Aside from size, are there any differences between the old and new Xbox Wireless Adapters?

EeK9X · Dec 13, 2020

I'm getting an Xbox Series controller to experiment with MiSTer, as the Bluetooth one (model 1708) is said to have very low latency when used in conjunction with the Xbox Wireless Adapter (not with BT).

I expect the Series controller to have even lower latency, due to its new features. However, I only have the original, much larger version of the adapter. A new one was released in 2018, and I was wondering if, aside from its size, it's any different than the earlier model.

Here's a comparison pic between the two:

One of the reasons I'm asking is because the latest revision seems to have tons of counterfeit copies being sold, including on Amazon. Here are a couple pictures from an Amazon reviewer, showing the legit device, purchased at a physical store (on the left, with the Microsoft logo), and the fake one:

Not only do I not want to spend money if I don't have to, but I also don't want risk getting a fake adapter, especially since low latency, using Microsoft's wireless protocol, is my main concern. Plus, I can only buy from third-party sellers in my country, who sell them loose, which is rather odd.

Are there any users who happen to own both devices and could compare them? I'd really appreciate it.

Caiusto · Dec 13, 2020

They do use a new version of Microsoft's own wi-fi technology, that it's supposed to be more stable and with less inputlag. Not sure about the "real world" differences tho.

VoltySquirrel · Dec 13, 2020

There's no real reason to go with one over the other if the size of the adapter isn't a concern. However, it only works on Windows, with the larger one supporting Windows 7 and up, while the smaller supports only Windows 10. Maybe someone has written custom firmware for MiSTer?

EeK9X · Dec 13, 2020

Caiusto said:
They do use a new version of Microsoft's own wi-fi technology, that it's supposed to be more stable and with less inputlag. Not sure about the "real world" differences tho.

VoltySquirrel said:
There's no real reason to go with one over the other if the size of the adapter isn't a concern. However, it only works on Windows, with the larger one supporting Windows 7 and up, while the smaller supports only Windows 10. Maybe someone has written custom firmware for MiSTer?

Well, now I'm confused. :P

As for compatibility with MiSTer, check out this thread. There's a driver, and the same person who tested the adapter listed in the spreadsheet also wrote an installation script for said driver.

Beer Monkey · Dec 13, 2020

Are fakes being sold by Amazon first party?

onpoint · Dec 13, 2020

I can tell you that the bigger one is really annoying in terms of its size for sure. I might try to get a smaller one now that I know it exists.

VoltySquirrel · Dec 13, 2020

EeK9X said:
Well, now I'm confused. :P

As for compatibility with MiSTer, check out this thread. There's a driver, and the same person who tested the adapter listed in the spreadsheet also wrote an installation script for said driver.

There's some people who have stated that range seems better with the new one, and that there's less connectivity issues with a more fully saturated adapter (i.e at or close to the 8 controller limit), but nothing I've read implies anything that makes one necessarily better for latency than the other.

EeK9X · Dec 13, 2020

Beer Monkey said:
Are fakes being sold by Amazon first party?

Currently, there are no adapters being sold by Amazon, but they sometimes store items from third-party sellers along with their own, so many consumers end up with counterfeit products due to mishaps at the warehouse. Not that it's the employees fault, of course. They simply pick up whatever is in the bin designated for that particular item, pack it and ship it.

onpoint said:
I can tell you that the bigger one is really annoying in terms of its size for sure. I might try to get a smaller one now that I know it exists.

Yeah, I know, I have it and it's quite cumbersome. But if it works the same as the new one, there's no point in getting a second adapter, for me.

VoltySquirrel said:
There's some people who have stated that range seems better with the new one, and that there's less connectivity issues with a more fully saturated adapter (i.e at or close to the 8 controller limit), but nothing I've read implies anything that makes one necessarily better for latency than the other.

I see. Since the device has a serial number, would I be able to register it with Microsoft to verify its legitimacy without having to tear it down? I may buy one if I can do that, so I don't risk the seller refusing a refund afterwards.

WBacon · Dec 13, 2020

I have both the old and new versions when they originally released and continue to use them today. They were purchased directly from a B&M Microsoft Store so they're genuine stuff.

Im happy to report that functionality wise, I perceive no difference between the two models.

I've used them on OG XB1 controller, updated version with the audio out, Elite 1, Elite Series 2, and the most recent revision bundled with Series X.

