Since the introduction of the Xbox One in 2013, Microsoft has made small, subtle changes to its established Xbox Controller design. But a tweak on its most recent iteration suggests one feature might be permanently removed.
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.
