Xbox One Controller won’t Connect with USB – 4 Easy Ways to Solve it

Are you having trouble with your Xbox one controller? Is it not connecting to the USB port? If so, here are some basic steps for you to get your Xbox controller working again.

So, whenever your Xbox one controller won’t connect with USB, don’t throw that controller yet into the bin, and perform these steps instead.

What to do if your Xbox One controller won’t Connect with USB port? – 4 Easy Ways to Solve it!

Xbox One Controller won't Connect with USB - 4 Easy Ways to Solve it
Mylesclark96 via Wikimedia Commons cc4.0

There are several reasons why your Xbox one controller won’t connect with USB. This article will help you run through the steps and figure out whether or not you need to change your controller, your Xbox, or update its driver or system.

There are four different ways to figure out your Xbox one controller’s issues. But before we run through with the steps, make sure that you have your TV, Xbox, and controller ready.

Step 1: Check the USB ports.

Though we are already in the age of innovation and technology, there are still cases in our gadgets that need a quick restart. This is one of the most basic troubleshooting that you should do when your Xbox one controller doesn’t connect with USB.

You can check whether the port is broken by unplugging and replugging the USB from the system. This will restart and refresh your controller.

If the issue persists, you can try to use another wired controller. If the second controller works fine, the issue could be the USB port of your controller or the USB cord itself.

This will then lead us to the next step.

Step 2: Interchange the USB cable wires.

Now that we have figured out that the issue could be the USB cord of the USB port of the controller, we will now use the funnel technique to get to the root cause without missing and messing anything.

We will now check the wire from checking the controller and the box’s USB ports.

Get the wire of your second Xbox one Controller or any USB cord (if you have an extra) compatible with your Xbox one controller and system, and connect it to your non-working XBOX one controller.

If the controller works perfectly fine, then you may need to get to the store and buy a new USB cable for your Xbox one controller. However, before you do that, we must figure out if it was the USB cable or the controller itself.

With the troubleshooting steps that we have done, we have now narrowed down the issue with the following results:

  • Your Xbox’s USB port is working fine.
  • The second Xbox’s USB cord is working fine.

Thus, the USB cord connected to your Xbox could PROBABLY be the issue.

Step 3: Probe and Prove.

Start probing your family members and friends if something unfortunate happened to your Xbox. If you have a pet or pets, you can ask them, too. I have five dogs, and they are the culprit why my things get broken most of the time.

If you can’t get any logical answer, we will prove whether or not the USB cord is the issue.

Get the non-working USB cord and plug it into the working Xbox one controller. If the non-working USB cord works with the working XBOX one controller, then we are getting closer to the root cause.

At this stage, we found out that the non-working USB cord was working! This leaves us with the conclusion that the issue is probably the USB port of your Xbox. But let us make sure. We don’t want to throw working controllers away.

We will now jump into the next step, a make or break for your Xbox controller.

Step 4: Check the controller’s driver.

If the other controllers are working fine, there’s a big possibility that your controller’s driver is updated. All you need to do is perform the steps below to verify this. However, there are two ways to do this. If you are not tech-savvy and prefers an easier way to update your controller

  1. Open the Run screen by pressing the Windows Key and the letter R key simultaneously. You can also pull up the run box by searching it in your computer’s search bar.
  2. Once the Run box is up, key this in devmgmt.msc.
  3. Hit the Enter button to pull up the Device Manager page.
  4. Once on the page, look for the Microsoft Xbox One Controller and expand it.
  5. Then click on the Microsoft Xbox One Controller from the drop-down.
  6. Once it’s highlighted, right-click on it and select Update Driver Software from the pop-up screen.

If your Xbox one Controller doesn’t still work after performing all the troubleshooting steps, you may need to have your controller replaced. Before buying a new one, check if your controller is still under and covered by their warranty.

If it is still under warranty, you may reach their customer service through Xbox Support and see if they can have your controller replaced. If not, you need to buy a new one to enjoy playing your favorite games with your family and friends.

Cris Podador techysmag.com contributor
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Cris Podador is a Technical and Technology writer who lives in Tubigon, Philippines. She completed her Bachelor's degree and went on to work as an outsourced Subject Matter Expert in the technical department for one of the leading telecommunication companies in the US. She changed careers when she found her passion in writing. Cris is now connected with various companies as a content writer specializing in web content. Cris constantly loves technology and keeps up with all the latest technology around the world.

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