Part of the appeal of fighting games to many is the controller freedom of being able to play on whatever it is you want to, but it looks like one of the major console makers is about to put a limit on that.
Microsoft has revealed that “unauthorized” accessories including converters and controllers will soon be blocked from use on Xbox systems, which is of course raising concerns in the FGC.
Starting November 12, 2023, the company is no longer going to allow unofficial third-party controllers and other accessories on their console platforms.
Currently, Xbox users with affected peripherals are getting hit with an “error 0x82d60002” warning them of the impending change.
This could be especially devastating for the Xbox fighting game scene, especially when we know the big converter, adapter and custom board manufacturers are being impacted.
Brook Gaming released a statement recognizing that their converters, fighting boards and steering wheel adapters are caught in the crossfire.
“We deeply regret any inconvenience this may cause you,” wrote the Brook team on October 20. “The Brook engineering team is fully committed to developing a solution to maintain product quality and functionality.
Please trust that we will spare no effort in identifying potential solutions. Once further updates become available, we will promptly notify you through our official community platforms.”
Xbox console-related product Issue Update pic.twitter.com/QK0N41LmHW
— Brook Gaming (@brookgamingfans) October 20, 2023
This has of course drawn the attention and ire of the FGC with players and community leaders calling for a change to this policy.
If nothing does happen, we could witness a further exodus of fighting game players from Xbox to PlayStation and PC along with events avoiding Microsoft consoles, which already took a toll on the platform over the past generation.
Longtime arcade stick designer and current Director of Business Development for Evo Mark ‘MarkMan’ Julio is hopeful that a solution can be found and offers to help Microsoft in addressing these parameters for accessories that we use most.
This can be circumvented at the VID/PID and subtype level. If products can be classified uniquely, then it would help identify getting rid of the cheating devices (which I assume is the goal). It would be a lot of work but it would = happy customers.
Happy to provide a spec on…
— Mark Julio 『マークマン』 (@MarkMan23) October 30, 2023
Microsoft claims this move is for security and to prevent cheating, but it also appears to be a push to make more manufacturers get an official license to operate on the system at all now.
Conversely, they are said to be making licenses for wireless accessories easier to obtain since the vast majority are only wired right now, and hopefully those with wired products like the FGC uses can either get an easier license too or find another solution.
Companies like Victrix, Razer, HyperX, PowerA, 8BitDo, Hori, Scuf Gaming, Pdp Gaming, Logitech and others are already official hardware partners with Xbox, so they shouldn’t be impacted by the change.
“Microsoft and other licensed Xbox hardware partners’ accessories are designed and manufactured with quality standards for performance, security, and safety,” said Microsoft in a statement via Windows Central. “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.”
We’ll keep you all updated as more information becomes available.
