Xbox Series X can now switch your TV input with the press of a controller button
No more digging around for your TV remote
Xbox Series X/S consoles now have a feature that changes your TV's input when you hit the Xbox button on the controller.
It's a pretty common feature in modern consoles to be able to have your TV automatically switch to the right input when you interact with the controller, and it's a convenience that's easy to take for granted until you try playing on Xbox. Until now, the only way to switch the input while playing Xbox games is to find your TV remote, or failing that, wriggle your way free from the sedating comfort of your couch, trudge through to your TV, and slide your hands all along the sides and bottom looking for the input button.
But no longer. As Xbox engineering lead Eden Marie revealed on Twitter, all you have to do to now is hit that round Xbox button in the center of your controller and your TV will switch to the console's input, removing one potentially very annoying obstacle to playing some Halo Infinite or Sea of Thieves.
The feature was released in a hardware update today, and you'll have to head to General TV & A/V power options on your Xbox to turn it on. Just make sure you tick the box next to HDMI-CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) and enable "switch TV input using controller.) Of course, if you're a neat, organized person whose TV remote is always nearby and you don't mind using it, you can opt out of this feature entirely.
How to install Xbox Series X games | How to transfer games to Xbox Series X external transfer | How to pair an Xbox Series X controller | Xbox Share button | Xbox Series X controller and accessory compatibility | Xbox Series X standby mode | Xbox Quick Resume | What discs work in an Xbox Series X | Does Xbox Series X play Blu-ray movies | How to eject an Xbox Series X disc | How to set up the Xbox mobile app
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
After scoring a degree in English from ASU, I worked as a copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. Now, as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer, I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my apartment, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.