Microsoft has been making big plays that you wouldn't normally expect from them over the past few years. Partnering with SCUF led to the Elite controller, while a recent announcement of a partnership with 8bitdo put the latter company in an interesting position of partnering with Microsoft while also making controllers that heavily evoke Nintendo's own past for controllers that are heavily used for the Switch. However, with the arrival of the Xcloud service to provide Xbox games on Android mobile devices, the times have changed and Microsoft is wisely partnering with companies that know the fields better than they do instead of assuming all the risk and making needless mistakes.

Today, OtterBox announced that they will partner with Microsoft's Xbox brand for next-generation accessories. The rise of cloud gaming will lead to new needs for mobile protection, and we will see the OtterBox gaming portfolio unveiled in January 2021. One would expect a mixture of controller and phone cases, with perhaps some slimmer cases to enable controller grips or perhaps controller grips with bundled cases for specific high-end phone models. Time will tell the tale, but 2021 will be an interesting year for Xbox and OtterBox as they enter into this partnership.