In the same week that Microsoft and Gucci decided to collaborate on a $10,000 Xbox Series X, OnePlus and Bandai Namco announced something a little less surprising: the OnePlus Nord 2 Pac-Man Edition.

Given that the OnePlus 9T will not be released this winter, this is fine, but it is not new hardware, just a mild makeover of the excellent but familiar OnePlus Nord 2.

In other words, no evolution of the MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI chip, 12GB RAM, 90Hz 1080p screen, 256GB storage, 4,500mAh battery, but a small Pac-Man logo on the back.

Not only that, the back glows in the dark. At night, the back of the seemingly nondescript OnePlus Nord 2 Pac-Man Edition glows, revealing a bright green Pac-Man maze with the word Nord spelled out in the middle.

If you prefer, there are also translucent cases for Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde, the four ghosts Pac-Man spends most of his waking hours avoiding. Most appealing of all, however, is the little Pac-Man stand that comes with the phone when ordered directly from OnePlus, which you can assemble yourself:

It also includes eight themed wallpapers, retro notification sounds, 8-bit style icons for OnePlus' own apps, and the Pac-Man 256 There's even a little Pac-Man in the phone, including a bundle; our colleagues at TechRadar even found that the dot indicating which page you're on in settings has been replaced by a little Pac-Man.

All in all, it's an intriguing but somewhat unusual collaboration - though perhaps a tie-in with OnePlus' previous phone is no more unusual than the motor-branded McLaren.

The Pac-Man edition of the OnePlus Nord 2 is only available in the original handset's premium configuration of 12GB RAM and 256GB on-board storage, or with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage to save a little cash.

Unfortunately, like the original Nord 2, OnePlus has chosen not to sell this phone in the US. It is available only in the UK, Europe, and India at £499, €529, and ₹37,999, respectively. This is a slight increase over the £469, €499, and ₹34,999 that can be expected for a version with comparable specs without the Pacman.