearby.

Some might be curious as to why Microsoft is releasing specific color schemes for Xbox controllers despite recently launching the Xbox Design Lab -- an online service for customizing Xbox controller colors. The obvious reason is that it's good to have specialty controller available on retail shelves for holiday shoppers. Also, by providing the blue controller through retail, Microsoft is able to make available what they say is the most popular controller color scheme for much cheaper, $64.99 rather than $79.99.

Each newly available accessory for this holiday season lines up with Microsoft's current focus in gaming, which is two-fold. The launch of the Xbox One S, the updated console with a 4K Blu-Ray player and optimized hardware, will be a solid seller this season and having a selection of controllers and a white headset to go along with new bundles is smart. Second is Microsoft's newfound cross-platform support of both Xbox and PC, requires their updated controllers which will work on both PC and Xbox platforms.

Whether consumers will be buying a new Xbox One S or taking advantage of Xbox games on PC, Microsoft providing options is great for consumers. While not every retailer will stock some of Microsoft's more niche accessories, availability of any kind is welcomed.