How To Turn Off Xbox Controller On PC? [Answered]

Gaming with an Xbox controller on a PC has always been popular, but after a long gaming session, you need to know how to turn off the Xbox controller on a PC so the batteries don’t get drained when the controller is not in use.  

Key Takeaways 

• Xbox Controller lets you wirelessly play games on your PC without using your keyboard and mouse.
• You can turn off your Xbox Controller on your PC by disabling Bluetooth connection,  long pressing the Xbox Guide Button, removing batteries, disconnecting USB cables, and more.
• Although newer Xbox controllers automatically turn off when left idle for some time, older Xbox controllers’ batteries may get consumed if not turned off.

About Xbox Controllers

Xbox controllers are the official game controllers designed for the Xbox gaming consoles, including the Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Xbox 360.

These controllers allow players to interact with their Xbox consoles and connect with their PC. Each Xbox console generation has a set of controllers with similar methods of being turned on and off. 

• Xbox Series X|S Controller: The Xbox Series X|S controllers can be turned off by holding down the Xbox Guide button, disabling the Bluetooth connection, and remaining idle for a few minutes.   
• Xbox One Controller: The Xbox One controller can be turned off by pressing the Xbox Guide button. You can also turn it off using the menu or remove the batteries.   
• Xbox 360 Controller: The Xbox 360 controller comes with both wired and wireless versions for PC and Xbox. Wired controllers can be turned off by removing the USB cable and the batteries and accessing the menu.  

Also, learn what to do when the PS5 controller is not working on PC.

How To Turn Off Xbox Controller On PC?

In this section, we’ll discuss some general methods that you can use to turn off the Xbox controller on your PC safely.  

Also, if you’re facing performance issues, you might want to learn about how to clear cache on Xbox. 

Holding Down The Xbox Guide Button

The easiest way of turning the Xbox controller off on a PC is by holding down the Xbox Button. This is the quickest method to turn off your Xbox controller. To do this, follow the instructions below: 

1. First, look for the Guide button in the middle of the Xbox Controller.  
2. Press and hold it down for a minimum of 6 seconds. 
3. After that, you will notice the backlight will be put out, implying that your Xbox Controller is turned off. 

To turn it back on, you must hold the Xbox button again. Once it’s turned on, it’ll automatically connect to the last paired Bluetooth connection. 

Remember that holding down the Xbox button for 15 seconds will reboot the controller, which can fix a few issues in its firmware. 

Also Read: How To Connect Matricom Controller To PC?

Disabling The Bluetooth Connection 

Most Xbox controllers, such as the Xbox One Controllers and Xbox Series X S Controllers, use Bluetooth to connect to PC. This allows them to communicate with your PC, increasing portability.  

So one of the easiest ways of turning off your Xbox Controller on PC is by disabling the Bluetooth connection between the PC and the Xbox controller. To do so, follow these steps: 

1. Click on the Windows icon on the taskbar to open the Task Menu.

   

2. Open Settings from the Start menu.

   

3. Head to Devices.

   

4. Disable the Bluetooth button.

   

Also Read: How To Connect PS5 Controller To PS4 Without PC?

If this doesn’t work, you can temporarily disable Bluetooth service in your PC so your Xbox controller disconnects from the PC. You can do that by following these steps:

1. Open the Run dialogue box by pressing Windows + R keys.
2. Search for services.msc and press Enter. 

   

3. Search for the BluetoothUserService from the list of services. Right-click on it and select Properties.
   

   

4. Click on Stop service and select Ok. 

   

This will stop the Bluetooth service on your PC, so once you see that your Xbox controller is disconnected, you can turn the service back on by repeating the same steps. 

Disconnecting The USB Cable

For older Xbox wired controllers like the ones for the Xbox 360, you can disconnect the USB cable joining the controller to your PC.  

This will turn off the Xbox controller and disconnect it from your PC. Similarly, you can reconnect it to your PC if you want to turn it on. 

Also, in case your console is giving you problems, we suggest you reset your Xbox. 

Using Third Party App

If other methods fail to work, you can also turn off the Xbox controller on your PC by using a third-party app. In this case, we’ll be showing you how you can turn off the Xbox controller using the Turn Off Xbox 360 Controller app:

1. Go to the website and then click on the Download option.

   

2. Wait a few seconds for the download to start.
3. Once it’s finished downloading, click on the app to run it in the background. 

   

Now that the app is running in the background, you’ll see that all Xbox controllers connected to your PC have been turned off. 

Removing Batteries

If the previous methods didn’t work, you should try this. Removing batteries out of your Xbox Controller is the simplest of all. All you need to do is to follow these steps:  

1. Take out the battery cover from the backside of your Xbox controller. 
2. Then, pull out one of the cells among the two that are inside. 
3. Once it’s done, the controller will be turned off. 

Be careful when removing the battery cover because it might become loose if you apply too much force. Just insert the battery back in to turn the Xbox controller back on. 

If you’re facing battery issues on your PS4 controller, read our guide about how to check the PS4 controller’s battery on your PC.

Leave It On Idle For A Few Minutes 

If all other methods fail to work, you can try the last way to turn off your PC’s Xbox controller.

The final method for turning off the Xbox controller on a PC is to let it sit idle for a while. Newer Xbox controllers have this feature of automatically turning themselves off after 5-10 minutes, so the battery doesn’t drain too much. 

Also Read: Explained: How To Use Two Controllers On PC?

Final Thoughts 

So, these are all the methods you need to know about to turn off your Xbox controller on PC. Remember to manually turn off your Xbox controller if it doesn’t turn off automatically because you could be wasting batteries. 

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