Update Your Xbox Wireless Controller Now With This Performance Enhancing Firmware
Microsoft is testing firmware updates for a few of its Xbox controllers, to facilitate better cross-device connectivity and reduce latency. If you are a member of the Xbox Insider program, you can access the firmware right now. Otherwise, it probably will not be all that long before Microsoft makes the new firmware available on a larger scale.
The firmware updates apply to all Xbox One controllers with Bluetooth support, the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, and Xbox Adaptive controllers. For those of you who own the latest generation Xbox controller for the Xbox Series X/S, you already have the upgraded features that are enabled by the new firmware releases.
Microsoft's updated firmware releases boast Bluetooth Lower Energy (LE) support, to facilitate a better experience when using the same controller on multiple devices.
"After installing the firmware update, these controllers will remember one Bluetooth host (e.g., smartphone) and one Xbox Wireless host (e.g., Xbox console), so you can quickly and seamlessly switch between previously connected devices with a simple double tap of the pair button," Microsoft explains in a blog post.
That's a nice perk, considering that it's become rather common to use the same controller on just the console it was built for, but other gadgets as well.
The other feature upgrade is something called Dynamic Latency Input (DLI). This brings faster input between the controller and the Xbox Series X/S consoles, so if you plan on using a previous generation Xbox One controller, the Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, or an Adaptive controller with the new console, you'll get the same benefit.
How To Join The Xbox Insider Program
To access these Xbox controller firmware updates before the public at large, you'll need to an Xbox Insider member. You can join by following a few easy steps. On Xbox...
- Go to Store on Home or select Store in the guide
- Choose Search and enter Insider
- Select the Xbox Insider bundle
- Select Get or Install
You can also join on a Windows device. To do that...
- Open the Microsoft Store
- Search for Insider
- Select Xbox Insider Hub
- Select Get or Install
For more details on the program, visit Microsoft's Xbox Insider Program FAQ.
