Xbox Wireless Gamepad - Any compatibility issues on Windows?

[djoye]

My 360 wired gamepad is showing some wear (sometimes the left analog moves forward without me pushing it) so I'm thinking about going with a wireless Xbox One gamepad. In the past, any compatibility issue that turned up with the 360 gamepad on Windows seemed to be related to the wireless 360 pad; I've never had issues with my wired controller.

Is this still something to be concerned about? I'm guessing that I can also use a USB cable to wire the XB1 gamepad to the PC, is that correct?

 

[Denpepe]

I bought a wired xbox one controller for my PC couple years ago, works like a charm for the games I use it for.

Never tried a wireless one on the PC though.

 

[RanceJustice]

Hello! Overall, the Xbox One wireless controller is a bit smoother and overall works better than the 360 build, in terms the little issues as you describe. In response to your question, yes - unlike Xbox 360 wireless pads, the XBOne wireless CAN connect via a USB cable for data + charging. MS learned from the X360 where the wireless pads ONLY used USB for charging and data was not transmitted. so you absolutely needed a wireless adapter. XBOne controllers, thanks to ubiquitous XInput support in games and good documentation overall, is pretty much universal - on any modern windows install they should grab the drivers quickly and easily and they even work flawlessly on Linux (and I assume Mac) today.

If you're going to get yourself kitted out with an XBOne pad, that's a great choice. Here are a few things to keep in mind, because it can get a little confusing..


First of all,sure you get a 3rd Generation XBOne wireless game pad. These have a couple of advantages in that 1) They support Bluetooth as an option in addition to wired and the normal wireless XBOne protocol and 2) have a couple of general improvements to the hardware for better connectivity, grip enhancements and other bonuses. These can be IDed by how the middle part with the Xbox logo button is part of the rest of the faceplate; earlier variants had it a bit separated instead. Most controllers today are 3rd Gen, but just keep your eyes out especially if buying used or from sellers on AMazon/Ebay etc. Here's an example on Amazon of a good choice - https://www.amazon.com/Xbox-Wireless-Controller-White-one/dp/B01GW3H3U8/ref=sr_1_4?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1532309777&sr=1-4&keywords=xbox+one+controller&th=1 - Note there are literally a TON of various colors to choose from as well as a custom color setup if you want on xbox.com called Xbox Design Lab, so check out the Accessories section to see which you'd like!

Next, if you want to play wirelessly on your PC you'll need a dongle, not unlike the one for X360. Note that you can play with Bluetooth but many players think using the dongle provides a better experience since it offers support for certain features (ie headset jack and other accessories don't work via bluetooth, BT can only support a single controller whereas the dongle can handle 2 - 8 wirelessly depending etc) and more bandwidth; this may or may not affect you. There are are actually 2 versions of this as well officially from Microsoft as well as a TON of knockoffs - so be wary. Gen1 (legit) dongles are called "Microsoft Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows" and are kind of wide and flat. Gen 2 dongles are called "Microsoft Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows 10" and are narrower more like a USB memory stick/thumbdrive style . Picture of it here - https://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one/accessories/adapters/wireless-adapter-windows . Gen2 is not only smaller but has a bit better connectivity as well. Lots of sellers still offer Gen1 (which isn't bad per se, mine has been working fine but if I was buying new I'd get the new version) , so make sure you're buying Gen2 if you wish that model.

Finally, much like your X360 by default XBOne controllers take AA batteries by default. However, they do offer a rechargeable battery pack in t he form of the Xbox One Play and Charge Kit - https://www.amazon.com/Xbox-One-Pla...rd_wg=ymYsi&psc=1&refRID=3BMSRX1KCFHPV2Y44DKD - Thankfully the batteries are Li-Ion this time not NiMH and thus last longer and the kit also provides a USB cable good for both charging and data; it even has a little light on it to show your battery level when charging (goes from orange when charging to white when fully charged). These aren't too expensive and (with the exception of buying rechargeable AA's etc) I suggest using the official Microsoft play+charge batteries; most alternatives suck in comparison if anywhere near the same price range.

Amazon often has bundles that include a (commonly colored, like white or black) 3rtd gen controller + either the play/charge kit or the wireless dongle. This is a good way to save at times, but be sure that you're getting the right version of each item (ie one version o the kit was shipping the Gen1 dongle even though Gen2 was pictured etc... so you can send it back and request what you intended etc). Of course, if yo uwant to save a few bucks just start with the controller itself and make sure you have a microUSB ended cable for wired use.

