New Xbox Policy To Block Unauthorised Accessories

Adios Cronus & similar crutch / cheating devices.

I wonder if my mouse and keyboard count as unauthorized accessories? Will be a pain if they stop working. Is there even an official alternative for that?

I’m done with Xbox entirely if they ban my controller for offline use.

Between this, the insane local storage capture policy, and horrible new UI, I’m realizing I’m not their target market. Quick resume is nice but the overall experience is getting worse.

I wonder if they were waiting for the activision deal to close before doing this.

Dang, I have a Hori arcade stick for the Series X. I should be ok.

This feels anti-consumer.

you bought this hardware but it is not yours...
any info about installing linux on xbox series?

If they are expanding third party licensing, 8bitdo best be on that list

Yep, totally lame. I have an arcade stick that works using an official Xbox controller as a pass through. It's the only reason I have bought certain games on Xbox instead of Switch or PlayStation so I'd be gutted if they somehow blocked it.

On top of the forced UI changes that others have mentioned. Yeah just lame. Can't believe that you can buy a £450 console and Microsoft can just nerf it remotely a year or two down the line. Totally lame.

@ralphdibny Yes, 100% this for me too. Only reason I got SF6 on the Xbox over the PS5. No idea whether my stick will continue to work after these changes, but it feels unlikely. Completely outrageous. As much as I like features such as Quick Resume, the lack of any compelling exclusives and now stuff like this make you question whether it's worth having an Xbox at all this gen.

@mcdreamer hopefully it does! Do you have the Mayflash stick as well then? Mines an f300 elite (I think?)

I'm just hoping that because you connect the Xbox controller to it for authentication that it still overcomes whatever DRM MS decides to install

Very anti consumer from Microsoft I don't particularly like then as a company anyway

Yeah, agree with everybody else - this is anti consumer. Xbox about to step on another rake lol.

I have a Brook accessory for PS4 and Switch to use the Xbox controllers on those two consoles because they are better than Nintendo's and Sony's, but I also have a Brook adapter for Xbox because as much as I love the Xbox controllers, I have an expensive fighting stick for PS4. Some people have even more expensive racing sets. I would have never expected Nintendo, Sony and even less Microsoft (the most consumer-friendly of the three in spite of the comments here) to block these accessories. They are very popular and they do no harm, so I can only disapprove this stupid decision (if true, I'm not getting any warning yet) and hope that Brook pays for the Xbox licence for current adapters. They should, anyway.

@ralphdibny Yeah, I have an F500. I too really hope it works!

No surprises from me. I know microsoft from old and sooner or later the mask was going to slip. Proprietary memory thats twice the cost it should be, advertising in our dahes with a promise to shareholders of greatly increased ad revenue from xbox division, and now this.
I use a xim nexus to get gyro on xbox, but not for long it seems.

Anti consumer has been the heart of Microsofts core stratagey for decades in its corporate dealings. Its sad to see they have finally reigned in the xbox division and I fear for the future of the traditionally consumer foccussed games division.

@IGN_Commenter the activision deal is done what you talking about

@Titntin lots of games like COD, R6, and Destiny etc already banned XIM and Ricochet anti cheat was updated to detect XIM users, be careful out there mate

@BowsersBuddy
1. Microsoft has the Adaptive controller: https://www.xbox.com/en-US/accessories/controllers/xbox-adaptive-controller
2. These companies could apply for an official license, which wouldn't be hard as long as they don't make cheating devices.

@shonenjump86 That hori stick is licensed by MS.

@abe_hikura They are. 8bitdo makes:

1. Wired controller: https://www.8bitdo.com/ultimate-wired-controller-for-xbox/
2. Arcade stick: https://www.8bitdo.com/arcade-stick-for-xbox/
and some other stuff, all licensed.

I can't remember the last time I bought a 3rd party controller, I think I had a Madcatz that never worked quite right for my N64.

I feel bad for people who got scammed by these companies selling unlicensed products, I can't imagine such upstanding corporate citizens will be quick to issue refunds.

Well this is BS for third world countries where a controller costs a month's wage.

