Imagine being in the middle of a full-scale, heads-down multiplayer battle when your Xbox controller goes on the fritz. While Xbox controllers are pretty reliable, whether you’re gaming on your Xbox or using your controller with your PC, there can be times your controller stops responding. Perhaps it’s drifting, disconnects from your console, or simply won’t charge.

The best way to solve the problem is with a quick reset. Whether you’re gaming on Xbox One or an Xbox Series X or S, we’ll show you how to reset Xbox controller quickly, so you can get back to pwning that boss.

How to Reset the Xbox Controller

The steps to reset your Xbox controller are pretty similar regardless of which console you’re using. Below, we’ll walk you step by step through how to reset your Xbox controller for both the Xbox One and Xbox Series X or S.

How to Reset an Xbox One Controller via the Controller

There are two ways to reset your Xbox One controller. The first is to perform a reset on the controller itself. This only takes a few seconds to do.

1. Press and hold down the Xbox button on the controller for 10 to 15 seconds to turn off your controller.
2. Remove the batteries from your controller.
3. Place the batteries back into the controller.
4. Press the Xbox button on the controller again to turn it back on.
5. Hopefully, your controller should now be responding normally, and you can get back to gaming.

How to Hard Reset an Xbox One Controller

You can also perform a hard reset on your Xbox One controller if the above reset steps don’t work. Here’s how to do that:

1. Press the Xbox button on the controller for 10-15 seconds to turn the controller off.
2. Now, press the Xbox button on your Xbox One for 5-10 seconds to power off your console.
3. Remove your console’s power cord from the back of the Xbox One, then wait for 30 seconds.
4. Plug the power cord back into the Xbox One console and press the Xbox button on the console to turn it back on.
5. Connect your Xbox One controller via USB cable to your console.
6. Wait for the controller to sync with the console before disconnecting the USB cable.

How to Reset Xbox Series X or S Controller

The easiest way to reset your Xbox Series X or S controller is to reset it using the controller itself. Here’s how to do that:

1. Hold down the Xbox button on your controller for five to ten seconds to turn the controller off.
2. Remove the batteries from the controller.
3. Reinsert the batteries.
4. Press the Xbox button again to turn your controller back on.

If this doesn’t work, you can also perform a hard reset — the steps should be roughly the same as those listed above for the Xbox One.

What if Resetting my Controller Doesn’t Work?

If resetting your Xbox One or Xbox Series X or S controller doesn’t resolve the problem, you might need to try other tactics. Here are a few things you could try.

1. Check your controller is running the latest firmware: You can do this by opening your Xbox Settings menu and going to Devices > Accessories. Select your Xbox controller by selecting the three dots underneath Configure. Select Update Now > Continue, and if an update is available, it will be applied.

1. Check your Xbox console software is up to date: Generally speaking, your console should update automatically, but if you’ve experienced a power outage or any other issues, there may be times you need to download and install updates manually. To do this, open the Xbox Settings menu, and go to System > Updates. Select Update Console > Start Update.
2. Replace your controller batteries: If your controller is behaving erratically, disconnecting, or failing to respond, you might want to try replacing the batteries with fresh ones. This can often resolve the issue.

As we’ve seen, there are a few things you can try if your Xbox controller isn’t behaving the way you expect. There’s no need to panic, as this can usually be fixed if you reset the Xbox controller either via the controller itself, or via your Xbox console with a hard reset. Following these steps should see you back in the game in no time. You might also want to check out what to do if your Xbox controller won’t connect to your PC.