Microsoft are taking unlicensed controllers quite seriously. If you are rocking newer Xbox hardware such as the Xbox Series X, and using an unlicensed controller, you may want to turn off automatic updates. This is not just controllers though, this is third party accessories that mask themselves as controllers – ultimately, could cheaters be the culprit here?
Image credit - Android Authority
This is anything not licensed by Microsoft. Rather easy to understand. The difficult part is everyone seems to claim this is controllers only. It is not. I see this ban expanding to more accessories that plug into your Xbox, or connect to it.
According to Android Authority, accessories that allow gamers to use mouse and keyboard setups, but the console sees this as a controller, are not effected yet. This is interesting as these give users an unfair advantage against other Xbox players using a controller.
I do see in the future those spoofing devices being included in this ban, maybe even being the reason for the ban.
So far, this ban is hurting the fighting game community quite a bit as most fighting sticks are not licensed by Microsoft (denoted on the packaging with a “Designed for Xbox” symbol.
It is too early to know the extent of this action by Microsoft. I think it is partly due to devices such as the Cronus, that give unfair advantages to those using them. It can also be Microsoft attempting to curb game breaking bugs caused by controllers that may not be interacting with the hardware correctly.
Right now, the safest option is to purchase accessories with the “Designed for Xbox” logo and leave “compatible with” accessories on the shelves. This will mean more expense on the users end as the allure of third-party accessories is the cheaper price.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments.
