Microsoft Angers Gamers Over New Policy Regarding Third-Party Accessories
Image Source: GameSpot
Microsoft made waves this year with its recently concluded acquisition of Activision-Blizzard, and despite riding the high of its success, it seems that Microsoft has made another wave that has brought the well-known ire of the gaming community down on it. A report last week popped up on WindowsCentral, where they discussed that an Xbox user received an error code when they were using their existing third-party controller. The error code, 0x82d60002, came with a notification stating that the accessory is not authorized, and using such unauthorized accessories will affect the gaming experience. They will no longer be able to use the controller after November 12.
Other reports soon started showing up online with similar messages. Companies like Brook Gaming, who specialize in making fighting and racing accessories, released a statement that they were aware of the issue, and regret the inconvenience. Streamers, like Maximilian Dood, posted at Phil Spencer on X that this would be a death sentence for local game tournaments where they can’t necessarily afford the higher-end peripherals.
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While this is likely to be sold by Microsoft as a way to combat online cheating, concerns like Dood’s are also valid. Many of the more affordable third-party accessories, cater to the growing community of disabled persons who rely on non-standard accessories to play their favorite games. It forces accessory companies to have to go through a licensing process with Microsoft to meet their standards. That in turn could drive up the price of third-party accessories, which is the antithesis of the many accessory makers out there.
Microsoft’s main competition, Sony, already has a similar policy in place for the PS5, leading to fewer options for alternative controllers outside the pricy DualSense, and driving up prices. Since these reports have risen, Microsoft has responded with a standard PR explaining the same reasoning that appears in the warnings players have been receiving. It does not seem they will be changing their decision.
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Source(s): Kotaku
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