Xbox Controller Forza Horizon 6 images show Microsoft has quietly closed the long running Chatpad expansion port on the Xbox Wireless Controller, a change first spotted by players in photos of the limited edition controller.
Photos of the Forza Horizon 6 limited edition controller circulating on social media showed the port area filled in, and the Microsoft Store product page now includes a line noting, “Not all versions of this controller include an expansion port,” according to the product listing.
Xbox Controller Forza Horizon 6 shows the change
The expansion connector, commonly called the Chatpad port, dates back to the Xbox 360 era and was best known for attaching a mini keyboard that clipped to the bottom of the controller. Players on Reddit and other gaming forums first called attention to the closed port after images of the new controller appeared online.
Microsoft stopped producing the Chatpad in 2019, and the accessory has become increasingly rare as smartphones and voice input replaced the need for an on-controller keyboard. The Xbox App also includes a built in touch keyboard, which Microsoft and product pages suggest reduces demand for the physical port.
Availability and price in Hong Kong
The Forza Horizon 6 limited edition controller uses a racing theme colorway and is being sold in a bundle with a matching limited headset. 7-Eleven Hong Kong has listed the controller for about approximately $89.06 (originally 698 HKD / reference rate 1 HKD = 0.1276 USD), according to the store listing.
The Microsoft Store product description does not guarantee all controllers will include an expansion port, a note that suggests future runs of the Xbox Wireless Controller may omit the connector altogether.
Why Microsoft may have closed the port
Engineering wise, removing the Chatpad port is a small change, but it signals that Microsoft is simplifying controller hardware and directing resources toward wireless reliability and tighter integration with the Xbox App ecosystem. The company has not released a formal statement beyond the product page note.
For the minority of hardcore players who still use a Chatpad, the arrival of controllers without the port means they should keep older units if they want that capability. Microsoft, the Microsoft Store listing, and the Xbox App are the primary sources for these details.
What this means for players and accessories
Accessory makers that once relied on the expansion port will likely shift plans as the Xbox Wireless Controller design evolves. Xbox Controller Forza Horizon 6 limited edition images provide an early look at that transition, and the Microsoft Store note makes the change official for now.
Gamers who value on controller text input can use the Xbox App touch keyboard or a phone as a workaround, and third party accessory manufacturers may pursue alternate connection methods if Microsoft continues to phase out the port.
Players first seeing the closed port in images should expect the design to appear on future Xbox Wireless Controller variants, and retailers will likely update listings as stock changes.
