Xbox’s new policy for unofficial accessories

[Mortinator Voß]

Will the Quadstick still work when the new policy comes out for Xbox?

https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/xboxs-new-policy-say-goodbye-to-unofficial-accessories-after-november

[Fred Davison]

We don't know the answer, yet.   Everything is just speculation, at this point.   This news is catching many people by surprise, including people inside Microsoft and XBox.

These are the articles that various people have sent me:

https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/30/23938206/microsoft-xbox-controller-block-unauthorized-accessory-error-0x82d60002

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/xbox-will-block-unauthorized-third-party-controllers

https://support.xbox.com/en-US/help/errors/error-code-0x82d60002

Here is Brook's statement:  https://www.brookaccessory.com/support/xbox-Issue-update.php

Some of those articles mention that devices like the CronusMax Zen or Console Tuner Titan 2 still cannot be detected by the console, since they use a licensed controller for the authentication process, so we may be forced to go that route if the Wingman XB is no longer an option.   It is too bad, since the Brook Wingman is less expensive and simpler to use.

If anyone is seeing these warning messages, send in an image of the display.  When I did some testing with my original XBox One and a Wingman XB2, I did not see the message.

[Ray]

Man why would you do this? We are a big gaming community, and the Quadstick is the greatest invention to allow the disabled community to play video games. The other devices require some type of movement, like the PlayStation Leonardo. The Quadstick is a true all inclusive controller. I mean you can adapt its controls to your own freaking needs.

If there is a petition, or something similar I’ll be there to give my 100% support for it. Actually, I’m willing to give my support to anything that keeps us ALL gaming, regardless of the extent of our disability.  

Ray

[Tim KFC]

i‘ve tried it with the cronus max and it works all fine. With the Wingman it doesn‘t work on my xbox. 

So just buy a cronus max and you will have no problems with that.

[drewred...@gmail.com]

Can anyone confirm if this affects both local and online play? Based on Brooks statement, it sounds like they only listed online play is being affected. 

[Fred Davison]

I was interviewed about this new policy on Monday:  https://www.gamesindustry.biz/microsoft-has-control-issues-this-week-in-business

I'll be sending out an email to quadstick users who either bought a Wingman XB, or indicated they would be using an XBox console, alerting them to this upcoming problem.

[Richard Guilmette]

Hello Fred, hello community. I am the first user of the Quadstick in Quebec, Canada and I admit that this news worries me. What are we going to do? I am an Xbox user, it’s a real tragedy for the gaming world. Is there a negotiation taking place between the Quadstick team and Microsoft?

Thank you all!

[Ray]

So what are we going to do about this? Perhaps Xbox would like to work with Quadstick and develop it as an official device ? Something has to be done. It’s actually discriminatory, as no other controller allows a person who has no functional movement to play video games. This should not be acceptable.

[Ray]

Good to know. Thanks!

[Dennis / WheelyWorld]

No info popping up yet while using Titan Two with the original controller for/on Series X.

[pike...@gmail.com]

 there is another way around this is if other Quadstick users have a PC they can download the Xbox app and use Xbox remote play 

[Doctor Quad PhD]

I use a Brooks Super Converter on an XSX... no issues here... yet.

On Mon, Oct 30, 2023 at 12:17 PM Mortinator Voß <morten...@gmail.com> wrote:

Will the Quadstick still work when the new policy comes out for Xbox?

https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/xboxs-new-policy-say-goodbye-to-unofficial-accessories-after-november

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[Dennis / WheelyWorld]

I heard from xbox it shall only affects some wireless controller because they try to get around the security system. Everything wired shall work without any problems.

morten...@gmail.com schrieb am Montag, 30. Oktober 2023 um 17:17:53 UTC+1:

[Tim KFC]

Nope. I already got the problem with the brook.

[Fred Davison]

That will be great news, if it is true.  We will find out in about a week.

The Brook Wingman converter is a USB device, and they are saying their customers are telling them they see the warning message.  The XB2 has a wireless feature but that is on the controller side, not the console side of the device.  The console would have no way to know what controller was being used on the input side, or that it was wireless vs USB.  We always use it over USB.

The one thing we know is Microsoft is a very large corporation where different groups often don't know what other groups are working on.  The people I know in the XBox inclusion lab that developed the XAC were surprised by the announcement.

Brook has not made any change to their announcement about the problem on October 20.   If there was a work-around, they would probably publish it there.

I have heard that not all Brook converters are seeing the message.  I haven't seen it on my console.  That could be for different reasons.  XBox A/B tests new updates, so not everyone gets the same update at the same time.  I only play locally, so it may only show up in multiplayer games.  I have an older XBox One.

