LeBron James Teams Up With PlayStation For PS5 Design — And Twitter Has Mixed Feelings
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
LeBron James has teamed up with Sony to release limited edition PlayStation 5 accessories co-designed by the NBA icon.
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Lakers forward teased the release of a custom-made rendition of the video game console and an accompanying DualSense wireless controller on Instagram.
“Had fun with this one @playstation!! These words inspire me and my I Promise students, and I hope to do the same for gamers all over. Still crazy to think a kid from Akron who grew up playing games is getting to create something like this!” James captioned the post.
The four-time NBA champion added his own personal touches to the hardware and accessories by adorning them with personal imagery adages “that have been meaningful throughout his journey,” according to a PlayStation press release.
Featuring multi-colored inspirational quotes, the limited edition accessories include personalized messages from the NBA‘s all-time leading scorer’s “I Promise” book, such as “nothing is given, everything is earned” and “build, uplift, empower.”
After its announcement, it didn’t take long for Twitter users to voice their mixed feelings about the collaboration.
Some fans praised the PS5 controller and accompanying faceplates.
The Lebron James PS5 accessories🔥
— Dicky (@BeingDicky_) March 2, 2023
Oh boy am I excited for my NBA Superstar and PlayStation PlayMaker LeBron James Special Edition PS5 Dualsense Controller and Console Covers to come in. Oh boy am I excited. I love sports. Oh boy oh boy. pic.twitter.com/EGNLTaQ4Ig
— Unearthed Entertainment: A Show About Melons. (@UnearthedShow) March 1, 2023
Funny, I'm not a Lebron James fan and I've never watched a full NBA game in my life, but I thought it looked pretty cool. What it really made me long for though is a #ConcreteGenie#PS5 ❤️ @Pixelopus@Sony@PlayStation
— Cass Miller (@NextGen_Gamer) March 2, 2023
On the flip side, some Twitter users had no problem tearing down the new accessories, emphasizing just how “ugly” they looked.
I can tell he designed it because it’s bland and ugly.
— Thumb (@Holden13398835) March 1, 2023
those #LeBronJames x #PS5 accessories look like shit a 5 year old would draw.... fucking ugly. y'all can do better! #playstation
— 🜏 ᛉ IH8YH ᛦ 🜏 (@ih8yh) March 2, 2023
Same energy. pic.twitter.com/9UqDra0qJU
— Hutch〽️ (@HutchOfTheDead) March 1, 2023
The latest accessories are a part of Sony’s new PlayStation Playmakers program, which is set to feature upcoming collaborations from “the most exciting creators, athletes, actors, artists, gamers and entertainers in pop culture today,” according to PlayStation.
Prices for the accessories haven’t been announced yet. However, the items will be available for pre-order “later this year,” the company confirmed.
The latest collaboration marks one of James’s appearances in video games and game-related media.
In November, Sony dropped a star-studded live-action trailer for “God of War Ragnarök” starring James, Ben Stiller and John Travolta ahead of the release of the epic Nordic adventure video game.
With the father-son relationship as a key story element in the game, the hilarious trailer shows Stiller portraying Kratos as he leads a father-child support group with James, Travolta and their children.
In 2021, Xbox also released a collection of limited-edition “Space Jam: A New Legacy” Xbox controllers to commemorate the movie. As a part of a bundle, the company released the controller alongside a pair of Nike LeBron 18 Low shoes modeled after Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote.
