The method is “When connected via Bluetooth, press the pairing button twice to quickly reconnect to the Xbox console“. Press and hold to enter Bluetooth connection standby, and you can return to the previously paired smartphone or PC.
With the start of cloud gaming (xCloud), which allows you to play Xbox games on your smartphone or tablet as it is, and the increasing number of titles that even smartphone natives want a full-fledged controller, it is a convenient function that allows you to easily reuse the standard Xbox wireless controller for PC games.
Since the Xbox 360 era, the Xbox controller has become the de facto standard in the PC gaming world due to its ease of use and availability (which is a big reason because it is genuine Microsoft that makes Windows).
In addition to USB wired or original Xbox wireless connection method, Bluetooth is also newly supported from the Xbox One S generation, so it can be used wirelessly on devices such as smartphones.
However, with the conventional model, you can only remember one connection destination with Xbox wireless connection or Bluetooth, and after using it on your smartphone, you need to press the pairing button of the Xbox main unit and the controller to re-pair. There was a fatal weakness in using it easily.
In the latest generation Xbox Series X | S bundled model, although improvements such as addition of share button and slight miniaturization of the whole, grip improvement by adding texture, improvement of cross key and other minor ergonomic improvements have been made, this ” “Twice the pairing button” isn’t particularly appealing as a new feature, and I can’t find it in the feature description or troubleshooting in the support documentation.
(The product page says “Switching devices. You can quickly pair and switch between devices such as Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Windows 10 PC, and Android. iOS will be supported at a later date.」However, there is no description in the button function explanation on the support page, how to connect to each device, or troubleshooting)
Using your @Xbox Series X|S controller with console & pc/mobile for @XboxGamePass frequently? #XboxSeries controllers can memorize sync!
-> Hold “sync” to recall last mobile/PC device (flashing 2-3x)
-> Double-tap “sync” to switch back to your #Xbox (flash once)#XboxSeriesX pic.twitter.com/0avzjoOdre— Timo Wolf (@OmitFlow) February 8, 2021
But just the other day, Microsoft’s Timo Wolf muttered as he remembered in his personal account, and many players became aware of it.
(Wolf himself wrote, “Interestingly, I can’t find an official description of this feature anywhere.” Interestingly, I have to think it’s not, but the people inside know. But it may have gone missing at the stage of explaining outwards).
Note that iPhones and iPads didn’t support the latest models of Xbox wireless controllers, but the latest iOS 7.5 beta allows them to connect. It should be available after the official release in the near future.
The pairing button is a small round button near the L bumper.
bonus. How to identify the generation and function of the Xbox wireless controller
Since the Xbox wireless controller is also sold separately for multi-devices including PCs, the name is just “Xbox wireless controller” and the contents are replaced.
If you bought it with the Xbox console
・ Bluetooth compatible if Xbox One S / X is included, not supported before that
・ If Xbox Series X | S is included, a new model that supports Bluetooth and quick switching
How to distinguish when you get it as a single item
-The Xbox button part is a separate part is an old model that does not support Bluetooth. The Bluetooth compatible generation has the front as one part.
How to tell the latest Xbox Series X | S generation and earlier
-If there is a share button at the bottom center, it is a new model of Xbox Series X | S generation. The share button is printed with that icon with an upward arrow coming out of the box.
As an exception, the Xbox Elite Controller has a small button in the same place as the Share button, but that’s a profile switch button, so it’s different. It supports Bluetooth, but as long as I try it at hand, it seems that the function of pressing the pairing button twice and returning to the Xbox immediately is not supported.
Xbox wireless controller