Ever since the Xbox 360, Microsoft has allowed you to use Xbox controllers on your PC. And thanks to the build quality of these controllers, as well as their overall versatility, it’s no wonder why you’d want to use it over a dedicated PC controller.
Back in the old days, when the Xbox 360 was the latest console from Microsoft, using an Xbox controller on PC was a bit more of a pain. You were either limited to using it as a wired device, or you needed a special dongle that allowed the controller to connect with the PC.
Nowadays, Xbox controllers utilize Bluetooth to connect to your devices, allowing you to pair them with any Bluetooth-enabled computer, making them a great choice to use with both PC and mobile platforms. But, they aren’t without issue.
One of the biggest issues many people face with Xbox controllers in non-console environments is turning off the controller.
On an Xbox console, players have the option to turn off their controller through a menu on the console. Simply press and hold the guide button until a menu pops up, and you can select the “Turn off controller” option to turn the controller off. However, on Windows and Android, there’s no such option.
So if you’re using your Xbox controller on PC and just aren’t sure how to turn it off, we’ll show you exactly how to do it.
How to Turn Off an Xbox Controller Connected to a PC Via Bluetooth
You have two options when it comes to turning off your Xbox controller when it’s connected to your PC via Bluetooth.
Option 1: Remove the Batteries
The first and most obvious way to turn off your Xbox controller is to just take the batteries out. Simply slide off the battery cover on the back of the controller, and pop one of them out, and the controller will turn off. Easy, right?
Sure, that’s an easy way to turn off the controller, but it’s definitely not the best. Over time, the friction caused by removing the battery cover can wear down the clips that keep the battery cover in place, which can lead to the cover not staying on anymore (micro USB flashbacks, anyone?).
But even besides this marginally possible issue, who wants to power down their controller by popping the batteries out anyway?
Option 2: Press and Hold the Xbox Guide Button
If you don’t feel like yanking the batteries out of your controller to turn it off, then the alternative solution is to simply hold the Xbox guide button down to turn off the controller. Yes, it’s that easy!
Particularly, you’ll want to hold the button down for about 6 seconds, which will cause the controller to power down. And when you’re ready to power it back on, the controller should re-pair to your PC without issue.
You can also do a hard reset of the controller with the Xbox guide button (holding the button down for ~15 seconds), which will help to fix the rare firmware issue.