Xbox reportedly set to block "unauthorised" third-party accessories
UPDATE: Microsoft responds.
UPDATE 4.46pm: Microsoft has shared the following statement with Eurogamer regarding "unauthorised" third-party accessories being used on Xbox consoles.
"Microsoft and other licensed Xbox hardware partners' accessories are designed and manufactured with quality standards for performance, security, and safety," it said.
"Unauthorised accessories can compromise the gaming experience on Xbox consoles (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S.) Gamers may receive a pop-up warning that their accessory is unauthorised. Eventually, the unauthorised accessory will be blocked from use to preserve the console gaming experience."
It advises players to check the full list of accessories that are supported on Xbox consoles by following this link.
The original story continues below.
ORIGINAL 1.28pm: Xbox is reportedly about to block players from using any "unauthorised" third party accessories as of 12th November.
As highlighted by Windows Central, several members of the Xbox community have reported seeing a warning message pop up on screen when they plug in "unauthorised accessories" to their consoles.
This warning is "error 0x82d60002", which on the Xbox Support Page means one of the accessories a player is trying to connect "was not manufactured by Microsoft or another licensed Xbox hardware partner".
At the time of writing, it has not been confirmed if this will affect accessories on both Series X/S consoles as well as Xbox One, but it is fair to assume it will.
Brook Gaming, a company known for its third-party gaming accessories, has said some of its products will be affected by this recent change in support.
"We deeply regret any inconvenience this may cause you," it wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). "The Brook engineering team is fully committed to developing a solution to maintain product quality and functionality.
"Please trust that we will spare no effort in identifying potential solutions. Once further updates become available, we will promptly notify you through our official community platforms."
If you are a player who does see this aforementioned error appear on screen, the Xbox support page states that you will have two weeks to use this accessory before it becomes "blocked from use with the console".
"At that time, you'll receive error code 0x82d60003," Microsoft says. "We encourage you to contact the store or manufacturer where you obtained the accessory to get help with returning it."
The company states users must connect a licensed accessory to fix this problem. Users can tell if their controller is an official design in two ways:
- There is an Xbox button on the face of the controller, or
- There is an Xbox logo between the left and right triggers
Additionally, Microsoft has a "Designed for Xbox programme" which offers a "wide variety of licensed and approved accessories from more than 50 major gaming brands". These accessories will be denoted by a 'Designed for Xbox' badge, as you can see in the header image above.
It's believed Microsoft may be extending this programme to include approved third-party wireless controllers.
Eurogamer has asked Microsoft for further comment.