The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S still have IR receivers, will work with Xbox One Media Remotes

By Zachary Boddy
published

The Xbox Series X and S still have a few tricks up their sleeves.

Xbox media remote
Xbox media remote (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • The Xbox Series X and S are the next-gen powerhouses heralding a new era of console game.
  • Both are impressive machines, but it was believed the several features, including the IR receiver, from earlier consoles was axed.
  • Today, it was confirmed by Larry Hyrb (Major Nelson) on Twitter that both next-gen consoles cleverly hide the IR receiver.
  • This means all Xbox One Media Remotes will be backwards compatible with the console, allowing for easy media control.

The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are undoubtedly impressive next-gen gaming machines, but Microsoft's newfound focus on power and pure gaming led to some concessions in other areas, notably the omission of an IR receiver, and HDMI In and Optical ports. This makes the Xbox Series X and S amazing for gaming, but less capable as all-around entertainment centers. Larry Hyrb, also known as Major Nelson, took to Twitter today to reveal a very sneaky piece of Xbox Series X and S design information that shows not all of those axed features... are actually gone.

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As it turns out, both the Xbox Series X and S still have IR receivers, meaning they're still fully backwards compatible with the best Xbox One Media Remotes for easy and powerful media controls. The Xbox design team very cleverly hid the IR receiver behind the Bind button present on all Xbox consoles for pairing with wireless accessories, leading to many people believing at first that the feature was flat out missing. Instead, we still get to enjoy the benefits of an IR receiver, as well as a cleaner and more attractive look for the Xbox Series X and S. However, the IR Blaster has been well and truly removed, meaning that you'll have to rely on HDMI-CEC to send signals from your Xbox to your TV. Most modern TVs support HDMI-CEC, but some older sets may not.

If you still intend on using your Xbox Series X or S as the hub for all your entertainment needs, an Xbox One Media Remote is a fantastic investment, with the best of them being none other than the PDP Talon Media Remote, by far the most superior option around, and at a surprisingly fantastic price.

Xbox One Media Remote Pdp Talon RecoThe best for Xbox
PDP Talon Media Remote

The Xbox One Media Remote for you.

Microsoft no longer sells their official Xbox One Media Remote, but the PDP Talon was already better in every single way, and comes in at a very attractive price that simply cannot be beaten. Now that it's confirmed as being compatible with the Xbox Series X and S, you once again have a reason to add this one to your shopping list.

Xbox Series X/S

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Zachary Boddy
Zachary Boddy
Staff Writer

Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter @BoddyZachary.