Microsoft has refreshed its Xbox Series X/S controllers to eliminate the expansion port, meaning it’s another Microsoft feature sent to the tech underworld. There’s a good reason this refresh removes the port, as neither Microsoft nor its hardware partners have created a significant accessory compatible with it in years.
The expansion port, as we know it, was introduced with the Xbox 360, its primary use being as a keyboard or headset connector. It makes perfect sense to start the port, as Xbox and its accessory partners have moved on to better alternatives. Xbox continued to offer headset adapters and a keyboard for the expansion port, even for the Series X|S, but newer headsets removed the port in favor of the controller’s 3.5mm jack. Gaming headsets, including Xbox’s flagship, also use Bluetooth or 2.4GHz wireless connections. For keyboards, USB and wireless connections based on USB dongles have largely become the standard, reflecting broader industry-wide adoption.
Goodbye Xbox controller expansion port, we barely knew you
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Microsoft has not given an official reason for the removal, although it is likely due to obsolescence. Microsoft has not announced a release date or updated pricing for future controllers without expansion ports. However, Forza Horizon 6’s controller does not have the port and is usually priced at $89.99, but it is also a limited edition product. Standard wireless Xbox Series X/S controllers with expansion port typically cost around $49.99. The display cases that still stock the controller’s expansion port accessory pool are mostly filled with third-party releases.
As the expansion port is phased out, Xbox continues to refine its hardware strategy ahead of future platform updates. Over the next 100 days, starting June 10, 2026, one of Xbox’s main goals is to form a new business model and new partnerships, as increasing costs of hardware components do not allow the division to meet consumer demand for consoles. These hardware goals will be crucial to developing Project Helix, the code name for the next-generation Xbox console.
