Xbox Controller Actually Smells Like Pizza

By Jason Collins | Updated

xbox pizza
The pizza controller, Credit: Microsoft

Modern gaming, facilitated by modern hardware, is a true blessing for the senses. Unparalleled graphical fidelity output by powerful GPUs, impeccable audio playing on the headphones, voice chat, and even haptic feedback immerse us into the game and stimulate all the senses, but one—smell; games don’t smell. Well, that’s about to change now; Microsoft launched a pizza-scented Xbox Pizza Controller.

According to Kotaku, this isn’t any ordinary Xbox pizza-scented controller; it’s actually a promotional item for the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem movie, with a built-in diffuser in the back which spreads the lovely smell of pizza for gamers to enjoy.

It’s actually a perfect controller for playing the previously released Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge while simultaneously making you hungry and killing your controller’s battery life. Well, it’s time to say goodbye to our waistlines.

On that note, the practicality of the Xbox Pizza Controller is questionable. Sure, it’s a good-quality controller from a build-quality standpoint, but the presence of a pizza-scent diffuser will likely impact your gaming focus—you’re likely to get hungry from the smell.

Furthermore, the diffuser isn’t exactly small, but rather bulky, in the form of a large pizza slice protruding from the back of the controller, which could be a good thing from an ergonomics standpoint, as it makes carrying the controller easier than usual.

Those interested in obtaining an Xbox Pizza Controller can’t actually buy it. It’s a limited-edition giveaway through sweepstakes. Fans have to follow Xbox Game Pass on Twitter and retweet an actual tweet for the chance to win the controller.

That’s perhaps a good thing; having a bunch of pizza-scented controllers on game nights, when most gamers actually order pizza or take out, is likely to impede gaming performance. On top of that, the scent will eventually wear out, and you’ll be left with a very strangely-shaped controller.

xbox pizza
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

On the other hand, obtaining one of these controllers isn’t a bad investment: it’s a limited-edition item, so it’s likely going to fetch a good price in mint condition, especially after the giveaway concludes and these become a true rarity among gamers. We can imagine an Xbox Pizza Controller selling for double, perhaps even triple, the price of a typical Xbox Wireless Controller.

Considering that you can basically get the item free of charge by just following Xbox Game Pass on Twitter, and retweeting their tweet, provides a fantastic return on investment.

Xbox Pizza Controller isn’t the only part of the Microsoft × Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover. It also extends to Minecraft, with the new DLC dropping on August 3, which will add playable Turtles, Krang, and Leatherhead enemies, as well as several locations from the movie, including the sewer lair.

Unfortunately, further details regarding the crossover remain under wraps, so we’ll have to wait for the release date to learn more. In the meantime, gamers can always enjoy several new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles releases while they wait for the DLC release and for the giveaway to end.