Being able to game with a wireless controller is great as you can feel less restricted. But, when that wireless connection is lost, particularly in the middle of your gaming session it can really be annoying. One thing we can tell you is that, if you’re struggling to connect your controller to your console, the problem might actually be easy to fix. Read on to find out why you might be having issues and ideas on how to help.
How can I tell my controller isn’t connected?
This is pretty simple as there are a few ways to identify this. The right light around the Xbox button of the controller will flash and won’t go steady. If it is continuously flashing this means the controller is trying to sync. Another way to tell is if you cannot use the controller to navigate through your games or menu. On occasions you will see a message on your television screen that says: ‘Please reconnect your controller’.
If you have identified these symptoms this means that the controller is not connecting and you should move on to the various troubleshooting steps below.
How to fix the connection between console and controller.
The best thing to try here is to go through the troubleshooting steps one by one so that you are able to determine the problem that is causing the connection issue.
- Check out the range of your controller.
Even though the controller is wireless, this doesn’t mean that you aren’t limited to how far you can go from you console. We would say that the maximum range for the controller is about 19 feet. This is, of course, without any objects in-between. We recommend checking your surroundings to make sure there is nothing obstructing the way between controller and console. When you’re sure it’s clear, try moving a little closer and resyncing and reconnecting.
- Inactivity.
Xbox One controllers are design to turn off when no activity has been detected for 15 minutes, this is a way to ensure that the batteries do not run flat. So the next thing to try is just to find out if the controller has turned itself off: press the Xbox button at the top of the controller, this should then turn on and reconnect.
- How many controllers are connected?
The next thing to check is how many controllers you have connected to your console. The Xbox One can only have 8 controllers connected at a time. If you try to sync any further controllers it won’t work. To rectify this, disconnect any controllers you don’t want or use currently to make room for the one you’re trying to connect.
- Are you synced somewhere else?
It may be worth checking to see if the controller you are trying to connect is not synced to another Xbox One console. Controllers can only be synced to one Xbox One console at a time which might explain the connection issues. Anytime you wish to resync to a new console, the connection will be lost with the original console meaning you will need to resync each time.
- Check those battery levels
Low battery power can sometimes be the cause of the signal becoming weak between the controller and console causing connection issues. Not having enough battery power can cause the controller to turn off completely or disconnect and reconnect in a cycle. The best way to combat this is to replace the batteries with fresh, new ones. The best advice is to use fresh batteries or fully charged rechargeable ones as this will ensure that the controller is running with as much power as possible.
- Headset interference?
It could possibly be that if you have a headset connected to your controller, it might be causing some connection issues. Try disconnecting it temporarily and see if the controller will now reconnect to the console. If the reconnection is successful then you can attempt to connect the headset back up again.
- Check for an update.
It could be that your controller needs to update its firmware to enable it to connect to the console wirelessly. To do this you will need to connect the controller to the console manually using a USB cable. Go to Settings > Kinect & Devices > Devices & Accessories and then find the controller you are currently using. If the controller has an update it will say so on the screen.
These steps are all possible fixes for what may be stopping you connecting your Xbox One controller. If you are still having issues, we recommend trying it with another console if you can to determine if the issue lies with the controller itself or the console. But if all else fails, you are still able to connect using a USB cable, which saves throwing it away!