Pair Xbox One X Controller

Once upon a time, Microsoft didn't support its own controllers on its own PC platform. You needed hacked drivers and workarounds to use the excellent Xbox One controller with PC games. That's no longer the case, with official drivers built right into Windows 10. So, while it's easy to do, there's more to it than just plugging it in. Here's a complete guide. (You might also want to check out our pick for the very best Xbox One controller.)

1. How To Pair Xbox One X Controller
2. Xbox One Controller Not Connecting
3. Build Your Own Controller
4. Xbox One X Controller Changes

Methods to set up an Xbox Controller There are three different ways you can connect your Xbox One and Xbox 360 controllers to the Raspberry Pi. The two easiest ways of connecting your controllers are via USB cable or using the official wireless adapters. Xbox Controller USB Wireless Adapter. Press and release the Pair button on the Xbox. On Xbox One X and Xbox One S, the Pair button is on the front right, below the power button. On the original Xbox One, the Pair button is a circular button on the side, around the corner from the disc tray. Next, hold the the Xbox button on the controller for about one second until it starts flashing, then hold the small black pairing button (between the bumper buttons) for about three seconds until the Xbox button starts flashing more rapidly. This means the controller's Bluetooth is scanning for devices to connect to. Within 20 seconds, press and hold the Pair button on your Xbox One controller until the Xbox button starts flashing rapidly. The Pair button can be found on the top of the controller between the.

Products used in this guide

• The controller: Xbox One controller ($65 at Microsoft)
• The cable: Rampow micro USB cable ($7 at Amazon)
• Going wireless: Xbox Wireless Adapter ($28 at Amazon)
• For USB-C PCs: AmazonBasics USB-C adapter ($10 at Amazon)
• The app: Xbox Accessories for Windows 10 (Free)

How to use a micro USB cable with the Xbox One controller

By far, the simplest way to use an Xbox One controller is to use a micro USB cable. Attach to the connector on your controller and any free USB port on your PC, and it'll automatically recognize it's there, and you're good to go.

Any decent cable will do the trick, even the one that you used to use to charge your phone.

However, it's not just desktop PCs that you can use an Xbox One controller with. It's entirely possible to use it with a tablet or laptop, and in those cases, you may only have USB-C connectors available.

The easiest thing to do is get a USB-C to USB-A dongle, allowing you to use a regular micro USB cable through the USB-C connector on your laptop or tablet.

The Xbox Wireless Adapter

Microsoft also has an official wireless dongle for Windows PCs that allows you to go wire-free. The first-generation controller and the original Xbox Elite controller don't support Bluetooth, so to go wireless on your PC, you'll need the dongle.

It isn't expensive, and the redesigned model is much smaller than the original. Simply plug it into your PC and connect your controller to is as you would the Xbox One, by holding down the pairing button on the top.

The Bluetooth controller

The current generation Xbox One controller from Microsoft, as well as the second-gen Elite Controller, supports Bluetooth. Any currently on sale, or that came with the Xbox One S or Xbox One X have Bluetooth capabilities. That means you can connect it to any Windows PC, laptop, or tablet that has Bluetooth built-in.

1. Open settings on your PC.
2. Go to devices.
3. Make sure Bluetooth is turned on.
4. Turn on the controller by pressing the large round X button.
5. Click on the controller in your discovered devices to pair.

This is particularly handy if you're taking a controller on the road with you and your laptop. One less cable to pack!

Taking advantage of the Xbox Accessories app

This is particularly handy if you're using an Xbox Elite Controller, as the Xbox Accessories app allows you to customize the buttons and paddles to a layout of your choice.

It's in the Windows Store to download to your PC, all you need to do is connect the controller to the PC to get started. There's a bunch of things you can do to customize your controller for your favorite games, and you can save two profiles to the Elite Controller at any one time.

All the gear you need

Exactly which piece of equipment you need will depend on which controller you want to use with which type of Windows PC. The list below covers everything you might need to get your hands on.

Xbox One Controller

The Xbox One Controller is officially supported by Windows 10, and it's also the best around!

Rampow micro USB cable

This braided cable from Rampow is reliable, braided for durability, and plenty long enough to reach your gaming PC.

How To Pair Xbox One X Controller

Xbox Wireless Adapter

The official wireless adapter from Microsoft, this is what you need if you're using an Elite or first-gen controller to go wire-free. Windows cannot format this type of disk.

AmazonBasics USB-C adapter

For laptops and tablets without regular USB ports, pop this into the USB-C connector and use a regular micro USB cable with your controller.

Xbox Accessories app

Particularly useful for Elite Controller owners, this app allows you to customize button layouts, paddles, and save your favorite profiles for easy use.

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

It's especially easy if you're talking about plugging an Xbox controller into a Windows machine. Obviously. But even Mac users can take advantage of Xbox controllers for their gaming, albeit with a pretty notable limitation. Setup is very easy though.

First, 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. Those plugged in using a proprietary connector, so you'd need to buy an adapter like this to make the connection. (That adapter doesn't officially support MacOS or Windows 10, either.)

Beyond that, every Xbox controller since the Xbox 360 days relies on a USB connector. So using them with your computer of choice is as simple as plugging into a USB port. If you're using a Mac, know that may need to take the extra step of installing a freely available custom driver. (Try it without the driver first. I unfortunately don't have an older controller to test this with myself.)

That's really it. All you need for wired gaming with an Xbox controller on PC is the USB cord you use to charge your controller. Plug it into a free USB port on your computer and you'll be off to the races. Yes, it's that simple.

Wireless gaming is a little bit trickier. For one, you'll need an Xbox controller that features Bluetooth support. This is a feature that wasn't introduced until 2016, so it's very possible you don't have the right model of controller. Fortunately, it's easy enough to tell the two apart.

Pick up your controller and look at the round Xbox logo-bearing 'Guide' button situated in the center. Snapchat pc windows 8. Is the plastic around that button part of the controller's body, or does it look more like a separate piece that connects to the two shoulder buttons (LB/RB)? The latter is only the case for older controllers, the ones that don't have Bluetooth.

Duracell 64gb flash drive. For the newer controllers that offer built-in support for Bluetooth — which includes all Xbox Series X|S controller — all you really need on the computer side is a Bluetooth receiver, whether it's built in or delivered via USB dongle. This goes for both Windows machines as well as MacOS machines.

To pair your Bluetooth controller, simply turn it on and press and hold the pairing button on top for a few seconds. It's situated right next the controller's USB port and you'll know it worked if the Xbox Guide button starts to rapidly flash on and off. (If it's not paired with anything when you first turn it on, the Guide button will still flash but more slowly than when it's in pairing mode.)

SEE ALSO: 16 Xbox, PS5, and Nintendo Switch gifts for your gamer friends and fam

Xbox One Controller Not Connecting

From there, go into your computer's Bluetooth settings menu, which you should be able to locate easily using the Windows Start Menu search or the MacOS Finder. Go through the process of pairing a new device and, regardless of which operating system you're using, you should see 'Xbox Wireless Controller' pop up as one of the available options. Click on that and the flashing Guide button should go from flashing to steadily on; that's how you know it worked.

Build Your Own Controller

The older, first generation Xbox One controllers require a bit of extra hardware for wireless play, and it only works with Windows machines. You'll need an Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows 10, which connects via USB. Pairing is simple, though. Once you've got the adapter plugged in, first hit the pairing button on your controller and then hit the sync button located on the adapter. The controller should pair a few seconds later.

Xbox One X Controller Changes

Congrats, you're now ready to game.