IKEA's new YXSTABY collection includes a stool that is the thumbstick of the Xbox Wireless Controller, rebuilt from its original 3D design files. Xbox lists the other eight pieces as a D-pad cushion, a stainless steel D-pad platter, a mirrored display box for controllers and collectibles, a lounge chair, a monitor stand, a TV stand, a side table and a laptop support with storage. Designers from both companies worked on every piece. The stool and the platter are the clearest cases of a controller part's shape being reused as furniture instead of simply printed on it.
The pieces that solve a household problem say more about the intent than the controller-shaped ones do. The TV stand rolls to wherever play is happening, with gear storage at the back, and IKEA describes it as the first TV stand of its kind it has developed. According to IKEA, the laptop support is a toolbox that keeps controllers and cables together, and its lid doubles as a laptop stand, so a dining table can become a play surface for an evening. The side table has sliding doors that hide charging space. The monitor stand lifts one or two screens and has holders for a phone, headphones and a controller.
The stool drew the most engineering. David Wahl, a designer at IKEA of Sweden, said the challenge was getting the seating curve and stability right while keeping it recognizable as a thumbstick. It tilts with the sitter the way the original does, and the grip texture that stops a thumb slipping now keeps a person from sliding off. Carl Ledbetter, head of design for Xbox Devices at Microsoft, said the goal was to celebrate Xbox design while fitting into everyday living spaces.
For Microsoft's Xbox brand, the collection carries its industrial design into a room it does not normally reach with hardware, through a mainstream furniture retailer. IKEA says it showed YXSTABY at Gamescom in August. Neither company's pages list prices, and both say availability varies by market. Xbox says the range is in IKEA stores from October 1, with online sales to follow after the in-store launch, while IKEA's earlier note had online sales starting the same day, so a buyer should check a local IKEA before planning a trip.
