Windows 10 Update Breaks Xbox Controller Support

Reports suggest a number of gamers using the new Windows 10 Anniversary edition are now struggling to use their Xbox One controllers with their PCs. It seems the update can break the Bluetooth connectivity, meaning that only one controller can be used at a time, and that single controller will only work after manually installing unadvertised firmware. Issues with Steam, meanwhile, can make its Big Picture mode think that one controller is actually two separate devices.

“Whether you use a new Bluetooth controller or you upgraded your old XB1 to this week’s Windows 10 Anniversary edition, get ready for some road bumps,” Ars Technica’s Sam Machkovech wrote. “That being said, the primary compatibility issue is wreaking havoc on various PC games whose controller support used to work just fine. Some games no longer recognize when Xbox One controllers are connected via Bluetooth or through the official Xbox One wireless adapter.”

“Other games, as well as Steam’s Big Picture mode, think a single Xbox One controller is two controllers simultaneously,” Machkovech added. “Windows 10’s Anniversary update also broke current homebrew ways to get popular controllers, like Sony’s DualShock 4, to play with Windows PCs.”

Multiple sources recommend that gamers who use Xbox One controllers with their Windows 10 PC avoid the Anniversary update, at least until Microsoft issues a fix for the multiple issues.