As first noted by the Windows Central site, an error 0x82d60002 now greets players who connect a controller or any other peripheral to their Xbox if it is not part of the hardware approved by Microsoft. The message indicates that any unauthorized device will be blocked from November 12, 2023. Asked by the press, Microsoft confirmed that this is not an error and that this policy change is intended to “preserve the ‘console gaming experience’. This is also the position that Sony Interactive Entertainment already holds with its own consoles.
“ Accessories from Microsoft and other licensed Xbox hardware partners are designed and manufactured to quality standards for performance, safety, and security. Unauthorized accessories can compromise the gaming experience on Xbox consoles (Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S.) Players may receive a warning message stating that their accessory is unauthorized. The unauthorized accessory will eventually be blocked in order to preserve the gaming experience on the console “, explains Microsoft, referring users to the list of approved accessories.
Give me back my stick
But in some circles, the news is necessarily not very well received. We are thinking in particular of the fighting game community (the fighting game community or FGC, for short) who feels particularly threatened by this new policy, as one of its most eminent representatives, Maximilian Dood, points out, who evokes the equivalent of a death sentence for local tournaments on Xbox. The concern comes in particular from the loss of compatibility of adapters Brook Gaming, very useful for using an old arcade stick instead of having to buy an Xbox Series compatible one. Another community concerned about the situation, that of players with disabilities whose alternative hardware to the Xbox Adaptive Controller risks finding itself excluded, as the alert David Combarieu from the startup HitClic.
Many gamers have speculated that Microsoft is seeking to block devices like XIM and Cronus Zen, the use of which on online FPS consoles is widely considered cheating. However, nothing indicates that these accessories, which connect to conventional controllers, can be detected by the manufacturer. According to a theory from Windows Central, this policy change would paradoxically result from a possible lifting of the restrictions that Microsoft currently imposes on manufacturers regarding wireless accessories on Xbox Series. Until now, Microsoft has been reluctant to see the proliferation of third-party wireless accessories on its machines. The situation has recently evolved, but Microsoft has in return implemented new security measures, thereby penalizing all legal accessories in its wake.