Hope this helps. If you have any questions feel free to let me know!

P.S - If you'd be willing to spend a little more on a high end, customizable controller let me know and I can give you the pros and cons to the current selection.

 

[Armenius]

My 360 wired gamepad is showing some wear (sometimes the left analog moves forward without me pushing it) so I'm thinking about going with a wireless Xbox One gamepad. In the past, any compatibility issue that turned up with the 360 gamepad on Windows seemed to be related to the wireless 360 pad; I've never had issues with my wired controller.

Is this still something to be concerned about? I'm guessing that I can also use a USB cable to wire the XB1 gamepad to the PC, is that correct?

All Xbox One controllers are wireless, but you can use a USB cable to use them "wired." I use my original Elite controller all the time on my PC with a USB cable. The Xbox One controller is PnP with Windows 10. You'll need an additional driver with Windows 7. Windows 8.1 will automatically install the driver when you plug it in. Every game with XInput will pick up the Xbox One controller without issue, so older games that supported the 360 controller will also implicitly support the One controller.

 

[djoye]

I picked up an XB1 gamepad with the wireless dongle from Amazon, it included the USB cable as well (I guess that's a given). It's the 1708 model, which appears to be the latest. It really is nice not having the wire so I'm happy that I went that route.

 

[Domingo]

The Bluetooth functionality on the Xbox One pads (and basically any Bluetooth pad that uses a non-proprietary dongle) = overstated. They drop inputs. You might not notice them in every game or even at all, but they do. I've done a lot of testing with multiple dongles and devices.
Definitely stick to the proprietary MS adapter if you can. Ditto with Sony's for the PS4 pad.

 

[RanceJustice]

I picked up an XB1 gamepad with the wireless dongle from Amazon, it included the USB cable as well (I guess that's a given). It's the 1708 model, which appears to be the latest. It really is nice not having the wire so I'm happy that I went that route.

Glad to hear it! Is everything working out so far? And yes indeed , Model 1708 does seem to be the latest mainline model number, so you're good there. What sort of dongle did you get - the wide flat one (gen1) or the narrower/smaller one (gen2) ? I don't know your playstyle or frequency, but if using AA's for power seems to be either too bothersome or used up too quickly, remember that the Play and Charge kit is available (official battery pack only I'd say - I've not to date found a 3rd party variant anywhere in the same price range that is even close in quality) . Have any questions?

The Bluetooth functionality on the Xbox One pads (and basically any Bluetooth pad that uses a non-proprietary dongle) = overstated. They drop inputs. You might not notice them in every game or even at all, but they do. I've done a lot of testing with multiple dongles and devices.
Definitely stick to the proprietary MS adapter if you can. Ditto with Sony's for the PS4 pad.

I've heard this as well, though in my own experience ( Older generation BT controllers like Wiimotes and Dual Shock 3, with the Steam Controller the only current gen BT controller I've used; my Xbox One Elite is based off the 2nd gen though it has some great upgrades, but not BT. I've not yet tried the Nintendo JoyCons and/or Pro Controller on PC, but I'm pretty sure they do use Bluetooth; this reminds me to do so. ) I've not had a lot of trouble. Occasionally I used to run into connectivity problems and/or the whole thing dropping out for a moment, but not just missing one or two inputs. I wonder if it has anything to do with the version of bluetooth used? I know the Steam Controller (which seems to have pretty good BT functionality in my experience, but also has a wireless dongle) I'm kind of surprised that the PS4 Dual Shock 4 would not be working out as well via Bluetooth considering that is its primary wireless tech, if I recall correctly? Have you used DS4 on PC, to play PC games? With some sort of standard BT receiver and/or Sony's first party receiver?

 

[djoye]

Glad to hear it! Is everything working out so far? And yes indeed , Model 1708 does seem to be the latest mainline model number, so you're good there. What sort of dongle did you get - the wide flat one (gen1) or the narrower/smaller one (gen2) ? I don't know your playstyle or frequency, but if using AA's for power seems to be either too bothersome or used up too quickly, remember that the Play and Charge kit is available (official battery pack only I'd say - I've not to date found a 3rd party variant anywhere in the same price range that is even close in quality) . Have any questions?

