Microsoft’s Xbox Series X arrived in November, and analysts and consumers have been busy putting the new console to the test. An unannounced feature concerns the new X Series controller, which has the hidden (and useful) ability to switch quickly between two devices.
The tip is courtesy of Microsoft employee Timo Wolf, who dropped the knowledge in a tweet on Monday morning. As Wolf notes, it is a feature that can be extremely useful for Xbox Game Pass subscribers who play on mobile, Windows PC and Xbox.
The new Xbox Wireless Controller has a sync button on the front, just like the old one. You can still use it to pair a new controller with an existing console, holding it down for a long time. The same goes if you want to pair the controller with a Windows 10 PC or an Android device. You can also use a shorter touch of the sync button to quickly switch the controller back to the last previously connected device.
If the written description is a little difficult to understand, there are also a useful video demonstrating the feature. Wolf shows how the new controller can retrieve the last device to which it was connected. Simply press and hold the sync button, wait for the light on the controller to flash twice, and then double tap the sync button to switch to the previous device.
The feature works only with the Xbox’s proprietary wireless connection and Bluetooth devices. You won’t be able to take advantage of this if you use the Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows 10. iOS devices are also excluded – at least for now.
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