XBox's push for more licensed wireless controllers is going to run into problems at any tournament where you have hundreds of consoles and controllers all saturating the area with RF.  Sony ran into that with the PS4 when they had to add a setting to only use USB for the controller and not have it automatically switch to wireless.

[daniel....@gmail.com]

Thanks for the info Fred. I've just tried to plug in my QS that I have on-hand for testing through a Wingman XB and got the message. My console also just updated right before.
Funny thing is I can plug it in through a Titan Two with a licenced controller for authentication and no message.

This policy is going to backfire so horribly for Xbox if their main focus is the multiplayer gaming experience like they say (I heavily suspect it is not the main driver for this policy).
Many people who are using the basic converter dongles like the Brooks just to use a PS4 controller or whatever they like on an Xbox are now going to search for a device that works and they will be pushed to purchase one of a Titan Two or Cronus Zen.
These people will then have access to a device that they can more easily cheat with in those multiplayer games.
Xbox are increasing the number of players on their ecosystem who are able to cheat with this policy.

I personally don't have any contacts at Xbox or Microsoft but if I did I would be giving it to them in a way that it might cause some rethinking where the decision was made:
It's likely to lead to a worse gaming experience and that for sure will reduce any gains they see from any extra licencing or first party hardware sales.

In the meantime I will just have to reach out to everyone I helped here in Australia with a Quadstick and make sure they're aware.

[Jak]

Hi Fred,

I saw a Windows Central article that said, “UPDATE (November 1, 2023): Microsoft has further clarified that users who connect USB devices through the Xbox Adaptive Controller for accessibility purposes will not be impacted by the new restrictions.”

https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/xboxs-new-policy-say-goodbye-to-unofficial-accessories-after-november

I was about to purchase the XAC until I saw your games industry.biz interview. There’s a quote that caught my attention, “but Davison notes plugging the Quadstick into the Adaptive Controller only lets the device replicate one joystick and a few buttons of the standard controller, rather than both joysticks and all the buttons as can be achieved with a controller adapter.”  

Right now I use a Brook Wingman XB & Ultrastik with QS. If I just purchase the XAC will it basically just replace the Wingman XB and have the same functionality as I currently have? 

[Fred Davison]

The XAC greatly limits what the quadstick can do.  It is in no way equivalent to using the Quadstick through a Brook Wingman XB.

The XAC USB connectors are limited to ONE joystick on their side of the XAC and a few buttons, not both joysticks and all 17 buttons.

Get a Cronus Zen.

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[Jak]

Well that’s a major disappoint. I guess in Microsoft’s infinite wisdom, they want more cheaters on their platform. I’ve been looking for an excuse to pickup a PS5 especially now that it’s plug & play.

[QuadStick]

Drew has posted a new video showing how to connect a Quadstick to the XBox console using a Cronus Zen

https://youtu.be/XJv8zA1t0BI

[Hazybully]

Is there anybody having issues playing FC 24?

[Hazybully]

It seems like it is recognizing what kind of controller is connected to my profile. If I use the regular Xbox's 

Controller it will say classic underneath the image of the controller if I use the Brookes converter or the Cronus Zen it will say two button underneath the image of the controller and will not let you select your team and continue any further.  Anyone else having this issue?

[QuadStick]

XBox is aware of the problem that the new 3rd party controller policy has created for Quadstick users, and other disabled gamers, and is working to address the issue.   They have been communicating with me and many other people in this space and the Microsoft Chief Accessibility Officer Jenny Lay-Flurrie has been leading the response.

She just issued this statement:  https://twitter.com/jennylayfluffy/status/1725626974075543947

All the details have not been nailed down, but if you are a Quadstick user with a Brook Wingman XB adapter and are seeing the error message about unauthorized accessories, please contact me directly, and don't replace your XB just yet.

[Brandon Garner]

Are you going to try and get in to this fred

[Fred Davison]

That's definitely one of the things we talked about. 

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[Hazybully]

I already purchased the cronus and ended up just deleting my profile and then RE adding the same profile using the classic Xbox’s controller and it works fine.  Thank you for your help.

[Kisha Hillhouse]

My xbox series x hasn't given me a error message but instead it keeps asking me to reconnect my controller device. my quadstick is plugged into a brook wingman. is this fixable or do i need to purchase something else? by the way i hope you are having happy holidays and time with your family. :)

[Fred Davison]

Describe what the lights on the Wingman XB and the Quadstick are doing when you plug it into the console.

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[QuadStick]

Brook has posted a firmware update for the XB and XB2.  I never saw the error message.  If anyone who saw the message could try updating their firmware and reporting back, it would be really helpful.

https://www.brookaccessory.com/download/Xbox%20Series/

[drewred...@gmail.com]

If for some reason the Brook Wingman XB2 isn't working after the update. I saw another adapter on a forum that gamers say still works after the Xbox Update, the Magic X converter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJ299JB9. I was going to try to get one and test it. Says it is compatible with PS3 and PS4 controllers, so hopefully will be compatible with the Quadstick then. I'll see if I can test the Brook XB2 Converter in the meantime too. 

