Most of the issues that can cause an Xbox One controller to not connect or to fail to connect are fairly easy to fix. Even in the worst case scenario, you can always convert your wireless controller into a wired controller with a micro USB cable.

If an Xbox One controller won't connect, it will usually manifest itself in one of the following ways:

These issues may occur when you first turn on the controller or during gameplay.

When an Xbox One controller won’t connect, there could be a few basic issues at play. At the most basic level, your controller and console aren’t communicating with each other. This can be caused by too much distance between the controllers, interference, low batteries, syncing issues, and hardware malfunctions.