New Xbox Controller Is Missing One Key Feature, Suggesting A Permanent Change

The Xbox One era brought minor changes to the Xbox Controller design, but the newest Forza Horizon 6 controller appears to have a major hardware omission. An image shows the proprietary expansion port sealed off, while the standard auxiliary port remains present. The proprietary expansion port was introduced earlier and later replaced by a standard auxiliary port in 2015. Before that shift, the proprietary port supported more than headsets, including audio controllers and full chat pads. Microsoft has not recently released accessories that use the proprietary port, and leaks indicate alternative approaches such as built-in audio controls and a smaller controller with direct internet connectivity for cloud gaming. Future controller redesigns may align with broader console plans such as Project Helix.

"With the latest Forza Horizon 6 Xbox Controller, Microsoft's proprietary expansion port has seemingly been removed. A Reddit user shared an image of the controller with the expansion port completely sealed, with the standard auxiliary port still resting to the left. This suggests that Microsoft hasn't yet changed the molds that are used for Xbox controller production, but might not add hardware for the expansion port going forward."

"The Xbox Controller had a standard auxiliary port introduced in 2015, but prior to that you had to use the controller's proprietary expansion port. This was used for a lot more than just headsets; it supported audio controllers (for volume and chat mix controls, among others) as well as full chat pads that made your controller look like a Blackberry. It's been a long time since Microsoft has developed its own accessories that utilize the port, and it seems it might be removed from controllers going forward."

"The recently leaked Xbox Elite Controller 3 suggests that Microsoft is adding audio controllers directly into the controller design, with another leak showing a smaller Xbox controller that will be able to connect to the internet directly to reduce lag when streaming games via Xbox Cloud Gaming. It's possible that Microsoft could overhaul its Xbox controller further with the release of its PC-like console in the near future, codenamed Project Helix."

Read at GameSpot