third-party Xbox controlelr with forbidden sign

Unauthorized Xbox Controllers Crackdown Reportedly Due to New Third-Party Wireless Accessory Policy

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Published: October 29, 2023 9:47 PM

It appears that many Xbox users have started to receive errors connected to the use of unauthorized controllers and accessories.

These errors, labeled "0x82d60002," warn the user that using unauthorized accessories compromises their gaming experience, and the accessory in question will be fully blocked in two weeks. It also encourages the user to return the accessory to the retailer from which they purchased it.

Of course, this isn't always possible, as some retailers selling unauthorized accessories aren't always great in their returns policies.

The "designed for Xbox" label
If your accessory's box has this label, you're likely safe, assuming it isn't counterfeit.

According to a report by Windows Central, this surge of issues that appears to have cropped up with the latest build of the console's software may be due to the fact that Microsoft is actually opening up to more third-party controllers utilizing wireless technology.

The website's sources allege that Microsoft is lifting the restrictions that have been forcing manufacturers to make excellent accessories that were held back by being wired. 

Making wireless technology more widely available to controller developers appears to have required new security measures to block malicious inputs. This could be indirectly affecting accessories that aren't necessarily malicious in nature, but simply haven't been officially authorized.

Windows users may be familiar with similar problems when they try to use unsigned applications. The big difference is that you can still manually authorize these applications (at your own risk), letting them run with no further issues. This isn't an option with Xbox accessories. 

At the moment of this writing, no workaround has been found and Microsoft has not issued any official comment or announcement regarding this issue, which has also caused some manufacturers to issue public messages on social media to warn their users that their controllers may get blocked.

We have reached out to Microsoft to ask for clarification on the issue, and we'll update this article if we hear back anything relevant. 

Update: We received a comment from a Microsoft representative, albeit it doesn't really say much new on the issue.

Microsoft and other licensed Xbox hardware partners' accessories are designed and manufactured with quality standards for performance, security, and safety. Unauthorized accessories can compromise the gaming experience on Xbox consoles (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S.) Players may receive a pop-up warning that their accessory is unauthorized.

Eventually, the unauthorized accessory will be blocked from use to preserve the console gaming experience.  For a full list of accessories that are supported on Xbox consoles, please visit www.xbox.com/accessories, our support pages here and here, and our Designed for Xbox Partner Hardware Program page here.

In the meantime, you can check out the latest update on the performance of the Xbox business at Microsoft.


Giuseppe Nelva Profile Picture
| Former News Editor

Started as News Editor at TechRaptor in January 2023, following over 20 years of professional experience in gaming journalism both on print media and on the… More about Giuseppe