Microsoft is killing compatibility for unauthorized Xbox accessories

polygon.com:

In an apparent policy change, Microsoft has begun blocking “unauthorized” accessories, like controllers and adapters, from use with Xbox consoles. Users who connect an unlicensed third-party device to their Xbox are given two weeks to continue using it before it’s blocked from use completely.

After a recent Xbox system update, Xbox users with unofficial accessories began reporting a new error message with the code 0x82d60002. As reported by Windows Central, the message warned that a connected accessory was not authorized, and would be blocked from use on a future date. “Using unauthorized accessories compromises your gaming experience,” the error message reads.

Contacted for comment by Polygon, a Microsoft spokesperson pointed to the support pages for the error codes 0x82d60002 and 0x82d60003. “This means that one of the accessories you’re trying to connect was not manufactured by Microsoft or another licensed Xbox hardware partner,” the pages explain. “From the moment you connect an unauthorized accessory and receive error code 0x82d60002, you’ll have two weeks to use the accessory, after which time it will then be blocked from use with the console. At that time, you’ll receive error code 0x82d60003. We encourage you to contact the store or manufacturer where you obtained the accessory to get help with returning it.”

Microsoft did not confirm that the error messages are new and represent a policy shift for Xbox, although there appear to be no references to them online before mid-October. On Oct. 20, accessory manufacturer Brook Gaming posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) to warn users that they may “encounter functional disruptions in the near future” with their products, when used on Xbox consoles running the latest