Hero image: The YXSTABY gaming lounge chair and D-pad cushion. Image: IKEA
IKEA and Xbox have released a furniture range built around the Xbox controller, and the whole collection is already listed on IKEA’s Australian website — with prices from A$29.99 for a cushion to A$199 for a side table on castors.
The range is called YXSTABY. According to Xbox Wire’s announcement on 1 October, it is a nine-piece collection co-developed by the two companies, with designers from each team working on every piece.
The announcement says the collection launched in IKEA stores that day, and comes online later this year. It also says availability may vary by market, so check your local store before you make the trip.
What’s in it, and what it costs
These are the Australian prices IKEA’s website listed early on Sunday morning.
The thumbstick stool is A$79.99. The lounge chair is A$179, as is the TV stand on castors, and the side table on castors is A$199.
The smaller pieces are cheaper. The controller display box is A$39.99, the D-pad cushion and the D-pad controller platter are A$29.99 each, the monitor stand is A$49.99 and the laptop support with storage is A$45.99.
The stool is the one Xbox designed from its own files
The thumbstick stool goes furthest with the idea. Xbox says it was developed from the Xbox Wireless Controller’s original 3D design files, supplied by Xbox’s own device designers.
Even the grip has a job. “Even the grip texture has a new purpose, helping to keep a person in place just as it keeps a thumb from slipping,” the announcement reads. IKEA’s product page describes the diamond pattern on top as inspired by the grip of the thumbsticks, and advises keeping your feet on the floor for stability.
It is made from polypropylene plastic — at least 50 per cent recycled, according to IKEA’s listing.
The D-pad turns up twice — as a cushion, and as a decorative platter in shiny stainless steel. The mirrored display box is meant to show off a controller from every side, alongside figurines and other collectables.
The design credits on IKEA’s Australian pages are shared. The display box and the TV stand both credit a C Ledbetter — the same name, in short form, as Carl Ledbetter, Xbox’s Head of Design for devices.
“We started with the Xbox controller—one of the most recognizable objects in gaming—and looked at how its familiar forms could inspire the collection,” Ledbetter said in the announcement.
IKEA’s Philip Dilé, a product developer on the range, framed it around the home. “At IKEA, we believe gaming deserves a place in the home that feels just as thoughtful, comfortable and personal as any other everyday activity,” he said.
The lounge chair even carries IKEA’s 10-year guarantee. What the announcement doesn’t give yet is a date for the online launch — only “later this year”.
Source: Xbox Wire – IKEA and XBOX Team Up on YXSTABY, IKEA Australia – YXSTABY gaming thumbstick stool, IKEA Australia – YXSTABY gaming lounge chair, IKEA Australia – YXSTABY controller display box