Xbox’s new policy — say goodbye to unofficial accessories thanks to ‘error 0x82d60002’

What you need to know

• From November 12, 2023, Microsoft will no longer allow unauthorized third-party accessories to be used with its Xbox consoles.
• Players are reporting a warning message displaying on Xbox when plugging in unauthorized accessories, notifying them of the date their accessories will be blocked with “error 0x82d60002.” 
• Xbox advises returning the accessory and instead referring to its list of authorized products on its website.
• The message is shown due to the latest console build, which is said to be causing console issues when using these third-party accessories. 
• Windows Central has reached out to Microsoft for comment. 

In a significant development for Xbox users, the era of tinkering with your console to use unapproved accessories is drawing to a close. Xbox has taken a definitive stance by instituting a new policy that will block the use of unauthorized accessories with its consoles, effective as of November 17.

This decision has already begun to reverberate amongst the gaming community, and many have already had a warning about it on their consoles in the form of error message 0x82d60002. 

The error message states:

“A connected accessory is not authorized. Using unauthorized accessories compromises your gaming experience. For this reason, the unauthorized accessory will be blocked from use on 11/12/2023.

For help returning it, check with the store it came from or contact the manufacturer. To see authorized accessories, go to www.xbox.com/accessories. (0x82d60002).”

Please note my image of the error message is a UK-based console, so text and date formation will differ.

I got wind of this error message when a family member messaged me about her Xbox One controller acting up. The controller, to put it mildly, looked like a budget version of the real deal — a ‘we have Xbox controllers at home’ vibe, as the kids say. Not surprisingly, it refused to work with her Xbox, leaving her quite frustrated.

Not only did she receive the warning message, and error code 0x82d60002, but the controller already failed to function with the Xbox. I asked for a photo of the controller, and I’m not surprised it didn’t work, given the included adapter looks like something you get for free at the bottom of a box of cereal.

Jokes aside, the message she received on her console was an interesting one, and in further digging it became clear that this is more than just a one-off problem with a quirky controller. It’s a big shift that’s going to impact all those accessories that don’t have the Xbox seal of approval. Made more apparent by Xbox redirecting the user to its own official storefront.

One of the brands feeling the heat from this upcoming change is Brook Gaming, known for its third-party gaming accessories. With reports of problems cropping up on some of their products, they took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to address the issue.