Microsoft appears to be removing one of the ports on Xbox Wireless Controllers

Forza Horizon 6 is now available on consoles and PCs (check out our review here), and with it, Microsoft launched new limited edition accessories, particularly a headset and a wireless controller. These Forza Horizon 6-themed gaming peripherals are now available for purchase, and early buyers noticed an interesting hardware change.

A Reddit user, SpeedKomodo, discovered that the gamepad no longer includes one of the previously available ports. While the gamepad still has a traditional USB Type-C and a headphone jack, the expansion port is now gone. Instead, there is now a dummy rectangle covering what previously allowed you to connect additional accessories to your gamepad.

Microsoft has not made any official statements regarding the removal of the port, and the official images do not show the controller from the right angle to confirm whether the change is intentional or if the customer received a defective unit. However, there are a few reasons to believe Microsoft is indeed ditching the old port.

For one, the recently leaked Xbox Elite Controller Series 3 also appeared in photos without the expansion port, suggesting that Microsoft will remove it from next-generation controllers. Also, it has been a while since Microsoft released new accessories compatible with this port. The most popular one is unquestionably the Chat Pad, an add-on that sits between the grips and adds a QWERTY keyboard for those who prefer text messages to voice chats when playing games.

Interestingly, despite the missing expansion port, the controller still has the same model number 1914 printed on the box. As for the Xbox Design Lab, controllers in there still have the old expansion port for additional accessories. We asked Microsoft to clarify the situation and will update the article once we have a word from the company.

The Xbox Wireless Controller Forza Horizon 6 Limited Edition is available for $89.99 in the Microsoft Store.