This doesn’t affect me as I only have original controllers and if I’ll ever buy an arcade stick I’ll choose a licensed one.
In the past I had unofficial/unlicensed controllers for various consoles, but the quality was very inferior when compared to the original ones
Maybe it was just bad luck, but for example the analog sticks of unlicensed gamepads are really bad in my experience. That said, at least for controllers, I prefer buying original or licensed ones.

Hopefully this update will help fighting XIM users that ruined the fun in many competitive multiplayer games.

Brilliant news! Maybe they'll tackle quality control next for their first party controllers, like the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2.

This is a disgusting anti-consumer move by Xbox. I personally don't use any third party accessories but having the option removed for ones that haven't been specifically approved by Xbox/Microsoft is not a good thing.

Well they better give Brooks the licensing because I bought my converter to use my P5 controller on my XBOX for SF6.

@Sakai Thanks for the info! Not sure why gyro would be considered cheating, but I can go and research now - cheers!

This might be the death knell for fighting games on Xbox, which already had a hard time as most of the FGC gravitates towards Playstation or PC.

Custom fight sticks use brooks and other boards that aren't officially licensed. This will make a lot of those players abandon Xbox for fighters. And then the people who have old fight sticks use USB converters to get them working on newer consoles.

Most licensed sticks are only found on PS anyway, so people often sink money into buying one really good one and then using it across platforms. They're not going to rush out and buy another stick, from a limited pool and off a pre-approved list from MS, just to have an option only on Xbox. People don't want to buy multiple fight sticks.

Once the competitive scene completely pulls up stakes and leaves, it could have an unintended negative feedback loop that results in less fighters being bought, played — and then eventually ported.

Microsoft seems satisfied in killing off their platform anyway they can, huh?

Raising prices of the Series S to the same as the discless PS5 despite being about 1/3 the power.

Killing off non licensed input methods, creating one mo hurdle for people to use thing like accessory options, keyboards, mice, wheels, fight sticks.

Requiring feature positivity between the X and the woefully underpowered S to the detriment of developers and gamers

Failure to hold first party developers to any sort of quality leading to the squandering popular games such as Halo.

I've got that nice fancy 18 year badge on my gametag for the number of years I've had Xbox Live. But they're solidifying this being the last Xbox I buy.

@Titntin XIM allows various things like aim assist to be used while using Mouse and Keyboard, scripts and marcos to be used, and lots of other "cheaty" things like changing controller input to get into lobbies using the wrong controller type and many more.

Some people use them for legitimate reasons, but not many, and its why alot of games and anti cheat have banned its use already

I guess this is what happens when things start looking up. Anti-Consumer Microsoft slowly making a comeback?

An absolute di*k move by Microsoft, I'm hoping the justified outcry will push them into dropping this cr@p.

Nothing but greed ,how long have they allowed them ,gotta get that 69 billion back i suppose 🙄

@GADG3Tx87 gamepass will go up again next year, you watch

@GADG3Tx87 it'd looking that way isn't it looks like they will be joining Sony and Nintendo soon in that regards make no mistake about it Microsoft are a scummy company

@Mephisto2869
What with their god awful new policies that are getting people banned without proper regulation (seriously I've been seeing people get banned for typing WTH). Price hikes with the consoles, games and GamePass and now this they're well and truly back on track to Xbox One launch Microsoft. A leopard never changes its spots.

Christ this sucks.

I know the refrain now: "Subscriptions are the goal, not console sales," but permanently lagging in third place in the console market will inevitably lead to lower subscription numbers from console-only gamers, and most of Microsoft's moves lately seem designed to alienate enthusiasts from their platform.

Glad my PC is up to snuff so I don't need to worry about this sort of thing.

@Sakai You are completely right about cheating, so I guess that the perfect solution would be to grant licences to those adapters manufacturers such as Brook, banning the turbo option, the only advantage that they have and that I have never used. These adapters can be updated via firmware. People use them for fighting sticks and racing sets because they are expensive and take up a lot of space. Another idea, make all consoles compatible with the different controller protocols, if they are able to detect and block cheating devices.

