Have you ever wanted your gaming console or controllers to have a unique look? Have you ever tried painting your own controllers or docks, only to find the process unsatisfying? You aren’t alone. Painting your controllers or their docks can be time-consuming, and if not done correctly, the paint can come off, the image can be distorted, or (worst of all) the paint gets in the way of your buttons, either making the controller less usable or rendering it useless until the paint is removed. Thankfully, there is now a reliable business offering this service. Dream Controller is a professional team taking orders now. You can either order new controllers/docks/bundles or send in products you already own for customization.
If you’re dreaming of dolling up your game controllers, Dream Controller offers services for many products, mainly featuring Switch and Xbox products. Using devices manufactured by the relevant game console’s company, you know that the base product will be the same quality as any other shelf-bought unit. But the cost and quality of any service aren’t guaranteed, so let’s dig into the actual value of Dream Controller’s customization services.
What’s the Service?
Dream Controller takes Nintendo and Xbox brand components and customizes them based on a theme. You can order new components, such as controllers, headphones, or charging stations, or send in your own. The customization uses hydro dip technology. This means there are no stickers to peel and no layers of paint to rub off. According to HydroDip.com, hydro dip customization lasts between 5 and 15 years, depending on the frequency of use of the item.
What Do They Customize?
Dream Controller offers reskinning for Switch and Xbox controllers, as well as the charging docks for the Switch and the Xbox controller. The full list of products is as follows:
- Xbox One/Series X Controller
- Xbox One/Series X Controller: Modded*
- Xbox One/Series X Controller and Charging Dock
- Xbox Elite Series 2 Controller
- Xbox Charging Dock (No Controller)
- Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
- Nintendo Switch Joy-Con
- Nintendo Switch Bundle (Joy-Cons, Switch Dock, and Joy-Con Grip)
- Over-ear Headphones
- Dream Bundles (Xbox Series X Controller, Charging Dock, and Headphones)
- Miscellaneous (Products like LED Coasters, T-Shirts)
*Note that this writer did not have the opportunity to review any modded controller. Modded controllers may have additional or modified functionality.
What Designs Are Available?
The #1 feature I appreciate about Dream Controller is the sheer scope of options. You can get themes ranging from Nintendo brands like Pokemon to Marvel characters like Deadpool but also include more esoteric options like The Simpsons, Dragon Ball Z, and nature themes. You can order their stock designs or customize your designs using their Build Your Own tool. Unfortunately, the Build Your Own tool is limited to Xbox One S and Xbox Elite controllers.
What’s Included?
In the box, you will find the product you ordered, just as if you were buying it directly from the manufacturer. For example, if you were to buy the Nintendo Switch Bundle pictured above, you would get a console, a pair of Joy-Con controllers, a dock, a Joy-Con grip, an AC adapter, an HDMI cable, and a pair of Joy-Con straps. These are the exact items included in the sale of a Switch Console from Nintendo because that’s exactly what you’re getting.
Dream Controller takes a commercially packaged product, like the console, customizes it, and puts it back in its original packaging for shipping.
Is It Worth It?
Their website doesn’t do a great job of clarifying the value of the items you are receiving, so let’s break down what these costs run. Remember, the website offers accessories, controllers, and more for Nintendo Switch, Xbox One/Series X, and Xbox Elite Series 2, but I’ll use the Switch in my examples because they were kind enough to send me the Pokemon Legends: Arceus-themed Joy-Cons.
Pro: You Know What You’re Getting
If you order a product, you get the off-the-shelf manufacturer-brand product, just as if you ordered it from the console brand directly. For example, if you order the Nintendo Switch Full Set, you get the same product as if you bought the Amazon listing equivalent. The difference is entirely aesthetic, with the Dock, Joy-Cons, and Joy-Con grip all being customized according to the theme you order. The Amazon listing is $295.26 as of the publication of this article.
Con: Cost and Purchase Options
If I were to order the Dream Controller listing for the Iron Man Switch set, it would cost $579.99 as listed, or $529.99 on sale (as of the publication of this article). This is a markup of approximately 96%, with the console costing approximately $295 and the reskinning costing approximately $285. Finally, if you notice in the picture above, there are other products listed by default, which are also added to your cart unless you deselect them. To add insult to injury, these products don’t even match the item you order.
Pro: Quality of Design
First of all, I received a pair of controllers inspired by Pokemon Legends: Arceus, which includes a dark gray controller and a white controller, themed after Girantina and Arceus, respectively. The art is beautiful and evocative. There is no doubt which Pokemon are featured, at least for fans of the series. So far, so good. When I took the controllers out of their packaging, I was impressed by the visual clarity. The controllers were on-theme and looked like the pictures in their shop. The only way to get a pixel-perfect reproduction is to use stickers, which come with their own drawbacks, so keep that in mind when you’re looking at designs. You can see some of the minor differences in the pictures below.
Con: Quality of Execution
After about 2 weeks, I noticed that the Arceus-themed controller, which is meant to be a chromatic white, is faintly pink with a gray undertone. I can’t be sure if it was that way all along and I didn’t notice or if it changed, but either way, it’s noticeable now. There’s also some small amount of pitting in the surface on the back of one controller, which may one day result in minor localized deterioration. All that said, this is me being very nit-picky, as I have no doubt that anything I could do at home, or by ordering from somewhere else, would be vastly inferior.
Pro: Diversity and Customizability
I tried more than once to count all the themes available, and lost count each time. Falcon America, Wakanda Forever, Dead by Daylight, John Wick, the US Marine Corp, Polar Express, Naruto, FIFA, Shaun the Sheep, DC, and even OREO cookies all make an appearance alongside countless others. You can buy individual components or bundles, have the products all match, or mix and match by combining purchases, or even put in a custom order to get exactly what you’d like. This truly is the greatest selling point, and I suspect they will only continue to add more designs and products as time goes on.
TL:DR
Dream Controller offers gamers the chance to decorate their hardware to get the custom aesthetic they’re dreaming of, without running the risk of ruining their units in an at-home effort. There’s no need to disassemble your own equipment, paint it, finish it, and reassemble it, all while hoping the controller is still going to be useful on the other side of the attempt. Dream Controller includes the unit in the cost of purchase, but if you have a favorite product already, you can send yours in to have it customized by their team. The service is a bit expensive, but the results are high quality.
