Xbox controller and mosquito emoji join V&A collection

An Xbox controller, a mosquito emoji and a pair of Snapchat spectacles have been added to the Victoria and Albert Museum's collection. The acquisitions were made as part of the museum's "rapid response collecting" programme, which began in 2014 and has seen an eclectic range of objects, including an Ikea soft toy, a Jeremy Corbyn T-shirt and a pink knitted pussyhat enter the collection. The Xbox adaptive controller, which allows gamers with a wider variety of abilities and disabilities to play, is the newest addition. Corinna Gardner, the senior curator of design and digital at the V&A, said the controller was an industry first and represented an important moment in contemporary design history. The Microsoft product, which goes on sale this month, allows people to play games as they choose, or as they need.