Xbox will block unauthorized third-party controllers, leaving questions for accessibility and the fighting game community

Microsoft plans to block Xbox players from using unauthorized third-party controllers and accessories.

Windows Central reports that starting from November 17, a new policy will stop the use of unapproved accessories on Xbox consoles. Some players have already run into the error message 0x82d60002, as many have shared a warning message about the incoming blockade. “Using unauthorized accessories compromises your gaming experience,” reads the Xbox error message when plugging in certain accessories. “For this reason, the unauthorized accessory will be blocked from use on [November 7].”

A Microsoft spokesperson confirms the news in a statement to gamesindustry.biz, which mentions that official Xbox accessories and those from “other licensed Xbox hardware partners” are made to comply with “performance, security, and safety” standards. Already licensed accessories will likely stay usable, so your Turtle Beach, Razor, or PowerA headphones are probably safe.

Brook Gaming, a company known for its third-party gaming peripherals, publicly responded to the change on Twitter: "Please trust that we will spare no effort in identifying potential solutions. Once further updates become available, we will promptly notify you through official community platforms."

But the upcoming changes have proved to be divisive in certain communities. YouTuber Maximillian Dood took to social media to say the policy is "essentially a death sentence for local fighting game events that run on Xbox, much less, others that can only afford one arcade stick." Maximilian also called out that Brook Gaming's converters are a "huge boon" to the community, rather than "cheat devices."

While Microsoft has historically been supportive of accessibility, there are also lingering questions about how this change affects disabled gamers who have specific needs. Accessibility website Can I Play That? mentions that adapters like the Titan Two and Brook's Wingman XB 2 could potentially be affected, which would consequently disrupt disabled gamers' who often rely on custom hardware setups.

If you already have supported accessories, look ahead at the upcoming Xbox Series X|S games of 2023 and beyond.