I bought this package: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078T3R8YS/

That USB dongle is reasonably compact, it's about the size of the USB connector (minus the wire attached to it) on the 360 wired gamepad or smaller than a USB key, so I'm assuming it's a gen 2. It's plugged into the back of the computer out of site. I switch between gamepad and KB/M depending on the game, but I'm going to see how long the AA's last before buying the rechargeable kit. It would be nice if there was a rechargeable pack with a USB-C connection since I already have a cable running from my PC for my phone, not to mention that USB-C seems to charge extremely fast.

 

[RanceJustice]

Ahh yes that's a good package. If the dongle looks like the first picture on that page (ie the one sitting next to the controller), that's Gen2. Good! However it can be confusing as if you check out the 3rd picture (the one with the light on the top near the connector rather than the bottom) that's a Gen1; some people would get one some would get the other. Good that yours seemed to work out properly - it really should given how they list it as being the dongle for "Windows 10" specifically which is the official name for the Gen2.

See how the AA's work for you and then make a decision, sure. The Play And Charge kit will likely always be there. Note that the charging is always on the port on the controller itself (ie the same one you'd use if you wanted to play Wired) with any reasonably compliant controller/battery pack - its not like the battery has its own charging port, separate.

Your'e right that USB-C would be a nice improvement and in fact, there's at least some evidence it could come down the pipe. This may eventually end up in a 4th generation controller, but most likely the first upgrade will be for a refreshed Xbox Elite controller. In case you're unfamiliar, the Elite is an XBOne controller that has a number of enhanced features including up to 4 assignable "paddles" on the back, trigger stop modes, and swappable stick and D-pads, as well as an overall upgraded build quality. All of this comes at a heftier pricetag though, $100 - 150 or so. The current model (which I own) is based on the 2nd Gen style standard controller and lacks Bluetooth, and though overall a great controller idea some manufacturing runs had certain design flaws (ie the gripping material slipping off etc) , and we've been waiting for a new version to bring it up to parity with 3rd gen at least.

At the beginning of 2018 there was a leak - https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/16/...lite-controller-update-design-features-rumors - showing an updated design prototype with a lot of new features including USB-C . Many felt it would show up by E3 but alas, not to be seen (perhaps because of the Adaptive Controller project being the peripheral of note recently) so we're all just waiting for a new Elite but from the leaks, it looks like USB-C will be part of the next generation and it makes sense to do so.

 

[Domingo]

I've heard this as well, though in my own experience ( Older generation BT controllers like Wiimotes and Dual Shock 3, with the Steam Controller the only current gen BT controller I've used; my Xbox One Elite is based off the 2nd gen though it has some great upgrades, but not BT. I've not yet tried the Nintendo JoyCons and/or Pro Controller on PC, but I'm pretty sure they do use Bluetooth; this reminds me to do so. ) I've not had a lot of trouble. Occasionally I used to run into connectivity problems and/or the whole thing dropping out for a moment, but not just missing one or two inputs. I wonder if it has anything to do with the version of bluetooth used? I know the Steam Controller (which seems to have pretty good BT functionality in my experience, but also has a wireless dongle) I'm kind of surprised that the PS4 Dual Shock 4 would not be working out as well via Bluetooth considering that is its primary wireless tech, if I recall correctly? Have you used DS4 on PC, to play PC games? With some sort of standard BT receiver and/or Sony's first party receiver?

I use the DS4 pretty regularly with Sony's receiver. It works flawlessly in all of my tests. I've tried a wide variety of off the shelf Bluetooth radios (from Intel to Asus to random non-branded ones I got at Microcenter) and all of them drop inputs with the PS4 controller and Xbox One pads over Bluetooth. The first party receivers are borderline flawless, though. That leads me to believe there's something proprietary going on with both devices.

 

[Mchart]

I recently sold my Xbox One controller for cash as I had a Switch Pro controller anyways. Steam has outstanding controller support now, and while running has seamless support for the Switch Pro controller for any game launched through Steam.

 

[Domingo]

I recently sold my Xbox One controller for cash as I had a Switch Pro controller anyways. Steam has outstanding controller support now, and while running has seamless support for the Switch Pro controller for any game launched through Steam.

The knock on the Switch Pro controller is that the top triggers aren't analog. It doesn't matter for everything, but anything involving driving tends to suffer.