Microsoft began ban unauthorized drivers on your consoles Xbox. This means that if the user tries to connect a controller that is not official or at least authorized/licensed by the Redmond giant to the console of this brand, he will see the following error code: 0x82d60002.

The story surrounding the official Xbox controllers, for obvious reasons, does not require any explanation, but third-party controllers, if they want to work without problems on the console of the aforementioned brand, must be part of the “designed for Xbox” hardware partner program (intended for Xbox).

Microsoft explained via a post on the official Xbox blog that “From the time you connect an unauthorized accessory and receive error code 0x82d60002, you will have two weeks to use the accessory, after which it will be blocked from being used with the console.. At that time you will receive error code 0x82d60003. We recommend that you contact the store or manufacturer where you obtained the accessory for assistance in returning it.”

This is strange because the user, at least according to the blog post, will be able to use the unauthorized remote control for two weeks, which is the minimum required by law in the European Union to allow a consumer to return the product. We are not concerned with whether these two weeks also apply in other areas of the world.

Microsoft motivated this ban to have devices like the Cronus Zen that allow players to cheat. The Redmond giant was not the first to rebel against said peripheral, as other companies such as Ubisoft took the step earlier. However, it is also logical to think that Microsoft is trying to close the Xbox ecosystem to limit it to controllers and other accessories that are official or at least part of the partner program.

Peripheral manufacturer Brook Gaming is one of those affected by the new policy and has already announced that it will “spare no effort to find possible solutions”, although we’ll see what happens in the end. This move by Microsoft may not only hurt sales of unauthorized peripherals, but also third-party sales due to doubts that may arise among less-informed consumers or those with less knowledge of how to resolve these types of issues.

Whether or not this new policy is based on Microsoft is no less true Video game consoles are ultra-closed platforms that tend to leave the freedom users can exercise on them very limited.and none of the three industry giants (Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo) are spared here.

Although it’s a different area, what Microsoft has done contrasts somewhat with what Steam announced last month when it said it would provide more accurate information about games that offer compatibility with the PlayStation controllers that have gained popularity in recent years. .