@Banjo- its a pity that as usual a small minority of players has kind of ruined it for the majority. But everyone wants rid of Chesters as it ruins games and communities

Makes sense why they made the xscreen an officially licensed accessory. I would be upset if that just stopped working.

And there it is. Now the Activision deal has went through they're trying to claw back as much money as possible even if it F's over the Fight Game and Sim Racing communities in the process.
Cod makes the big bucks so going forward ofc they'll prioritise that over anything else.

Having retail emulation on the series s I have couldn't of got any better.

@Sakai I know, I've never understood how can anyone enjoy winning while cheating and annoying others. They aren't good people, that's for sure.

Literally bought a Wingman XB2 a couple months ago to use my Switch 8bitdo arcade stick on xbox so I wouldn't have to buy a whole other stick. This stinks!

Worst thing they can done, I have like more than 10 controllers by Xbox and each of them had problem, even my elite 2, I've send it 5 times and every time it had the same problem.

For the sixth time they told me I can't send it more

Hopefully they can get a list of all the ones that will be unusable. I will be gutted if my mayflash elite is one of them.

@Bnonymous 8bitdo have just released one for Xbox, was reviewed on here a cpl of weeks back.
https://www.8bitdo.com/arcade-stick-for-xbox/

Aren't all racing wheels, we'll the decent ones, third party? The official XboX wheel sucks.

Sick to death of stick drift issues on official Xbox controllers - fortunately the one I am currently using is licenced (also wired only) - GameSir G7se - I highly recommend to anybody else fed up with the crappy official ones.

@Raw_Dawg if this gets rid of cheating devices, it's very pro consumer.

I contacted Brook. It they answer, I'll let you know. I suggest you all to contact the manufacturer of your adapters so they know that we want them to get a licence from Xbox, so we can keep using them. I didn't ask for a refund but for an Xbox licence and to update the adapters via firmware.

EDIT: As I said above, these adapters are used for fighting sticks and racing sets, not for cheating!

Banning the cheat devices and controllers IS THE BEST THING Microsoft have done in, A LONG, LONG TIME!!!!!!!

Best gaming news heard all year. Hands down.

If your 3rd party accessory maker claims it's Xbox compatible then they just need to pay the licensing fee. These aren't low dollar companies.

It was clarified they are mostly going after 3rd party's claiming to be compatible without going thru the process to confirm that. Legit accessories will most likey end up getting on the white list.

@Raw_Dawg Nope. Feels anti-cheater. And that's AWESOME!

OK I got to say: this is a HUGE L.

Phil, we wanted you to get ABK so you would get rid of Kotick, not for you to adopt his stupidity!!!

Seriously, if my Wingman stops working, I will seriously consider canceling Game Pass and going back to PlayStation 5 as my primary platform. This is not even about me loving the thing that much, but about this being a huge bad sign of the current direction...

@BowsersBuddy get the licensed ones simple

@Banjo-

I suggest you all to contact the manufacturer of your adapters so they know that we want them to get a licence from Xbox, so we can keep using them.

I say I suggest everyone to contact Microsoft instead and convince them how stupid of a policy this is.

@GuyinPA75 @Kobeandodom If they cared about cheaters they wouldn't force Crossplay with PC and actually make decent anti cheat software. Very narrow minded comment.

Microsoft already refuses to let third parties use wireless tech for their controllers. Now they're going to straight up refuse third party controllers unless they pay for a license.

So no wheels, fight sticks, accessibility options, etc.

They're already in a losing battles for sales, now they want to have accessory companies skip them.

This is a way for them to make extra money. Nothing more.

Try again.

@Raw_Dawg and that concern is completely outweighed by the benefit of getting rid of cheating devices. I'd gladly pay more for a controller if it eliminates cheating devices.

@Raw_Dawg giving zero freedom away here. I believe in the second amendment, I carry daily. And I prefer cheating devices to be banned from my gaming platforms. Xbox certified third party devices are already a thing. And I have no issues with first or certified third party devices.

@Kobeandodom That's right because you like paying more for the same thing. Not everyone else does. If this was about cheating they could just run a script before you enter multiplayer.

