Ikea Xbox Yxstaby Collection Launches
- Ikea and Microsoft have launched the nine-piece Yxstaby furniture collection to mark the 25th anniversary of the original Xbox console.
- The range includes a thumbstick-shaped stool developed from original Xbox controller 3D design files, alongside a lounge chair, TV stand, and accessories using Xbox green.
- Yxstaby goes on sale in Ikea stores and online from 1 October, with pricing and exact market dates still to be confirmed.
Ikea and Microsoft have unveiled a joint furniture and home accessories collection timed to the 25th anniversary of the original Xbox console. The nine-piece Yxstaby range — pronounced at the buyer's own risk — is designed to bring gaming aesthetics into the living room without announcing itself as dedicated gaming furniture, and will go on sale in Ikea stores and online from 1 October, though pricing and precise launch dates are said to vary by market.
What the collection contains
The Yxstaby line spans a TV stand, laptop stand, side table, lounge chair, and a multi-functional wooden toolbox, alongside a stool, scatter cushion, decorative platter, and a mirrored display box. The collection leans on neutral Scandinavian shapes and colours, punctuated by flashes of Xbox's signature green at pockets, compartments, and trays intended to store gaming equipment.
The stool is among the more overtly referential pieces: Ikea says it was developed using original 3D design files for the Xbox controller's thumbstick. The grippy, textured surface that would ordinarily prevent a thumb from slipping now performs the same function for the seated user. Ikea designer David Wahl, who contributed to the piece, noted that the stool also replicates the physical movement of a thumbstick, tilting with the person sitting on it. "I queued all night 25 years ago to get my hands on the first Xbox console, so those shapes are nostalgic to me," Wahl said. "The challenge was making it work as a stool, with the right seating curve and stability, while still feeling like a thumbstick."
The X-shaped scatter cushion and a D-pad-inspired metallic trinket dish round out the more controller-coded accessories. The mirrored display box, available in black or white, is designed to mount Xbox controllers as wall décor. The lounge chair features a mesh pocket on its underside sized primarily for game controllers, though the design appears accommodating enough for magazines or books as well.
Functional pieces with gaming storage in mind
The easel-style TV stand — offered in white or black — is fitted with shelves, hooks, and castors so it can be moved between rooms. The side table similarly rolls, and includes a green tray for additional storage. The wooden toolbox doubles as a laptop stand, a secondary function Ikea includes without detailed explanation in its promotional materials.
Philip Dilé, a product design developer at Ikea, said the brief was to make furniture people would actively choose rather than simply tolerate. "How people play at home has shifted, and it is as much about relaxing and connecting with others as it is about performing, which changes what the space has to do," he said. "Together, we set out to make furniture people really want in their home, not furniture they accept because it is what you need to game."
The collaboration follows a pattern of Microsoft pairing its gaming identity with consumer product partnerships that extend the Xbox brand beyond hardware. With pricing yet to be confirmed across markets, the Yxstaby range's commercial appeal will depend on whether Ikea can position gaming-inspired design at its characteristically accessible price points.