They all function flawlessly on both adapters without synch issues, connection stabilities, or any perceptible input lag.
The old version was given to my son's new rig as a hand-me-down while I got the new one for the PC I built a year ago.

I also use it occasionally on my new Dell XPS 15 laptop thru a USB C hub and the new version works just fine. I haven't tried it with the old adapter on my Dell, but I have no reason to suspect it to have issues.

Jedi2016 · Dec 13, 2020

Do the counterfeits come in the right box, with full MS packaging? I just got a second one today in the mail, but I haven't installed it yet. Bought it from Amazon, it sure looks legit from the outside.

defaltoption · Dec 13, 2020

I would hold off and get the new one unless you absolutely get an amazing deal on an old one.

Amazon will restock them and so will Microsoft. Don't chance buying a fake. The size of the old one is freaking terrible in real world use. That's likely the biggest difference and may only matter a bit to you but trust me just wait.

EeK9X · Dec 15, 2020

WBacon said:
I have both the old and new versions when they originally released and continue to use them today. They were purchased directly from a B&M Microsoft Store so they're genuine stuff.

Im happy to report that functionality wise, I perceive no difference between the two models.

I've used them on OG XB1 controller, updated version with the audio out, Elite 1, Elite Series 2, and the most recent revision bundled with Series X.

They all function flawlessly on both adapters without synch issues, connection stabilities, or any perceptible input lag.
The old version was given to my son's new rig as a hand-me-down while I got the new one for the PC I built a year ago.

I also use it occasionally on my new Dell XPS 15 laptop thru a USB C hub and the new version works just fine. I haven't tried it with the old adapter on my Dell, but I have no reason to suspect it to have issues.

Thank you so much for the detailed answer!

Are you able to register the devices using their S/N? I may end up getting a second adapter so I can leave them both connected at all times (to my PC and MiSTer). Since there are only third-party sellers here, I'm looking for a way to find out if what I end up purchasing is, in fact, genuine, without resorting to opening it and checking its internals.

Jedi2016 said:
Do the counterfeits come in the right box, with full MS packaging? I just got a second one today in the mail, but I haven't installed it yet. Bought it from Amazon, it sure looks legit from the outside.

I believe they're sold as "bulk packaging", either loose or with a nondescript box.

defaltoption said:
I would hold off and get the new one unless you absolutely get an amazing deal on an old one.

Amazon will restock them and so will Microsoft. Don't chance buying a fake. The size of the old one is freaking terrible in real world use. That's likely the biggest difference and may only matter a bit to you but trust me just wait.

Oh, I already have the original one. And yeah, it's massive. Just trying to find out if the wireless chip has been upgraded in some way, even if it's still backwards compatible.

Turbocharge · Dec 15, 2020

For a moment there, I was excited that there was a smaller adapter - then I realised that I *have* the smaller adapter - it's just too big anyway. :-/

EeK9X · Dec 22, 2020

I ended up purchasing the newer, smaller adapter from a third-party seller, since, as I mentioned above, it's not available from any authorized retailers where I live.

It came with a "warranty seal" sticker across the center part of the device, which prevents me from opening it and checking its PCB. I plugged it into my PC and it's showing up in Device Manager as "XBOX ACC" under "Other Devices", with a yellow triangle with an exclamation point in the middle, since Windows couldn't automatically install drivers for it.

That would be a red flag on itself, if my original adapter (the older, larger version) didn't exhibit the same behavior when I connected it to my PC the first time. And that device was purchased at a Microsoft Store.

The difference is that I could manually install the driver downloaded from the Microsoft Update Catalog website for my original adapter. Apparently, even the newest model uses the same drivers as the old one (the latest version dated from December 2015).

When I try to do the same thing with the smaller adapter, Windows says it can't find compatible drivers for that device (even after pointing to the folder with the downloaded and unzipped driver). And when I try to "pick from a list of available drivers on my computer", selecting the corresponding driver for "Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows", I get an "Update Driver Warning" message, stating that installing this driver is "not recommended" because Windows cannot verify that it's compatible with my hardware.

Any owners of the new adapter would like to chime in, before I declare this a fake and return it? WBacon, perhaps?

Vintage · Dec 22, 2020

I have old adaptor and 2 controllers, old XBO and new Series, both work fine with old adaptor. Although I wish it was smaller.