@Kobeandodom LMAO you really don't know when to be quiet. I'm a Navy veteran and Army combat veteran. I used my GI Bill to go to college for networking technology. Best case scenario if this was in fact what they were doing is simply you paying more for Microsoft to play a game of whack-a-mole that they will never actually win.

@Raw_Dawg pay more for what? I don't even own any accessories that aren't Xbox certified, very few people do percentage wise. Getting rid of cheating far outweighs a few dollars spent.

I’m a little nervous as I wanted to make a custom fightstick next year but I will just mod an existing fightstick instead.

Just another way for them to make from consumers. By ensuring you need licensed products they ensure they always get a slice of your money. Pathetic.

This doesn’t affect me directly but I do recommend kicking off to Microsoft. Hopefully they can either backtrack or extend the timeframe so they can license more third parties.

Going to just throw it out there -

Wouldn’t a list by MS with all the authorised companies on it be a good idea? Then people know what’s going on?

Instead of a vague statement. Why can’t any company just be straight up and say what they mean.

@Tharsman That would be absolutely useless after their official reply. Also, what I said would make sure that the adapters are not used for cheating by some people. Problem solved.

@Kobeandodom there's no way you are using the 1st party Xbox wheel. Widely known to be a crappy product with an inflated price tag. But hey as you say, apparently you don't mind paying more for an inferior product. Most sane people do.

@jedinite you don't need to use a first party wheel. This isn't blocking third party wheels that are officially supported by Xbox. You understand that right?

This is 100% greed, under the guise of safety and security. Microsoft want money from every accessory sold - either first party or from third party certification.

@IGN_Commenter
Which controller do you use?

Nope, new update doesn't make this any better. Xbox is only compromising itself rather than controllers compromising the game experience.

Even if money wasn't an issue and people could buy fight sticks, controllers and steering wheels for every platform they own instead of using one set across devices. Normal people don't live in mansions. I live in a flat and I don't have the space to store 3 or more fight sticks. I have one, it lives somewhere specific and that's what I have space for.

I want this to go the other way. Not only for controllers to be cross compatible between systems but for games to be too. A generic cross system digital store or physical media which means if you buy a game then you can play it on PS, Xbox or PC without having to buy it again. I feel like gaming is the only industry that locks games to platforms. Imagine buying a Sony Blu Ray and not being able to play it on a Philips blu ray player. But we are used to it so it never gets brought up but thinking about it, it's actually super weird.

@inverseIV Thanks mate, Im hoping they cant detect any subeterfuge, but yes, it should appear as an official contoller to the OS. Thanks for reminding me!

Does anyone know if this will include controller battery packs?

I also have a 16tb Seagate HDD attached to my Series X. It's not Xbox branded like some of the smaller ones but this better not stop working.

@__jamiie I would expect seagate to have a license it will most likely be smaller companies that may not.

@Kobeandodom no,what would be pro consumer ,is getting rid of these 'cheating devices' for online mp only ,and allow gamers to use any device they see fit, on their consoles they paid 500 for ,but it isn't about that is it,its about money.

@ZuneTattooGuy Armor-X Pro for the gyro and back buttons. Never have and never would use it online. There is no gyro 1st party controller AFAIK.

@inverseIV @TitnTin

"Activision is cracking down on third-party hardware cheating in Call of Duty: Warzone and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II. Devices like XIM, Cronus Zen, and ReaSnow S1 have been widely used in Call of Duty to allow mouse and keyboard users to get the benefits of aim assist and reduced recoil from controller mixed with the benefits of movement from mouse and keyboard. Activision has now updated its Ricochet anti-cheat system to detect and eventually suspend or ban players using this third-party hardware.

“These devices act as a passthrough for controllers on PC and console and, when used improperly or maliciously, can provide a player with the ability to gain an unfair gameplay advantage, such as reducing or eliminating recoil,” explains the Richochet team in a blog post today.

The Ricochet anti-cheat system will initially display a warning to players it has detected using this hardware. “Continued improper use of these devices may lead to additional warnings, the deployment of mitigations, account or feature suspensions, or the banning of the offending account across Call of Duty titles, per our Security and Enforcement Policy,” says the Richochet team.

