Xbox One’s fancy new features will render your current collection of controllers and accessories obsolete.
With the reveal of Xbox One yesterday there came a lot of questions that Microsoft is now trying to catch up with answering. One issue the company has now addressed is whether or not Xbox 360 controllers and accessories will have any compatibility with Xbox One. The short answer, is no.
“Xbox One was designed from the ground up with entirely new technology to deliver a new generation of experiences for both games and entertainment,” said a Microsoft spokesperson. “For example, the Wireless Controller will connect to the console using high speed data transfer to enable higher fidelity headset audio and future controller add-on experiences that are not possible with Xbox 360 wireless technology. Additionally, the all-new Kinect sensor’s ability to locate the wireless controller is dependent on new technology. In order for Xbox One to deliver robust, meaningful gaming scenarios for all users across all experiences, only Xbox One controllers and accessories will work with the new console.”
The incompatibility of Xbox 360 controllers is not all that surprising. Just from Microsoft’s presentation alone it was pretty clear the Xbox One controller, while aesthetically similar, had gone through a lot of changes both externally and internally. Likewise, the inclusion of a Kinect-like sensor bar with the console itself pretty much guaranteed Kinect wouldn’t be compatible or necessary. Not that we imagined many would be worried about Kinect any ways.
That said, it could still be disappointing to some that their 360 controllers won’t be usable in any way, shape, or form. Whatever improvements the Xbox One controller brings to the table, there will still be some who prefer older options. Likewise, if you invested in some of the shinier 360 controllers available, you might understandably want to carry them over to the next console. Then again, Xbox One isn’t backwards compatible, so chances are you’re not going to be getting rid of your 360, or its controllers, anytime soon.
Source: Joystiq
