Xbox 360 Wireless Controller Locates Stolen Console

When your Xbox 360 gets stolen from you, what do you do? Call the cops? No, you pick up that wireless controller, and you track that sucker down. That’s what Ryan Ketsenburg of Missouri State did when he woke up one morning in his dorm room to find his beloved console missing. Someone had apparently broken in while he and his roommates were sleeping and made off with the 360, leaving a controller behind. That’s when Ketsenburg no doubt pulled out a magnifying glass and Sherlock Holmes hat:

Ketsenburg, who lives in Hutchens House, said that after his Xbox was stolen, he turned on his wireless Xbox controller and found that it was still connecting to his Xbox. Based on this discovery, Ketsenburg said he realized that his Xbox must be nearby, he said.

The controller connected to the Xbox on the fourth, fifth and sixth floors of Hutchens but not on the third floor and seventh floor, so through process of elimination, Ketsenburg said he figured out that the stolen Xbox must be on the fifth floor. Following the controller’s signal, Ketsenburg said he was able to pinpoint the room where his Xbox was stolen.

The Xbox 360 wireless controller has a 30-foot range, according to the Xbox Web site. When looking for his Xbox, Ketsenburg said the light-emitting diodes of the controller flashed when he was out of range. The 5th floor resident assistant checked the alleged room where the stolen Xbox was and was able to find the Xbox.

I have to admit, that is one impressive and creative way to recover some stolen goods. The student has said that he intends to prosecute the thief “to the fullest extent of the law,” which should be quite the surprise to that person, since they were not in their room when the console was recovered. Still, at least he got his Xbox back, though the bastard had already formatted the hard drive.