Activision’s crackdown comes just weeks after Ubisoft announced it will start messing with Rainbow Six Siege players that cheat by using XIM or similar devices to spoof controller inputs. Players that cheat in Rainbow Six Siege by using third-party devices will notice more input latency that will mess with their aim. Unplugging the devices will bring the latency back to normal."

Everything I have read indicates it is the hardware that is detected not scripts, and it is not just COD/Ricochet

Microsoft seem more and more intent on driving their consumers away...

@IGN_Commenter
That looks worse than the paddles on my elite series 2 controller but if it's working with Xboxs wireless tech I imagine it's Xbox certified

@inverseIV the terms of service could not be clearer, just be careful out there mate

@inverseIV @Sakai
Thanks guys. I appreciate all the information you've given me! 👍
Ive only ever used my xim nexus for gyro and have never played or bought an Activision/Blizzard game since the treatment of their devs came to light some years ago. Until we hear theres been a root and branch change under new Management I still wont touch games from these teams, so Im not undully concerned.
Im still a little concerned about the direction of travel of MS though, even if I suspected it would happen eventually.

@ZuneTattooGuy It works surprisingly flawlessly.

It’s one thing to not have gyro in official controllers (which Switch, PS5 and SteamDeck do have natively) but to ban it for offline use is offensive.

@InterceptorAlpha Gamers SCREAMED for crossplay so Microsoft delivered. Better anti-cheater software will ALWAYS be cracked and cheaters to continue on cheating. It's what they do. Eliminating the source is the best option to go with. Very uninformed rebuttal.

There will be fight sticks, wheels, and accessibility options etc. They aren't going away. Just will be official licensed going forward.

Thank the cheaters. If everyone would taken the time to consistently report cheaters over the 20+ years of Xbox Live and gamers demanded permanent bans, it might not came to this.

Taking steps to rid gaming of cheaters is a very welcomed and necessary step for gaming. More applaud this than not. But I do feel for those it affects.

@Raw_Dawg So you support cheaters or are a cheater yourself? Or maybe both?

@GuyinPA75 Cross-console Crossplay was screamed for. Not Crossplay with PC. Crossplay with PC has always been pushed back against due to the inherent advantages mouse and keyboard have over controller.
Cherry picking it only detrimental to your lack of point.

The largest source of cheaters comes from modified software, not hardware, on PC. So again, you're only unwinding your own argument.

Even when you had rampant cheaters back in the Xbox and the 360 days it was due to modified software running on the platform. Not hardware.

Furthermore you're pretending this will have any ill effects on hardware cheaters. All they'll need to do is buy licensed hardware, and modify it, a la SCUFF controllers.

I'm honestly not sure where your crusading is coming from, but it is certainly from a place of misinformed ignorance. Please actually use your brain. Gonna have to toss ya on that handy block list now. Thanks.

@InterceptorAlpha by far the biggest issue with cheating on Xbox is the cronus zen, and it's not even close. Nothing else is even in the ballpark of being worth discussing. If this does nothing but stop cronus zen (and similar devices) this is a huge win for Xbox gamers.

@Titntin this is a breath of fresh air. I am over the moon with this decision. Cronus Zen has been running rampant on Xbox, and I really hope this is able to kill it.

@Mephisto2869 no, pro consumer is getting rid of the devices completely. Because if you give an inch, the cheaters will figure out how to take a mile. This is awesome news from Xbox.

@Kharjo That's a good question. I feel like they'd still be allowed because this is more to fight devices that tell the xbox that a mouse and keyboard are controllers giving them a advantage in crossplay games that group you depending on your peripherals. I'll have try.

So what does this mean for things like my Turtle Beach headsets, @Liam_Doolan?

