Xbox will block unauthorized third-party controllers, leaving questions for accessibility and the fighting game community
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Microsoftplans to block Xbox players from using unauthorized third-party controllers and accessories.
A Microsoft spokesperson confirms the news in a statement togamesindustry.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 yourTurtle Beach, Razor, or PowerAheadphonesare probably safe.
Brook Gaming, a company known for its third-party gaming peripherals, publicly responded to the change onTwitter: “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 websiteCan 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.
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Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that’s vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he’ll soon forget.
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