Pc and wireless Xbox controller

matt167

[H]ard|Gawd
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Dec 18, 2016
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Call me old fashioned, but I’ve used an Xbox 360 wired controller for a decade on my PC. I’m turning my plex server into a media center gaming computer. Fiancé wants Wii capability and I’ve had it set up to stream Steam link for a while now. So I will need wireless controllers being it’s going to the living room. Is the Xbox wireless protocol and it’s associated dongle better than Bluetooth? I would be picking up 2 brand new OEM Xbox controllers, whatever generation that Walmart or the like has
 
it seems to work better because its dedicated just to the controllers. get a controller and dongle kit plus a second controller. should end up cheaper.
 
it seems to work better because its dedicated just to the controllers. get a controller and dongle kit plus a second controller. should end up cheaper.
This was along my thinking. I’m planning on getting the Dolphinbar for the Wii stuff as well because it’s reported to have less lag and that makes sense since the bar itself is the physical connection to the computer, and only the wiimotes connect to it
 
I have used the dongles with my Xbox 360 and Xbox One controllers and they connect seamlessly and work awesome, but I have never used 2 controllers on the PC at the same time.
I did use my Xbox Elite2 conroller with BT on my Steam Deck and it worked fine but I was only a few feet from it and only used it for 30 minutes or so when I was testing Mario Kart 8 in the Yuzu Switch emulator.
 
Bluetooth is a crapshoot on the PC depending on what kind of Bluetooth adapter you have. If you have one of those little USB fobs, they drop inputs constantly, have minimal range, and are known to crap out mid-game. All of them. I did a bunch of tests with a variety of them.
If you have a built-in Bluetooth/Wi-Fi adapter with antennas on your mobo (or a PCIe add-on card), they work fantastically even with multiple devices connected. Those antennas make all the difference.

If you don't have a built-in adapter or card, go with the Xbox dongle. It's actually a little bit better than Bluetooth, but they're also at least $25. Both Bluetooth and the dongle will let you connect multiple devices. I've never used more than 2 at once, but that has worked fine for me.
 
Bluetooth on the new Xbox controllers work really well with the Intel receiver built into my motherboard.
 
I bought a pcie Wi-Fi card with Bluetooth. It’s one of the cheap ones that has an intel chipset. I need the Wi-Fi when I move it
 
I bought a pcie Wi-Fi card with Bluetooth. It’s one of the cheap ones that has an intel chipset. I need the Wi-Fi when I move it

That should work absolutely fine then. Those Intel WiFi/BT cards are typically fantastic. If nothing else, give it a go. If it isn't working the way you want, you can look for other options.
 
I’ll have to try that then and buy the adapter if it doesn’t work
 
I used my series x controller for a long time via Bluetooth worked great with no issues. How ever when I got a new motherboard with out Bluetooth and switched to the official USB adapter. I wouldn't be able to go back. Less input lag, instant connect, better range and I recently discovered that it will remember my controller when I move the adapter from my desktop to my laptop or steamlink
 
I used my series x controller for a long time via Bluetooth worked great with no issues. How ever when I got a new motherboard with out Bluetooth and switched to the official USB adapter. I wouldn't be able to go back. Less input lag, instant connect, better range and I recently discovered that it will remember my controller when I move the adapter from my desktop to my laptop or steamlink
Hmm, lag is a reason I’ve always had wired controllers. I guess the dongle is probably best. It’s only $20.
 
Hmm, lag is a reason I’ve always had wired controllers. I guess the dongle is probably best. It’s only $20.
just make sure to get a real one. knock offs seem to be kinda flakey. another tip to save on controllers is to look at gamestop/walmart for discontinued special edition controllers. i snagged my pubg controller for only $30CAN.
 
just make sure to get a real one. knock offs seem to be kinda flakey. another tip to save on controllers is to look at gamestop/walmart for discontinued special edition controllers. i snagged my pubg controller for only $30CAN.
I just thought about GameStop for a controller: I saw the knockoff dongles, but a genuine one is literally $3 more. I’d only buy Xbox branded
 
dang, that is a really good deal.

I was doing some controller stuff a couple weeks ago and decided to get the cheap knock off xbox 360 dongles because I have a bunch of 360 controllers from the days of using 360s as media extenders. Those dongles work fine after you go through all the steps to get the driver to work. I do seem to remember that it is one controller per dongle.
 
dang, that is a really good deal.

I was doing some controller stuff a couple weeks ago and decided to get the cheap knock off xbox 360 dongles because I have a bunch of 360 controllers from the days of using 360s as media extenders. Those dongles work fine after you go through all the steps to get the driver to work. I do seem to remember that it is one controller per dongle.
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I am not sure if you can apply the offer for both in the same order, or if you apply for the offer on one that the other one won't have the offer anymore.

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How long could I make a USB cable for a hub? That I could hide under an area rug?
 
Hit a snag with the Bluetooth side of the wireless card. Didn’t realize it takes a usb connection for the Bluetooth to work. There is no free internal connection. I’ll have to get an adapter and loop it through a vent in the case to a usb port
 
Hit a snag with the Bluetooth side of the wireless card. Didn’t realize it takes a usb connection for the Bluetooth to work. There is no free internal connection. I’ll have to get an adapter and loop it through a vent in the case to a usb port
thats one way to do it. i connected a aio block like that for years. all your usb2/3(adaptable) mobo connections are taken?
 
thats one way to do it. i connected a aio block like that for years. all your usb2/3(adaptable) mobo connections are taken?
It’s a Dell Optiplex 3050 so the USB 2 header is proprietary. I could get an adapter for that at a cost of $30 I think
 
So a little digging and I found the 3050 does use a standard usb 3 header just as the older ivy bridge dells Ive had do. So I could use a splitter cable and a USB 3 to 2 header adapter. Theoretically that would work.. but would it really? I’ve adapted USB 2 header to usb C to get the front panel port working on a more modern case before, so I’m use to that kind of craziness
 
I'll resurrect this thread as I believe it's worth mentioning how much better Bluetooth connections have gotten. You DO still need a decent Bluetooth receiver (usually the kind built into wireless adapters), but both the PS5 pad and Xbox One Series X pads no longer drop inputs. That was an issue for years, no matter how good your receiver was or how close you were to it. You might not notice playing random emulated NES games, but it's something you'd notice in fighting games or anything with heavy execution.
A friend bought a brand new PC and I figured we'd test out BT before he ordered the Microsoft adapter. No inputs dropped at all on his machine. I took out my MS adapter and tested it out on my machine and the results were the same. That wasn't the case even a year ago. I have a feeling those little USB dongles might still have issues (they dropped a TON of inputs), but it's good news for people with a decent BT receiver.
 
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