Your Xbox controller keeps disconnecting in the middle of a game, the Xbox button keeps flashing or the controller will not pair at all any more. A Blue Apple customer in Amsterdam described it like this: the controller drops out and comes back, and at the same time the picture freezes. Sometimes the controller is the cause, sometimes interference in the room and sometimes the console itself. This article helps you work it out step by step.
Blue Apple repairs Xbox consoles and controllers in Amsterdam. If the console freezes too, also read Xbox freezing.
What the flashing means
- Fast flashing: the controller is looking for a console to pair with.
- Slow flashing: the controller is not paired, or the battery is almost empty.
- Steady light: connected.
Step 1: batteries
Most Xbox controllers run on two AA batteries or a rechargeable pack. Almost empty batteries cause exactly this kind of drop-out. Put in new batteries or fully charge the pack. If you see corrosion at the batteries, clean the contacts carefully.
Step 2: pair again
- Press the pair button on the console. On the Series X and S it is at the front.
- Within twenty seconds, hold the pair button on the controller, at the top next to the USB port.
- The Xbox button flashes fast and then stays on.
Or connect the controller with a USB cable; it pairs straight away.
Step 3: interference in the room
- Sit closer to the console and make sure nothing is in between.
- Metal cabinets, a microwave, a Wi-Fi router right next to the console or lots of other wireless devices can interfere.
- Do not put the console behind a metal panel or in a cabinet with a metal-coated glass door.
- Remove other wireless accessories you do not use.
Step 4: updates
Update the controller under Settings, Devices & connections, Accessories. Choose the controller and then the option to update the firmware. On a computer you can use the Xbox Accessories app.
Do you also use it on a PC or phone?
A controller remembers the last connection. If you paired it with your PC or phone over Bluetooth, you must pair it with the Xbox again afterwards.
When is it the console?
If every controller drops out, even a new one, and at the same time the picture freezes or the network connection gives odd messages, the problem may be in the console, for example from heat or a motherboard fault. Read Xbox internet connection problems and Xbox overheating.
When is it the controller?
- Only this controller drops out; another works fine.
- It drops out when you move it or press a certain spot.
- It was dropped or a drink got on it.
- A stick drifts or a button does not respond.
A rechargeable pack
If you use a rechargeable pack, the battery wears after a few years. The controller then drops out sooner, even when the pack was just charged. Test with ordinary AA batteries; if it then works well, the pack needs replacing.
What we do at Blue Apple in Amsterdam
We test the controller and the console. On the controller we look at the battery contacts, the buttons, the sticks and the connection. If it is the console, we examine that. You hear beforehand what is needed. See Xbox controller repair, Xbox Series X diagnosis or Xbox repair in Amsterdam.
Frequently asked questions
How far from the console can I sit?
A few metres is no problem, as long as nothing interfering is in between.
Does an Xbox One controller work on the Series X?
Yes, Xbox One controllers also work on the Series X and S.
Can I keep using a controller with a cable?
Yes. With a USB cable you are not affected by wireless interference.