[Fred Davison]

Thanks Drew.

Emulation mode 1 is pretty faithful to the Dual Shock 3, so that would be the first one I would try.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/quadstick/aa46b535-f405-4ea0-baa9-134f318f394bn%40googlegroups.com.

[drewred...@gmail.com]

No problem! I was browsing through some forums too, until I am able to try out the Brook XB2 myself later. It seems like gamers using other controllers on various forums are having success after the new update, so I think that should mean it hopefully solved the issue for the Brook Converter!

[Ray]

Yep I did that and it works great!

[drewred...@gmail.com]

So I just tested both the Brook Wingman XB2 and the Magic X Converter. I tested on the Xbox Series S console, completely updated. 

With the Magic X Converter, I had no issues at all. The Quadstick seems to work well using either the PS4 or PS3 modes. I never got a message about an unauthorized accessory. 

Then I tested the XB2. I updated to the latest Firmware that was available on the Brook website. Even after I updated the Brook XB2, it still gave me the Unauthorized Accessory message and said that it would no longer be usable starting 01/24/24. Therefore, the latest update by Brook didn't seem to completely fix the issue. Curious if the regular XB would work with the latest update rather than the XB2. 

Regardless, it seems like the Magic X converter, from what I have tried and what I have read online, seems to be a solid alternative to the Brook converter for now. It is also cheaper overall (about $30), so I think this or the Cronus Zen is more of a sure bet for Quadstick users.  Magic X Converter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJ299JB9

I'll be updating some videos soon with the Magic X (though it is extremely simple and just plug and play), as well as the latest directions with the Cronus Zen. 

Thanks!

[Fred Davison]

I finally tested the Magic-X on my XBox One (original version) and it worked out of the box with the Quadstick in USB emulation modes 0, 1, 3, 4, 6, & 7.  In the PS4 modes (4,6, & 7), it sees the Magic-X as a Playstation 4 console, so the Titan Two flag will need to be turned on to disable the PS4 authentication software from resetting the connection every 7.5 minutes.

Remember if you ever see the "Unauthorized Accessory" message, you can contact the XBox Disability Answer Desk and they can authorize your individual Gamer tag to use unauthorized accessories without getting that message.

[Stephen Merrill]

Has anyone had success getting their gamer tag authorized? I just got the error message for the first time. I use a Brook Wingman XB. Tried to request the authorization via chat in Fred's link above and didn't get any help from a clueless rep from India.

[blanquet julien]

Bonjour Bonjour !

Dans l'attente... Ici en France pour l'instant tout va bien. Mais c'est abusé... Après la PS5, Xbox....

C’est parfait !🤣 je galère déjà pour configuré la manette beloader sur PS5 qui finira peut être bloqué un jour....😡

🙏 Mais c'est pour moi un outil pour mon quotidien la quadstick !!!! Réseaux sociaux, web, .... Sans oublier le retour au game.... Pour moi c'est essentiel, un véritable plaisir et bouffé d'air.... MERCI A TOI FRED DAVIDSON !!!🙏

Le vendredi 23 février 2024 à 03:26:16 UTC+1, phxsuns...@gmail.com a écrit :

Quelqu’un a-t-il réussi à faire autoriser son tag de joueur ? Je viens de recevoir le message d’erreur pour la première fois. J’utilise un Brook Wingman XB. J’ai essayé de demander l’autorisation via le chat dans le lien de Fred ci-dessus et je n’ai pas obtenu d’aide d’un représentant indien désemparé.

Le mercredi 10 janvier 2024 à 16 :16 :47 UTC-7 Fred Davison - QuadStick a écrit :

J’ai finalement testé le Magic-X sur ma XBox One (version originale) et il a fonctionné dès la sortie de la boîte avec le Quadstick dans les modes d’émulation USB 0, 1, 3, 4, 6 et 7. Dans les modes PS4 (4, 6 et 7), il considère le Magic-X comme une console Playstation 4, de sorte que le drapeau Titan Two devra être activé pour désactiver le logiciel d’authentification PS4 de réinitialiser la connexion toutes les 7,5 minutes.

N’oubliez pas que si vous voyez le message « Accessoire non autorisé », vous pouvez contacter le service d’assistance aux personnes handicapées de la XBox et ils pourront autoriser votre badge de joueur individuel à utiliser des accessoires non autorisés sans recevoir ce message.

[Stephen Merrill]

Just so all are aware -

Xbox will NOT mark any users as exempt from the third party adapter restriction. The only solution is Cronus or Mayflash converters. 

Thanks Fred for your help on this.