Pick up your controller and look at the round Xbox logo-bearing 'Guide' button situated in the center. Fortunately, it's easy enough to tell the two apart. This is a feature that wasn't introduced until 2016, so it's very possible you don't have the right model of controller. For one, you'll need an Xbox controller that features Bluetooth support. Wireless gaming is a little bit trickier. Plug it into a free USB port on your computer and you'll be off to the races. All you need for wired gaming with an Xbox controller on PC is the USB cord you use to charge your controller.

I unfortunately don't have an older controller to test this with myself.) If you're using a Mac, know that may need to take the extra step of installing a freely available custom driver (Opens in a new tab). So using them with your computer of choice is as simple as plugging into a USB port. (That adapter doesn't officially support MacOS or Windows 10, either.)īeyond that, every Xbox controller since the Xbox 360 days relies on a USB connector. Those plugged in using a proprietary connector, so you'd need to buy an adapter like this (Opens in a new tab) to make the connection. Setup is very easy though.įirst, know that it doesn't matter too much which generation of console controller you want to use, unless we're talking about an original Xbox controller. But even Mac users can take advantage of Xbox controllers for their gaming, albeit with a pretty notable limitation. It's especially easy if you're talking about plugging an Xbox controller into a Windows machine.

So it's not a huge leap to make a console controller play nice with your desktop or laptop. Video game consoles are just computers that have been custom-built for a very specific purpose.

Connecting xbox one controller to pc