Xbox 360 Controller USB?

[Ruse]

I recently borrowed an Xbox 360 controller from a buddy seeing that the connection was essentially usb. I got home and tried to plug it in, XP did not have the appropriate drivers for it so I took to google to try and find some. I got them easily enough but they dont work with the controller. I discovered that there is a 360 controller made for windows already, but I dont need a game pad so badly that I would go and buy one. Is there some way I can use this controller anyway since its essentially a USB device? Is there some hack or special drivers I can use which will enable it to function?

[UberMoo]

i know for a fact that Microsoft had released drivers for it. My Friend had them, but i not ure where he had gotten them. Try google?

[Cptn Vortex]

Yeah....I was wondering the same thing. My wireless controller came with the play and charge kit, and when I plug it into my windows machine, it auto-installs some windows drivers, and is recognized as a Xbox 360 controller, but I can't seem to get it to do anything!

[Spblue]

I've been using a standard Xbox controller on my computer for years now. Never bothered to upgrade to a Xbox360 one with an actual USB plug.

The hardware part is very straightforward. Just cut a USB cable and splice it with the Xbox cable. Just cut open the small cable, the one that stays plugged in the Xbox if you pull on it. If you want to do it like me and preserve the Xbox plug, then cut it around the middle. If you don't care about using it again on an Xbox, then just cut it as close to the top plug as you can (the part that plugs into the Xbox).

If you want to preserve the Xbox plug, you'll have to splice both the new USB cables and the top Xbox part with the lower end part of the cable, making some kind of Y. Since I assume you don't have an Xbox, it's going to be simpler for you to just change the Xbox plug to a USB one. Just splice the same color cables together, there's on extra cable on the Xbox part (if I remember correctly, the extra one is yellow), you can leave it unplugged. Now just wrap with electrical tape and you're set, congrats on your new PC controller!

For the driver part, just go to XBox Controller Driver and get the latest. I'm not sure the new Microsoft driver works with the old non 360 Xbox controllers, but I know for sure that this one works, as I've been using it for years. Just install and configure your axes in the control panel.

Edit: Oh sorry I didn't realize you were already meant the 360 one. No hardware splicing needed in that case. Still, if you have an extra USB cable and want to try it, you can get a non-360 controller for like $5 around here so it still might be worth doing. Hopefully the driver part will work fine for you though.

[Cptn Vortex]

Yeah I did that same thing a year and a half ago. Easily done. Use XBCD or whatever the software is called.

[Ruse]

Yeah, thanks for all your efforts. I downloaded the microsoft drivers, those XBDB drivers too. Still nothing. I google'd all possible search terms I could before posting this thread. I've tried seemingly all avenues to get this 360 controller to install and work properly. Yet nothing works, nothing. Keep in mind, this controller is from the first batch of premium Xbox 360's, this controller has never failed to stop working for the console itself. When I plug it into my usb ports, I still get no result. Is there something you are missing, or myself?

[Jmac]

I just plugged mine in, Windows found drivers, works fine ...

[Mars]

Originally Posted by Jmac

I just plugged mine in, Windows found drivers, works fine ...

Should work like this, although the instructions say to install the software first.

Drivers available here: Download Gaming Software

I just picked up an xbox 360 wireless controller and PC reciever for $50 at Staples, and am loving it, currently playing through Jade Empire.

[belgolas]

Yeah I have used to 360 controller once but it isn't that great for PC shooters. Also you can use the Wii mote if you have blue tooth.

[Mars]

Originally Posted by belgolas

Yeah I have used to 360 controller once but it isn't that great for PC shooters. Also you can use the Wii mote if you have blue tooth.

Yeah, I'd never give up the keyboard/mouse combo for shooters, but for games like Jade Empire (action/RPG), it's perfect.

AFAIK, there's no way to get the IR sensors working in the wiimote on PC, only the tilt sensors and/or accelerometers, which doesn't make it particularly useful, other than for showing off.