How to Paint an Xbox Controller

If you’ve ever wondered how to paint your Xbox One controller or create a custom Xbox One controller, you’ve come to the right place.

You may be opening your Xbox controller shell to clean or replace joysticks, bumpers, triggers, or buttons. Or you’re trying to fix one of the common Xbox problems like stick drift. Regardless of why you’re opening your controller, it might not be a bad time to paint your shell given some of the hard work of removing outer components.

Adding a fresh coat of paint or a custom design not only makes your controller stand out but also adds a personal touch that reflects your gaming style.

In this guide on how to paint your Xbox controller (any controller, really), we’ll walk you through every step of the process, from preparation to the final strokes, so you can confidently transform your controller into a one-of-a-kind piece of art.

While painting an Xbox One controller is not that difficult, learning how to properly paint the controller so the finish looks professional and lasts for years to come takes some additional time and care.

We’ll walk you through the ins and outs of how to paint an Xbox controller, including prepping, painting, and properly finishing your controller shell.

While only a part of the guide, one of the fascinating things about the process is learning about how to prepare plastics surfaces for bonding. We all know wood, metal, and brick accept paint easily. Plastic? Not so much…

Step 1: Gather Your Supplies

Here is a list of supplies you should gather before painting your Xbox One (or any other) controller. Unfortunately, not everything can be found at your local Home Depot, Lowes, or hardware store. So we compiled a one-stop shop to make your life easier:

• Plastic Adhesion Promoter
• Plastic Primer (White)
• Plastic Paint (Recommended)
• Clear Enamel/Coat
• Plastic Trim Tool
• Scuff Pad/Scotch-Brite
• Nitrile Gloves
• Respirator
• Canvas Drop Cloth
• Xbox One Controller

Step 2: Open Your Xbox One Controller

The first thing you’ll need to do is open your Xbox One controller. I’ll cover painting the shell in this tutorial because I enjoy the contrast of the factory black (or white) buttons on a vibrant or rich color, but you can apply the same technique to other parts – it might just require more attention to detail and time than the easy to paint faceplates.

Check out our Xbox One Repair Guide on How to Open an Xbox One Controller. There are tons of details around removing the face place and other components to access the right areas for the repair or upgrade you want to perform.

As a reminder – you can buy custom Xbox controller buttons, triggers, bumpers, and start buttons. It’s much easier than trying to paint these delicate parts and, they’ll last longer.

Step 3: Clean the Faceplate with Soap and Water

The first part of this tutorial on how to paint your Xbox One controller is pretty straightforward: wash your controller shell.

You’ll want to wash your controller with hot water and dish soap (recommended) in order to remove any large imperfections, dirt, oil, and other contaminants. It’s the easiest and most effective way to start the job.

Why is washing your controller important? Throughout this tutorial, you’ll realize that the painting step is actually the least important: it’s the cleaning and prep.

If you don’t prep your controller properly, the paint will come off as soon as your hands get hot and/or sweaty – we don’t want that to happen.

And don’t forget – while you’re in there, make sure you take a look at other components like bumpers, triggers, or buttons that may have built up dirt and grime. It’s a perfect time to clean those too!

Step 4: Scuff The Faceplate

The next step in properly prepping your Xbox One controller is to scuff the surface of the controller with a Scotch-Brite pad.

The purpose of the scuff pad is to remove any previous finishes on the controller and prep the plastic so we can start painting. If there are any loose flakes, imperfections, or bumps it won’t matter

Before scuffing your controller, you may want to put nitrile gloves on to prevent any dust, debris, oil, or other contaminants on the controller.

If the controller feels rough to the touch, you’re doing it right.

After several iterations of this process, I’ve also found it’s a good idea to sand the controller down with some fine grit sandpaper before painting. The fine grit sandpaper will help even out any of the imperfections and allow for better adhesion.

Next, we’ll do one more round of cleaning before applying a plastic adhesion promoter to the controller.

Heads Up! Before getting started, you’ll want to put down a canvas drop cloth, grab your nitrile gloves, and make sure you’re in a well-ventilated area. If inside, this means having windows open and fans that can circulate a source of NEW air into the existing space, while exhausting the old. XboxDIY.com takes NO responsibility for any injuries or damage to your products that occur from the use of our guides.

