Microsoft Breaks Its Silence On Xbox Series X Controller Disconnects
Over the past few months, Xbox Series X owners have been experiencing connection issues with their controllers. The first instances of this problem came only a few days after the console was released. A whopping 40-page thread in Microsoft's help forum was filled with hundreds of players complaining about the same issue, reinforcing the idea that this problem wasn't entirely unique.
A spokesperson for Microsoft has spoken to The Verge regarding the problem. "We are aware some players may be experiencing disconnects with their new Xbox Wireless Controllers and our teams are actively working on a solution to be included in a future update," said the company rep. While the company has acknowledged the problem, it's still concerning for Xbox Series X owners who may have to deal with a faulty controller until a fix comes out.
The nature of the complaints about this issue have varied. A handful of owners said that their controller only disconnects while playing specific games, while videos on Twitter have shown the controller connecting to the console, albeit with none of the player's button inputs going through. Microsoft noted these various controller issues in a large community post on the company's help forum. Again, Microsoft stated that "there is no known workaround at this time" regarding the general disconnect issue, but the company did recommend an update for players who were experiencing button input problems.
These controller issues aren't unique to Microsoft. Last year, Nintendo found itself in a massive class action lawsuit regarding the "Joy-Con drift" which affected the control of the Nintendo Switch's left Joy-Con analog stick. Switch owners who experienced the issue complained of their character moving on their own without any input from the player. More recently, Sony has also been dealing with a similar issue that's been plaguing the PlayStation 5 DualSense controller. Not only have PS5 owners complained about drifting, but some have also claimed that the controller's triggers have become loose or unable to provide feedback after just 50-60 hours of play.
The Xbox Series X had a bit of a rocky release. On launch day, many Series X owners complained about being unable to sign into Xbox Live to access their digital library and play online. While this problem only plagued a handful of players, it was still widespread enough that Microsoft acknowledged it and worked on a fix. That issue was eventually resolved, so hopefully the same can happen for the Xbox Series X controller bug.