How to Disassemble an Xbox Series X Controller

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Take your Xbox Series X or S controller apart safely

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Last Updated: December 17, 2025

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Preparing Your Workspace

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Removing the Outer Covers

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Disassembling the Inside

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Removing Motors & Boards

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Putting It Back Together

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Video

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Tips

Whether you want to do a deep-clean on your controller or you’re hoping to replace some parts, the Xbox Series X controller is surprisingly easy to disassemble. You just need a few simple tools, including T6 and TR8 Torx screwdrivers and a plastic spudger. These steps will also work for an Xbox Series S controller. Keep reading to learn how to take your controller apart and put it back together again.

Taking Apart an Xbox Series X Controller: The Basics

At minimum, you’ll need a T6 Torx screwdriver, a TR8 Torx Security screwdriver, and a plastic pry tool.
Power down your controller, remove the batteries, and ground yourself before you start.
You’ll need to remove the outer casing and joysticks before you can access internal components such as the motherboard and motors.

Part 1

Part 1 of 5:

Preparing Yourself and Your Workspace

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1
Gather the parts you need. You’ll need a clean, flat surface where you can lay out your tools and controller components. Ideally, use an ESD-safe work mat. Many of these mats come with trays where you can keep small parts, such as screws, until you’re ready to reassemble your device. For this job, you’ll also need:^{[1]
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- A T6 Torx screwdriver
- A TR8 Torx Security screwdriver
- A plastic pry tool or spudger
- Plastic tweezers
- Cotton swabs and a soft microfiber cloth (if you are planning to clean your controller)
- Any parts that you plan to replace, such as joysticks, buttons, outer casing components, etc. You can buy official Xbox controller replacement parts directly from the Microsoft Store.
2
Power off the controller and remove the batteries. Before you take apart your controller, it’s important to remove any sources of power. This will reduce the risk of harm to both you and the controller. Disconnect the charger or power cord and wait for the light in the Xbox logo button at the center of the controller to turn off. Then, unclip the battery case on the back of the controller and remove the batteries.^{[2]
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- To remove the battery compartment cover, push lightly on the “Eject” symbol on the cover while pulling up on the compartment door. The cover should pop off.
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3
Ground yourself. Grounding yourself will prevent static electric discharge, which could put you at risk of shock or damage the internal components of your controller. Touch a metal object, like a radiator or water pipe. To keep yourself grounded while you work, wear an anti-static wristband connected to a grounded object.

Part 2

Part 2 of 5:

Removing the Outer Covers

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1
Remove the side caps with a plastic pry tool. If you haven’t already removed the battery compartment cover, do that first and set it aside. Next, take your pry tool or spudger and carefully insert it into the seam around one of the side caps (on the controller grip). Work your way around the seam until you’ve disconnected all the clips holding the side cap in place. Repeat this process with the cap on the other side.^{[3]
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- Be careful not to break any of the plastic clips holding the side caps in place. If any clips break, you’ll need to replace the cap.
2
Remove the 5 screws connecting the back case to the front case. With the back of your controller facing up, use the TR8 Torx Security screwdriver to unscrew the 4 screws under the side caps. You’ll see one at the top and bottom of the controller grip on each side. The 5th screw is located in the center of the battery compartment. You’ll need to puncture the center of the sticker inside the compartment to access it.
- If your controller is still under warranty, don’t worry–damaging the sticker won’t void your coverage.^{[4]
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- Be careful not to lose any of the screws. Since you’ll be removing several more screws during this process, you might wish to put them in a labeled container or compartment in your work tray.
3
Flip the controller over and lift off the front case. Turn the controller over carefully, since the front and back casing are now completely loose.^{[5]
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4
Remove the joysticks. You’ll need to do this before you can take off the rear housing. Gently pull the joysticks off their bases and set them aside.^{[6]
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Remove the rear case. Now that the joysticks are off, you can simply lift the midframe and internal parts of the controller off of the rear case in one piece.^{[7]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 5:

Disassembling the Internal Components

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1
Remove the D-pad (optional). If you want to remove the D-pad, you can do so now. The D-pad is held in place by a metal spring ring. Use your plastic tweezers to unclip the spring ring from the bottom edge of the controller, then slide the ring up and off the midframe. Then, gently lift the D-pad off of its base and set it aside.^{[8]
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Unclip the top cap. There’s a small central cap at the top of the controller, between the bumpers. Use your plastic pry tool to gently ease the tabs off the two locking posts holding this cap in place at the top of the mid-frame. Pull the cap up and away from the top of the controller.
3
Take off the bumpers. Like the top cap you just removed, the bumper cap is held in place by a pair of plastic clips. Use the plastic pry tool to carefully pry the clips loose. There are two of them, located at the top right and left sides of the controller. Work carefully so that you don’t accidentally snap the clips. Once the clips are released, lift the bumper cap off of the controller.

Part 4

Part 4 of 5:

Removing the Motors and Boards

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1
Pry off the Bluetooth antennas. Carefully flip the controller over so that the button plate is facing down. You will now have access to the innermost parts of your controller, including the motors, motherboard (or mainboard), and daughter board (or I/O board). If you need to take your controller apart even more at this point, you’ll need to start by removing the Bluetooth antennas:^{[9]
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- These antennas are located at the center of the motherboard. Use your plastic pry tool or a pair of tweezers to gently disconnect them from their connectors on the board.
  - These wires and their connectors are delicate! Work carefully so that you don’t break anything.
  - Make sure you disconnect the antennas from the motherboard, not from the daughter board (which is located behind the motherboard when you have the back of the controller facing up).
2
Take off the trigger caps. The triggers are located at the top left and right sides of the controller. You’ll find a screw on the backside of each cap. Use the T6 Torx screwdriver to remove each screw. There’s a catch on the opposite side of each trigger cap from the screw. Use your finger or the plastic pry tool to gently pry off each cap, starting from the side where the screw was and pushing in the direction of the catch.
- Make sure to set the screws aside and label them so you know where they belong.
3
Remove the trigger motors. You should be able to simply lift them out of the housing. They will still be attached to the motherboard by wires. Be careful not to damage the solder connecting the wires on either end.
- Carefully deroute the wires where they wrap around the front of the mid-frame. This will make it easier for you to set the motors aside so the soldered connections don’t get tugged or damaged while you work.^{[10]
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4
Remove the rumble motors. The rumble motors, or palm motors, are located at the bottom part of the controller on either side. Use your plastic pry tool to push back the plastic clip holding them in place, then gently wiggle the motors up and out of their housing.
- Just like the trigger motors, these motors are attached to the motherboard with delicate wires. Carefully deroute the wires and set the motors aside.
5
Unscrew the two mother (mainboard) screws. There are two screws located at the bottom corners of the motherboard, just above the rumble motors. Use your T6 Torx screwdriver to remove those screws. Make sure to label the screws so you know where they belong.
6
Lift out the motherboard. Be careful not to damage any of the delicate soldered connections holding the various wires in place. You might need to use a bit of light force to disconnect the motherboard from the daughter board underneath it.^{[11]
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- When you remove the motherboard, the 3.5mm jack between the two boards might come loose, since it isn’t soldered into place.^{[12]
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- It might help to use the pry tool to lift each corner of the board.
7
Unscrew the I/O board (daughter board). The daughter board is connected to the mid-frame by 6 screws. Use your T6 Torx screwdriver to remove them, then lift the board off the frame. Make sure you label the screws so you know where to put them during reassembly.
8
Remove the buttons. Once you remove the daughter board, the buttons will be loose in the mid-frame. Remove them by pulling them out of the back of the frame before flipping the frame over (otherwise, they’ll fall out).^{[13]
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Part 5

Part 5 of 5:

Reassembling the Controller

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1
Put the buttons back in place. Once you’ve done any desired cleaning or repairs, you can start putting your controller back together. Start by flipping the mid-frame over so the back is facing up, then insert the buttons from the back. The buttons are keyed so each one will only fit into place if you have it in the correct location and orientation.^{[14]
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Reinsert the daughter board (I/O board) and screw it in. Line the daughter board up with the screw holes on the mid-frame, and put the screws back in place with your T6 Torx screwdriver. There are 6 screws total. Tighten them until they are finger-tight, then turn them an additional 45 degrees or so with your screwdriver to make sure they are sufficiently secure.^{[15]
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3
Reinstall the audio jack. This is the 3.5mm jack that rests between the daughter and motherboards. Set it in place between the brackets on the bottom of the daughter board.
- The metal components on the jack should face up (toward the motherboard).^{[16]
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4
Align the holes on the motherboard with the posts on the mid-frame. There are several holes on the motherboard that align with posts on the mid-frame. Line the holes up with the posts and lower the motherboard into place.
5
Screw the motherboard into place. Push the motherboard down onto the daughter board, being careful not to damage any of the wires. Press down firmly to make sure the connectors between the motherboard and daughter board lock into place. Use your T6 Torx screwdriver to screw in the 2 screws at the bottom corners of the motherboard.^{[17]
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- Finger-tighten the screws as much as you can, then turn them another 45 degrees with your screwdriver.
6
Reinstall the rumble motors. Push the rumble motors back into their slots at the bottom of the frame. You might need to push the plastic clip back with the plastic pry tool. Be very careful not to damage the wires or their soldered connectors.
7
Reroute the trigger motor wires. Very carefully thread the trigger motor wires back through the side clips and retention tabs that were holding them in place along the motherboard and midframe. Be careful not to damage the soldered connectors.
- There should be about 1 inch (25 mm) of wire resting on the motherboard after you reroute the wires.^{[18]
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Install the trigger motors. Put the trigger motors back into their housing at the top sides of the frame. Make sure the wires are facing the center of the mid-frame.
9
Replace the trigger caps. There’s a tab on the side of each cap that faces toward the center of the controller. Insert that tab into the slot on the housing, then rotate the other side of the cap into place so that the screw holes line up. Use your T6 Torx screwdriver to screw the caps into place.
- Finger-tighten the screws as much as possible, then give them one more 45-degree turn with the screwdriver.^{[19]
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10
Reconnect the Bluetooth antennas. Press the Bluetooth antennas down onto their connectors on the motherboard. Be gentle, since the wires and connectors are delicate.
11
Reinstall the D-pad and D-pad ring. Carefully turn the controller over so the buttons face up. If you removed the D-pad, set it in place on the mid-frame. Make sure the tabs on the pad are correctly aligned. Place the spring ring over the D-pad, then use your tweezers to guide the ring clips into place at the bottom of the controller.
12
Reattach the bumper. Push the bumper cap back into place. Make sure the posts on the cap are lined up with the holes at the top of the controller. Use the plastic pry tool to guide the clips at the left and right edges back into place. You should hear a click when they are securely seated.
13
Replace the top cap. Hook the bottom of the top cap back into place between the bumpers, then swivel the cap back into position. Use the pry tool to guide the top cap tabs back over their posts. You can also gently press the top cap into position until you feel it click into place.
14
Reassemble the outer case. Put the joysticks back in place and set the controller assembly inside the rear case. Then, align the top case with the D-pad and joystick openings and push it into place. Carefully flip the controller over so the rear case is facing up, then reattach the 5 screws using your TR8 Torx Security screwdriver.
- Finger-tighten each screw, then give it another 45-degree turn with the screwdriver to make sure it is secure.
15
Reattach the side caps and battery compartment. Line up each side cap over the controller grips and snap it into place. Work all the way around the edge of each side cap to ensure that all the clips are secure. Reinstall the batteries and close the battery compartment.
16
Recalibrate your controller (optional). If you replaced any components, like your circuit board, you may need to recalibrate your controller before it will work properly. The recalibration tool isn’t available for all controller models. You can find detailed instructions here.

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Tips

Doing self-repair on your Xbox controller won’t void your warranty. However, any damage that you cause to the controller will not be covered, so proceed with caution.^{[20]
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If you’re cleaning the controller, you can safely use any of the disinfectants listed here to remove stubborn dirt, grime, and goo. Use a soft, lint-free cloth to carefully wipe the internal parts of your controller.

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