Step 5: Clean the Faceplate with an Alcohol Pad or Rubbing Alcohol

As part of a final clean, you’ll want to take an alcohol pad, or a paper towel and rubbing alcohol, to do a final once-over on the controller faceplate.

This is important to remove any dust, oil, debris, or other contaminants that may have gotten onto the controller during the previous step.

Next, we’ll break out the spray paint cans and apply the various types of primer, paint, and protective layers.

Note: I would highly recommend covering the battery compartment area with masking tape or some sort of vinyl peel-and-stick craft sheets. As you can see from the pictures/video, I ended up painting over mine which required scraping off 3 layers of paint with a fine plastic trim tool – something you want to avoid if possible. You could damage parts of the contact.

Step 6: Apply Plastic Adhesion Promoter

[Update] It’s 2024 and I realized I did this step BACKWARDS in the video! I think it’s a big reason the second controller I painted (the one in the video – which lasted much, much longer than the first) started to fade after a few years. It was used heavily but the promoter needed to go on FIRST, before the primer. Lesson learned and corrected for the article.

If you got your hands on a can of plastic adhesion promoter (we recommend it, but it’s not 100% necessary), the next step is to apply it to the clean controller.

In short, controlled bursts, while holding the can 8-10 inches away from the surface, start to apply the plastic adhesion promoter.

Once you’ve finished covering the entire controller, let it sit for about 10-15 minutes, or until the controller appears to be dry.

Next, we’ll apply the primer.

Step 7: Apply Plastic Primer

After applying the plastic adhesion promoter and letting the controller sit for 10-15 minutes, the next thing we’ll be doing is applying the plastic primer.

The primer serves two purposes:

• Helps cover old paint
• Helps prep the controller for paint

I recommend white primer as it gives you a variety of options for covering up old paint as well as making it easy for any color of new paint to go on.

Much like the plastic adhesion promoter, apply the plastic primer in short, controlled bursts.

Keep it limited to one layer, and make sure all areas of the controller are covered (you don’t have to do the inside).

After you apply the primer, let it sit for 10-15 minutes, or until the controller appears to be dry.

Now, we actually get to paint the controller!

Step 8: Apply a Custom Plastic Paint

After applying the plastic primer and letting the controller sit for 10-15 minutes, the next thing we’ll be doing is applying the plastic paint.

You can pick any type of paint, or paint color that you want. However, I recommend plastic paint, just to be safe, and a darker color to prevent any potential discoloration.

It’s really important to start your paint stream away from the controller – thanks to a friendly reader, they pointed out it will prevent some of the dripping you see in our video and lead to a better end product.

Keep it limited to one or two layers, and make sure all areas of the controller are covered (you don’t have to do the inside).

After you apply the plastic paint, let it sit for 25-30 minutes, or until the controller appears to be dry.

Last but not least, we’ll apply a clear enamel (or clear coat) to make sure the paint is protected, and the finish lasts a long time.

Step 9: Apply Clear Enamel or Clear Coat

The final step in properly and professionally painting your Xbox One controller is to apply a clear enamel – better known as a clear coat.

I would recommend buying a specific automotive clear coat, or going to your local AutoZone, Napa, etc. to purchase.

You’ll still want to use short, controlled bursts to cover all areas of the controller. However, you’ll want to apply 3-4 thin layers, and wait about 5 minutes in between each layer.

It’s important to note: You need to apply a second, third, and fourth coat within 5 minutes of each other, or wait 24 hours for the enamel to completely dry.

The enamel will take 5-7 days to completely harden. Although you can use it before this, I would recommend waiting so you have the best possible finish.

After letting your paint and enamel dry, don’t forget to carefully Reassemble Your Xbox One Controller using the utmost care to not chip or damage your newly painted controller.

Congratulations! You painted your very own custom Xbox One controller.

Although it can seem overwhelming at first, a little planning, proper cleaning and prep, and the right tools will help you get a professional-looking custom Xbox One controller in just a few hours.

Have any ideas for cool gaming accessories you painted? What about pictures of your own custom-painted Xbox One controller?

Drop a comment in the comments below – we would love to hear from you!

Have a question about an Xbox repair, tutorial, or troubleshooting step? Head over to our Contact page and send us a message.

Thanks for stopping by and we hope you enjoyed learning how to paint your Xbox Controller shell!