New Xbox Wireless Adapter Has Been Delayed Until Next Year

Earlier this month, Microsoft announced a couple new Xbox One controller designs, as well as a new Xbox Wireless Adapter for connecting an Xbox controller to a PC running Windows 10. At the time, Microsoft said the wireless adapter would be available some time later this month, but now that has changed in a big way: the company has delayed the dongle until next year.

News of the changed date first surfaced on the Xbox Wireless Adapter's product page, where the new availability date is listed in big, bold letters as January 1, 2018. The company has since confirmed the change of date, saying to Windows Central that it is going to ship later in the United States than possibly some other countries. As well, the company indicated that the January 1, 2018 date itself could change in the future, leaving a big question mark in place.

Why Microsoft has chosen to delay the launch by about 6 months isn't clear; the company didn't state either way. However, those in other markets (that is, outside of the US) may see the new dongle launch earlier, giving at least some fans a slimmer, sleeker option for using their Xbox One controllers. The company didn't say where and when the dongle may roll out first.

As revealed earlier this month, the new dongle is the same as the old USB wireless adapter, only it is considerably smaller at only a third of the original size. This addresses one of the biggest complaints that buyers had, making the dongle more in line with what you'd expect from a wireless adapter. The model will cost about $25 in the US once it does launch.

SOURCE: Windows Central