Xbox looking to nuke third-party accessories spells doom for the FGC, even if it becomes the “most uncheatable” device

Microsoft will be launching a new policy for their Xbox consoles from November 12, 2023, which will no longer allow unauthorized third-party accessories and this has gotten many in the FGC (Fighting Games Community) concerned. There are many local fighting games tournaments and LAN events that are held on Xbox consoles, namely the Series X, and the only way that players are able to hook their fight sticks and Hitboxes to the device is through a third-party accessory called Brook Converters.

The Brook range of products makes it so that devices that are not natively supported in the consoles are able to work seamlessly, and many in the FGC consider it to be boon and not actually cheat devices.

Hence, it’s not all that surprising why Microsoft looking to nuke third-party accessories from November is cause for concern for many in the FGC who frequent local tournaments that run on Xbox and can only afford one arcade stick.

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Microsoft to disallow unauthorized third-party accessories on their Xbox consoles

With the policy set to hit the consoles on November 12, 2023, players are already reporting “error 0x82d60002” code, which is notifying them of the date that their third-party accessories will be blocked on the device.

The policy is being implemented due to the new console build, which was considered to be causing a fair bit of issues on the Xbox when using third-party accessories.

When the error pop-up it reads the following:

"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)."

Along with the message, Microsoft provides players with a list of accessories that are officially authorized to be used with their devices.

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Brook Gaming responds to the FGC’s concerns over the upcoming Xbox policy

While Microsoft's new policy might make their Xbox consoles one of the most uncheatable devices on the market, it will, however, cripple a large part of the fighting games scene. Local tournaments that run on Xbox will take a massive hit, especially because most players may not be able to afford multiple arcade sticks.

Brook Converters like the Wingman XB 2 converter and the XB Fighting Board allowed players to seemly connect and use their third-party accessories.

Microsoft disallowing something that the FGC has been dependent on for years is indeed cause for great concern. Fortunately, Brook Gaming did address the issue in a recent tweet, they stated the following:

"DEAR GAMERS, We extend our heartfelt appreciation for your unwavering support and interest in Brook. We find it necessary to share crucial information with you regarding our Xbox console-related products, which may encounter functional disruptions in the near future.”

They continued:

“Recently. we have received player feedback concerning these products when used on Xbox consoles (the latest OS version 10.0.25398.2266. released on 10/16) during online gameplay. An error message may appear: "A connected accessory is not authorized." We deeply regret any inconvenience this may cause you. The Brook engineering team is fully committed to developing a solution to maintain product quality and functionality. Please trust that we will spare no effort in identifying potential solutions. Once further updates become available. we will promptly notify you through our official community platforms."

Sources suggest that Microsoft will be expanding its list of approved third-party accessories, so the Brook Gaming Converters will likely be added to the list in the near future.