Also, I use a USB splitter so that I can have an external 8tb HDD storage device holding the majority of my games, will either the splitter or the HDD become 'unauthorised'? As it is, I have a 2tb official Seagate SSD expansion card, which together with my 1tb internal hard are both absolutely full, so I do rely on having the external HDD devices both for extra storage and also speed of moving from external to internal as it is quicker to move in that way than it is to simply download (which was what Microsoft initially told us was the way to do it). And it's not like Microsoft have offered those of us with extensive libraries a viable (and affordable) alternative. There isn't even any form of splitter available that would enable us to have more than one official SSD expansion card installed at one time, let alone an even bigger expansion card.

@Kobeandodom I dont for one second believe that ms did this, to stop people cheating at cod or whatever, a multi billion dollar company wouldn't care ,its all about the dollar,if they can make a quick buck and then spin it ,to then make out theyre doing it for the consumer they will.

@Mephisto2869 make a quick buck off what? Plenty of third parties have been officially licensed for years by Microsoft. So what are you even on about? And I don't really care why Microsoft did it. If the end result is eliminating cheating devices, this is a huge win for consumers. So few people use unlicensed devices on Xbox. This is a great move by Microsoft.

@BowsersBuddy Those adapters could still be officially licensed though. Official license is not the same as "made by Microsoft". So get the companies that make those adapters to license their adapters with Microsoft. They (MS) are supportive of ways to improve less abled people to play their games.

Only thing MS is not supportive of, are gamers who want to use adapters for auto-aiming or other cheats. And that is absolutely the best way to go.

Even if this was implemented this second it would do zero for removing cheaters. Multi-platform releases with crossplay almost always have Xbox as the smallest userbase, so the vast majority of your opponents will still be on a platform with cheating hardware/software.

Like most people have mentioned, if I can't use my fight stick on Series X I just won't buy any fighting games.

@Kobeandodom so you believe microsoft make no money off third party licensed devices,😂😂 what you on about.

Man I am mixed on this on one hand I feel like microsoft has a right to do this for a couple of reasons. One its their damn box they should be able to say what works on it. Its not like we can play ps5 games on it. Two I do understand cheap components hurting the brand inage if you buy some off label cheap controller that says it works on xbox and it breaks two days latter does the lay person understand that is not on microsoft or xbox becuase they didnt approve of the company?
However, I do agree with the sentiment that we paid for the box and when we got it this stuff it worked fine to retro stop this is bad for the consumer that supported xbox in the first place.
If they could somehow have a firmware update or whatever that says this older stuff is fine but going forward it stops now that could be a really good compromise. I don't know if that is possible.
After that I think it really does fall on these companies your making money of xboxs back you should kinda rend on to ceaser what is ceaser's
I think my biggest issue is even if your a die hard xbox guy like I am, we have shown tremendous loyalty to the brand through some pretty rough days and I think they could be a little more loyal to us and say is this best for our players? Or what can we do to assuage this hurt and make it better for the people were hurting. I don't know if that exists in corporate America anymore.

Is the N-1 2.4Gz dragonslay controller? i use tone of those...

@Kharjo i hope M&K users that use it for online fps games get locked out.

It's fine until something you bought is no longer covered under their license agreement, and it's been too long to return it.

@Fishticon
Once you get xbox accessory certification they are not going to remove it

@Scirius
Your adapter looks like the exact devices this is going after. That device appears to give you an unfair advantage. Instead of simply plugging both into your Xbox or Playstation and being properly registered as a keyboard/mouse player you are registered as a controller user.

@ZuneTattooGuy bro wtf it's a 25-30$ xbox one controller https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wireless-Controller-Windows-Vibration-Gamepad-Teal/dp/B08HH7DFQ9

@Scirius
https://www.amazon.co.uk/DRAGON-SLAY-Keyboard-Wireless-Playstation-Black/dp/B07VJJ3W45

This is what came up when I googled it. That controller you posted looks like a nightmare so maybe it's a good thing Microsoft is forcing your hand to buy a better controller.

@ZuneTattooGuy funny cause all of those controllers stayed with me for years, while the official xbox series controller, both the robot white and the lunar shift one, took a month and 2 respectively to get a stick drift and become useless, hence I stuck with those

@Scirius
Well lets hope they get Xbox certification or you'll be out of luck

Purexbox ask our opinions on this. Then removes them claiming they are argumentative. WTF? Why ask then?