Oh Happy Day! Microsoft Finally Makes Available A Windows PC Driver For Awesome Xbox One Controller
Bust out those happy feet and get to dancing for joy, provided you're a PC gamer who happens to also be a fan of Microsoft's Xbox One controller. If you are, today is the day you've been waiting oh-so-patiently for. At long last, Microsoft has made available a driver download so that you can plug the Xbox One controller into your PC and use it for games you deem appropriate.
As for myself and the majority of PC gamers, I prefer a mouse and keyboard combination for most games. However, there are titles where a console controller admittedly comes in handy -- mainly sports and racing games for me, though I also like it for titles like Assassin's Creed.
Microsoft announced before the release of the Xbox One console that its improved controller would work with Windows PCs, but as the weeks went by after launch, no driver was in sight. At one point, gamers surmised that Microsoft had either changed its mind or would need to release a new version of the controller specific to PCs. Microsoft debunked the speculation as being 100 percent wrong. Then last month, Microsoft's Major Nelson (Larry Hryb, Director of Programming for Microsoft's Xbox Live Service) stated that a driver would be available "Soon. Very soon."
The drivers will be included as part of a Windows update in the near future. In the meantime, you can manually download them for both 32-bit and 64-bit flavors of Windows. According to Microsoft, the Xbox One controller will work just fine with any game that featured support for the Xbox 360 controller.
"We know our fans have wanted PC compatibility, and we know they wanted to be able to use the Xbox One controller with the same games and applications they have been playing with using the Xbox 360 controller," Microsoft said. "We can’t wait for them to play their favorite PC games with what we consider the best controller ever made and we’re excited for fans to experience the improved D-pad, redesigned battery compartment, new comfortable design and offset analog sticks."
You can download the x86 driver here and the x64 driver here.
As for myself and the majority of PC gamers, I prefer a mouse and keyboard combination for most games. However, there are titles where a console controller admittedly comes in handy -- mainly sports and racing games for me, though I also like it for titles like Assassin's Creed.
Microsoft announced before the release of the Xbox One console that its improved controller would work with Windows PCs, but as the weeks went by after launch, no driver was in sight. At one point, gamers surmised that Microsoft had either changed its mind or would need to release a new version of the controller specific to PCs. Microsoft debunked the speculation as being 100 percent wrong. Then last month, Microsoft's Major Nelson (Larry Hryb, Director of Programming for Microsoft's Xbox Live Service) stated that a driver would be available "Soon. Very soon."
The drivers will be included as part of a Windows update in the near future. In the meantime, you can manually download them for both 32-bit and 64-bit flavors of Windows. According to Microsoft, the Xbox One controller will work just fine with any game that featured support for the Xbox 360 controller.
"We know our fans have wanted PC compatibility, and we know they wanted to be able to use the Xbox One controller with the same games and applications they have been playing with using the Xbox 360 controller," Microsoft said. "We can’t wait for them to play their favorite PC games with what we consider the best controller ever made and we’re excited for fans to experience the improved D-pad, redesigned battery compartment, new comfortable design and offset analog sticks."
You can download the x86 driver here and the x64 driver here.