WBacon · Dec 24, 2020

EeK9X said:
I ended up purchasing the newer, smaller adapter from a third-party seller, since, as I mentioned above, it's not available from any authorized retailers where I live.

It came with a "warranty seal" sticker across the center part of the device, which prevents me from opening it and checking its PCB. I plugged it into my PC and it's showing up in Device Manager as "XBOX ACC" under "Other Devices", with a yellow triangle with an exclamation point in the middle, since Windows couldn't automatically install drivers for it.

That would be a red flag on itself, if my original adapter (the older, larger version) didn't exhibit the same behavior when I connected it to my PC the first time. And that device was purchased at a Microsoft Store.

The difference is that I could manually install the driver downloaded from the Microsoft Update Catalog website for my original adapter. Apparently, even the newest model uses the same drivers as the old one (the latest version dated from December 2015).

When I try to do the same thing with the smaller adapter, Windows says it can't find compatible drivers for that device (even after pointing to the folder with the downloaded and unzipped driver). And when I try to "pick from a list of available drivers on my computer", selecting the corresponding driver for "Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows", I get an "Update Driver Warning" message, stating that installing this driver is "not recommended" because Windows cannot verify that it's compatible with my hardware.

Any owners of the new adapter would like to chime in, before I declare this a fake and return it? WBacon, perhaps?

Here are my findings based on the official adapter (revised mini version) I have in hand:

Using the latest Windows 10 64-bit U.S. English version, Windows OS automatically detects the adapter the moment I plug it in and installs the appropriate driver for it within few seconds.
Once installed, it shows up under Network Adapters -> Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows

Relevant info from Device Properties (revised mini version):

Device Description: Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows
Device instance path: USB\VID_045E&PID_02FE\121211
Hardware IDs: VID_045E&PID_02FE and VID_045E&PID_02FE&REV_0100
Manufacturer: Microsoft Corporation
Provider: Xbox
Driver Version: 1.0.46.1
Driver date: 7/11/2017
Digital Signer: Microsoft Windows Hardware Compatibility Publisher
Driver inf: oem229.inf (found under c:\Windows\INF)
Included infs: xboxgip.inf
Bus reported device description: XBOX ACC
Driver Description & Display Name: Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows
Physical Device Object Name: \Device\USBPDO-11
Reported device Ids hash: F9496254

https://1drv.ms/u/s!An9QaLhANagmgZ47XVccctn3cZ-R7A
https://1drv.ms/u/s!An9QaLhANagmgZ48UPt_FC8gF-NdzA
https://1drv.ms/u/s!An9QaLhANagmgZ4_VBBSYrpJOY0nJg
https://1drv.ms/u/s!An9QaLhANagmgZ4-Wx4_NeuI7JOUdw
https://1drv.ms/u/s!An9QaLhANagmgZ49ynPhaPd5omxiWw

EDIT: For reference, here's the device info on the original "phat" model (again, purchased it directly from Microsoft B&M Store).

Relevant info from Device Properties (original "phat" model):

Device Description: Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows
Device instance path: USB\VID_045E&PID_02E6\342707
Hardware IDs: VID_045E&PID_02E6 and VID_045E&PID_02E6&REV_0100
Manufacturer: Microsoft Corporation
Provider: Microsoft
Driver Version: 21.50.45.656
Driver date: 12/8/2015
Digital Signer: Microsoft Windows Hardware Compatibility Publisher
Driver inf: oem68.inf (required Windows Update download)
Included infs: xboxgip.inf
Bus reported device description: XBOX ACC
Driver Description & Display Name: Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows
Physical Device Object Name: \Device\USBPDO-8
Reported device Ids hash: 2E9A32D4

Dolobill · Dec 24, 2020

I constantly have sync issues with my older adapter. I hadn't considered that maybe I have a fake until now. There is probably less than a 50% chance that the controller will connect even if it was previously sync'd. When it won't sync, my only solution is to complete re-install the driver, and then it might work for a little while. It's so bad that I decided to just go wired 100%.

WBacon · Dec 24, 2020

Dolobill said:
I constantly have sync issues with my older adapter. I hadn't considered that maybe I have a fake until now. There is probably less than a 50% chance that the controller will connect even if it was previously sync'd. When it won't sync, my only solution is to complete re-install the driver, and then it might work for a little while. It's so bad that I decided to just go wired 100%.

FYI, I updated my post above with the relevant device info for the original phat model.

