You can't use 'unauthorized' Xbox controllers anymore — so get this one instead

2025-04-27 16:02:48admin

If you recently plugged in a third-party accessory to your Xbox Series X and got a weird error code, you're not alone.

Xbox fans are a little miffed because their consoles are now warning them to stop using certain third-party controllers, according to The Verge. Specifically, people are receiving error code 0x82d60002, and according to Microsoft's support website, it's for connecting an "unauthorized accessory" to the console, regardless of how well the accessory may have worked previously.

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If you get that error, you'll allegedly have two weeks to keep using the accessory before it gets blocked by the console. After that, you'll need to get an officially licensed product to replace it.

There are a couple of logical reasons why Microsoft would do this, even if it's deeply inconvenient for many players. First is that it could be used to target cheating devices, which most people would probably agree is not a bad thing. Second, however, is that it can be an incentive for people to buy official Microsoft devices – or devices licensed by Microsoft. That's less altruistic.

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Brook Gaming, which manufactures adapters for steering wheels and fighting game sticks on Xbox, put out a statement saying its products might be affected by this. It's just one example of how this new policy might mess with people's ability to play games the way they want to play them.

Hopefully, Microsoft can expeditiously start authorizing some of these products so people don't feel like they've wasted money on them going forward.

Which Xbox controller should you get instead?

Whether you have a defunct knock off, or you simply want to snag a supported controller, consider getting this Core Wireless Controller from Xbox itself. If you don't mind splurging, you can also grab this Xbox Elite Series 2 controller.