Anyone who dabbles in the world of video games, whether professionally or recreationally, knows it isn’t an affordable hobby to undertake. However, the flat-pack furniture giganaut IKEA has collaborated with XBOX to unveil a new gaming collection suited to the reality of modern home gaming.
Wallpaper* journeyed to Cologne, Germany, to discover the exclusive first look at the nine-piece furniture collection, which was revealed today (26 August 2026) at Gamescom, the world’s largest video game event.
IKEA and XBOX present the YXSTABY collection
Against the backdrop of vibrant cosplay, immersive gaming setups, and gigantic installations, the XBOX showcase sits in the shadows, enveloped in its distinct green and black colour palette. Stationed at the back of one of the eight halls, the new YXSTABY collection was on full display for the first time. Featuring a gaming lounge chair with side pockets for consoles, a gaming stool, and multiple storage systems for those who don’t have a dedicated space for gaming, the collection could be quite the game-changer for the console-conscious.
The gaming community spans three billion people, and the collection was designed to accommodate all types of rooms and set-ups, leaning more into smaller, compact spaces and student living, which has been a recurring theme for IKEA after its recent portable furniture collection ’Kompishäng ’, which launched earlier this month.
The designs lean towards fun and functional, with the XBOX controller being a recurring source of inspiration for the collection. This is seen in the YXSTABY gaming thumbstick stool, which, as the name suggests, is inspired by the XBOX controller and designed to tilt with each movement of the user. IKEA worked closely with the XBOX device designers and used the controller’s original 3D design files.
The YXSTABY collection also includes IKEA’s first TV stand, which you can roll into any room. The other pieces, such as the toolbox and the side table, help store controllers, cables, and hardware.
There were many iterations and prototypes made as part of YXSTABY – some of the designer's darlings were discarded, while others were kept for potential inclusion in future collections.
'It starts with a great idea, prototypes, and nailing the form, function, and quality. Then we need to make sure we can adjust it for mass production,' IKEA designer David Wahl tells Wallpaper*. 'I think that's very natural for us to start with lots of ideas, and then see how we can make it into a fantastic product. But some stuff changed, like the platter; this actually used to be the top of the stool.'
IKEA's YXSTABY gaming thumbstick stool prototypes
Although the collection has gaming in mind, it is designed to be used across many spaces and for different households, as Wahl notes, 'This was the whole meaning behind YXSTABY. It should be for the many, and if you don't see the gaming details, that is fine. You don't need to be that hardcore into gaming to appreciate the shape or the function.'
Similar to video games, XBOX design director Elliot Hsu hinted at hidden 'Easter eggs' in the YXSTABY collection. In the name itself, eagle-eyed readers may spot the nod to the ' X ', 'Y ', 'A', 'B' buttons (then merged with the name of a town in Sweden, which IKEA designer Lucas Bazle explained was an anagram puzzle in itself)
There are also subtle nods to IKEA and XBOX hidden throughout the collection – including symbols, puzzles and video game characters from prominent XBOX games.
Both brands worked closely on each design in the collection, and in true IKEA fashion, home visits took place to understand how XBOX fits into people’s everyday lives. The aim of the collection was to be designed for shared spaces, creating solutions that allow people to game without equipment taking over the home.
Green is a defining colour of the collection. Although the lime green shade is part of the XBOX colours, both brands realised they shared the same deeper green colour palette. 'We found little ways to express the sign of XBOX, but in a sophisticated and more accepting way for anybody's home,' explains XBOX partner head of design Carl Ledbetter. 'At XBOX, although our brand colour is green, you don't see a proliferation of green on our products. The console is understated, fits into the living room, and sort of disappears. We use green as little accents. Applying that philosophy to all the pieces here is quite a nice tie-in to the sort of brand ethos.'
Ledbetter concludes, 'I hope when people try out these products they feel like so much thought went into it and solved problems. Whether it's cable management, or places to store your controllers or a handheld device, I hope people feel delighted by that, and that they can look at the products, in a year or two and still feel really good about the them. That'll completely be a success.'
In the UK, the YXSTABY collection will be available to purchase from 1 October 2026. The collection will be available in-store and online while stocks last. ikea.com