Xbox Drops Support For “Unauthorized” Third Party Controllers

Xbox will seemingly be moving away from “unauthorized” third party controllers, according to a notice on the console.

As reported by Windows Central, attempting to plug a third party device into the Xbox now prompts a warning that the device will be blocked, as well as a message telling you it’s better you just return it.

“Using unauthorized accessories compromises your gaming experience”, the warning reads. “For this reason, the unauthorized accessory will be blocked from use on 12/11/2023. For help returning it, check with the store it came from or contact the manufacturer”.

The error code given is 0x82d60002, and cross-checking it with the Xbox Support website confirms that rather than the policy starting in November, all accessories are simply being given a two-week grace period for you to get a new controller.

“From the moment you connect an unauthorised accessory and receive error code 0x82d60002, you’ll have two weeks to use the accessory, after which time, it will then be blocked from use with the console. At that time, you’ll receive error code 0x82d60003. We encourage you to contact the store or manufacturer where you obtained the accessory to get help with returning it”, the website reads.

Third Party Xbox Accessories

While your average gamer may not dabble all that much in third party accessories some communities quite rely on them- the fighting game community uses a variety of adapters to connect their fightsticks to different consoles, especially if said sticks are home-made.

Brook Gaming, the manufacturer of these adapters, posted on Twitter a list of affected devices.

Similarly, many disabled gamers also rely on accessibility controllers to enjoy their games- something not as feasible if anything without the official Xbox license won’t work.

That’s not to say all third party accessories are useless- officially licensed Xbox peripherals such as items from Razer will still function just fine.

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