EeK9X · Dec 27, 2020

WBacon said:
Here are my findings based on the official adapter (revised mini version) I have in hand:

Using the latest Windows 10 64-bit U.S. English version, Windows OS automatically detects the adapter the moment I plug it in and installs the appropriate driver for it within few seconds.

Once installed, it shows up under Network Adapters -> Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows

Relevant info from Device Properties (revised mini version):

Device Description: Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows

Device instance path: USB\VID_045E&PID_02FE\121211

Hardware IDs: VID_045E&PID_02FE and VID_045E&PID_02FE&REV_0100

Manufacturer: Microsoft Corporation

Provider: Xbox

Driver Version: 1.0.46.1

Driver date: 7/11/2017

Digital Signer: Microsoft Windows Hardware Compatibility Publisher

Driver inf: oem229.inf (found under c:\Windows\INF)

Included infs: xboxgip.inf

Bus reported device description: XBOX ACC

Driver Description & Display Name: Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows

Physical Device Object Name: \Device\USBPDO-11

Reported device Ids hash: F9496254

https://1drv.ms/u/s!An9QaLhANagmgZ47XVccctn3cZ-R7A
https://1drv.ms/u/s!An9QaLhANagmgZ48UPt_FC8gF-NdzA
https://1drv.ms/u/s!An9QaLhANagmgZ4_VBBSYrpJOY0nJg
https://1drv.ms/u/s!An9QaLhANagmgZ4-Wx4_NeuI7JOUdw
https://1drv.ms/u/s!An9QaLhANagmgZ49ynPhaPd5omxiWw

EDIT: For reference, here's the device info on the original "phat" model (again, purchased it directly from Microsoft B&M Store).

Relevant info from Device Properties (original "phat" model):

Device Description: Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows

Device instance path: USB\VID_045E&PID_02E6\342707

Hardware IDs: VID_045E&PID_02E6 and VID_045E&PID_02E6&REV_0100

Manufacturer: Microsoft Corporation

Provider: Microsoft

Driver Version: 21.50.45.656

Driver date: 12/8/2015

Digital Signer: Microsoft Windows Hardware Compatibility Publisher

Driver inf: oem68.inf (required Windows Update download)

Included infs: xboxgip.inf

Bus reported device description: XBOX ACC

Driver Description & Display Name: Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows

Physical Device Object Name: \Device\USBPDO-8

Reported device Ids hash: 2E9A32D4

Thank you so much for going above and beyond and gathering all information you could find!

It appears that the devices do utilize different drivers, which is not what I expected. The revised "mini" version I got is definitely not working as intended, though, as I'm also running the latest Windows 10 version and the OS does not automatically install the drivers for it (unlike with my original adapter, purchased directly from Microsoft).

I'll be returning the mini model and waiting until I can buy it again from a reliable source. I intended to use it on my MiSTer, but, apparently, support for the adapter hasn't even been rolled out officially, yet. So, there's no way to use any adapters, for now.

Deleted member 85465 · Dec 27, 2020

EeK9X said:
Thank you so much for going above and beyond and gathering all information you could find!

It appears that the devices do utilize different drivers, which is not what I expected. The revised "mini" version I got is definitely not working as intended, though, as I'm also running the latest Windows 10 version and the OS does not automatically install the drivers for it (unlike with my original adapter, purchased directly from Microsoft).

I'll be returning the mini model and waiting until I can buy it again from a reliable source. I intended to use it on my MiSTer, but, apparently, support for the adapter hasn't even been rolled out officially, yet. So, there's no way to use any adapters, for now.

I just bought the mini adapter from amazon last month, and had a similar problem with the drivers, after hours of checking how to install them, the solution was to go to the windows update in settings and search for updates, waiting for windows to say there are no new updates and then a tab would appear in that same section letting me install the drivers.

Jedi2016 · Dec 27, 2020

I remember having problems with it when I first connected it (seems to be a thing with these), but I think I manually downloaded installed the drivers, let it complain that the correct drivers were already installed (meaning I didn't actually install the ones I downloaded), maybe throw in a reboot, and then suddenly it worked fine, and it's been fine ever since. Got it connected to an Xbox Series X controller.

The info in Device Manager for mine matches what WBacon posted up above for the Mini; same hardware identifiers, same driver version, etc.

Aside from size, are there any differences between the old and new Xbox Wireless Adapters?

EeK9X

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onpoint

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EeK9X

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