Microsoft may be making a surprising decision for Xbox owners. According to a new report, the company will begin blocking support for third-party controllers and accessories on Xbox consoles starting in the coming weeks. This means that hundreds of joysticks will become obsolete.
Xbox is dropping third-party gamepad support
New footage surfaced on social media showing that some gamers are getting an error for third-party handles. Xbox has started saying that unauthorized accessories will be blocked starting November 17th, giving an error of “0x82d60002”.
A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed the policy change. Third-party accessories do not meet performance, safety and security standards. Therefore, they will only support Microsoft-approved products.
Licensed accessories from major manufacturers like Turtle Beach, Razer and PowerA will likely remain compatible. On the other hand, products sold from the Microsoft Store will be fine. However, affordable accessories are likely to be disabled.
However, the changes have caused controversy among gamers. A YouTuber who organizes fighting game events stated that people who use affordable accessories will not be able to participate in tournaments. In addition, Brook Gaming, which produces converters for accessories, announced that they will work for accessibility.
Microsoft is expected to announce authorized accessory manufacturers soon and make some special adjustments specifically for accessibility. Let us remind you that the new policy will be implemented for Xbox starting November 17th.
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