You might do most of your Xbox gaming solo when it comes to who’s playing on the console, but sometimes you might want to pair another controller for co-op. Or, if you’re like me, you pair multiple controllers because, well you sometimes have hours-long gaming sessions, and the controller dies and needs a recharge. And you want to have a completely charged one ready to go so you have no down time. Especially if you’re blowing through games with Xbox Game Pass.
Whatever the case may be, if you want to know how to pair a new controller to your Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One console, this guide is here to help with that. The process is more or less a quick one and it should seem pretty straightforward. With that said, let’s get into it.
How to pair a new controller with your Xbox Series X|S
Let’s start by clarifying that this process will work with any Xbox Wireless Controller. The old ones that came with the Xbox One generation, and the new ones with the share button that come with the Xbox Series X|S. They also work with third-party wireless controllers for each of those generations of the Xbox console.
Turn on your Xbox Series X|S
Start by powering on the console as you’ll need it to be turned on for this process to work. That seems like an obvious detail, but it’s worth clarifying.
Power on the controller
Next, power on the controller by inserting the batteries or the Play And Charge kit, and then pressing down and holding the Xbox button on the controller for a couple of seconds.
Press the pair button on your console
Once the console is powered on, press the pair button on the console. You can find this button just above the USB port on the front. If your console is laying on its side, the button sits to the right of the USB port.
Press the pair button on the controller
Now you need to press and hold the pair button on the controller for a second or two. You can find this on the top of the controller. Once you do this the Xbox button should begin flashing repeatedly. You need to press the pair button on the controller within 20 seconds of pressing the pair button the console.
Once the controller’s Xbox button begins to flash, it’s searching for a console to connect to. It should find your Xbox Series X|S fairly quickly and then connect. You’ll know it’s connected when the Xbox button stops flashing and turns solid.
Repeat this process for every additional controller you want to pair
If you have more than one or two controllers, you will need to repeat the above steps to pair those to your Xbox Series X|S console. Do this until you have all controllers paired. Then you can switch between them when you need to.
Pairing a controller to the Xbox One, One X, and One S
The process for pairing controllers to these consoles is exactly the same as the Xbox Series X|S. The only difference is where the pair button on the older generation consoles is. Other than that, the process of steps is unaltered. Now that you know how to pair controllers to your Xbox, go play some games!
