Will Any Xbox One Controller Work On Pc

The Xbox Wireless Gamepad might have Xbox in the name, only yous aren't limited to pairing it with only a console. The controller pairs to Windows x, too, letting yous use it wirelessly with any compatible PC game. Here's what you need to do to start using your Xbox gamepad with your PC.

Figure Out Which Xbox Controller You Own

How to identify your Xbox One controller

To start, the Xbox Wireless Gamepad included with the Xbox Serial South/X, and now widely bachelor as the Xbox Wireless Gamepad, is most identical to the Xbox One's controller. They both back up Xbox wireless advice and Bluetooth, and the methods for connecting them to your PC are identical. The instructions here use to both gamepad generations.

Original Xbox Ane controllers lack wireless connectivity, but the gamepads that shipped with the Xbox I S and later consoles include Xbox wireless communication and Bluetooth. You tin use both controllers wirelessly with your PC, but the process is different; you must go a wireless dongle for the not-Bluetooth gamepads. The practiced news is that Bluetooth controllers have been in production for so long that if y'all picked yours up in the final 4 years, there'south a skillful chance that information technology already has Bluetooth.

To determine whether you have a Bluetooth or non-Bluetooth Xbox controller, you need to expect at the plastic surrounding the Guide button. If it's the aforementioned plastic as the face of the controller, without any seams, you have a Bluetooth gamepad. If it'south the aforementioned plastic as the bumper buttons, with a seam between the Guide button and the controller'south confront, it'south a non-Bluetooth gamepad. If it has a small, rectangular Capture button between the Menu and View buttons, and a USB-C port on the summit instead of micro USB, it's an Xbox Serial controller and also has Bluetooth.

Connect Your Xbox Controller to PC With a Wired Connection

This is very simple, but you do demand a physical cable connecting the controller to your PC. Here's how yous do it.

Plug one stop of your USB-to-micro USB or USB-to-USB-C (depending on the version of controller) cable into the controller.
Plug the other end into your PC

That's information technology! Information technology will automatically configure nether Windows 10 and work with virtually any game on your PC.

Connect Your Xbox Controller to PC With Bluetooth

Pairing the Xbox controller with your PC over Bluetooth is nigh the aforementioned every bit pairing it with your Xbox 1 or Xbox Series. You activate the controller by holding downward the Guide push button, so agree the Pairing push for three seconds until the Guide push button flashes. This ways it's in pairing mode. If you're connecting the controller to a console, yous hold the Pairing button on the system itself. If you're connecting the controller to a Windows 10 PC, you need to become through some menus. You also demand a Bluetooth USB dongle if your PC doesn't have Bluetooth. Here's the total step-by-pace process:

Concur the Guide button to turn on the controller.
Agree the Pairing button for iii seconds until the Guide button flashes.
Right-click the Bluetooth icon in your arrangement tray.
Click "Add together a Bluetooth Device."
Click "Add Bluetooth or other Device" and select Bluetooth.
Click "Xbox Wireless Controller." Look until the Guide button is solid white, and the Bluetooth carte du jour says the controller is connected.

You lot can at present use the Xbox Wireless Gamepad with your PC, and play the vast majority of modern games that support controllers. However, you can't use the headset jack on the gamepad, just like Sony'southward DualShock four and DualSense controllers. Although you can use a wired gaming headset with a controller and its associated game system, sound isn't sent through the jack when it'south continued to a PC via Bluetooth.

Connect Your Xbox Controller to PC With a USB Adapter

If you accept an older Xbox One controller, or you merely want to use your newer 1 with Microsoft'south proprietary wireless connexion instead of Bluetooth (and get headset connectivity), you demand to become the Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows 10. It's a USB dongle designed to connect directly to your Xbox gamepad without any Bluetooth setup or pairing. All y'all need to do is plug in the dongle and pair it to your controller just every bit if you were pairing your Xbox, pressing the Pairing button on each device.

Recommended past Our Editors

This $25 adapter has some benefits over Bluetooth. For starters, you can use up to eight gamepads with the adapter, while Microsoft recommends using but one at a time with Bluetooth. The headset jack is as well enabled if you utilise the adapter, with adjustable settings in the Xbox app for Windows 10.

How to Connect Other Game Controllers to PC

Nosotros too take tips for connecting Nintendo Switch and PS4 controllers to your PC. For more controller advice, check out our guide on how to choose the right controller for your PC.

Once yous're ready to start playing, check out our favorite PC games. And if you're a PlayStation gamer, read upwardly on how to use a PS4 DualShock four controller on a PC. We walk you lot through the surprisingly complicated process.

Like What You lot're Reading?

This newsletter may contain advert, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at whatsoever time.