Why won’t my Xbox controller work in Windows 10?
Q I have a Microsoft Xbox 360 console that I use mainly for gaming. I’ve also bought myself a new high-end Windows 10 PC, which I also intend to use for games. As yet, however, I haven’t been able to get the Xbox wireless controller to work with my computer.
I connected the two using an official Microsoft Play & Charge cable, and Windows 10 went through the motions of setting it up, but that’s where things came unstuck.
My PC can ‘see’ the controller. It’s listed right there under Devices, but when I try to use the controller in a game, nothing happens. I’ve checked Microsoft’s support pages and I’m none the wiser. Do you have any idea what I might be doing wrong?
Pete Richards
A You’re not doing anything wrong. You simply can’t use your wireless Xbox 360 controller with your PC — at least not with your current setup.
You’d have to ask Microsoft to explain why, but the Play & Charge cable is purely for charging when connected to an Xbox 360 console. When gaming, your controller still communicates wirelessly with the Xbox, and no game-input data flows over the cable.
Similarly, your PC’S USB ports will happily charge the controller when attached, but no game-input data flows. The fact that Windows recognises the controller demonstrates that the cable is capable of carrying data — but that’s as far as it goes. It’s frustrating that Windows still goes through the motions of ‘setting up’ the controller, because that leads you to the false belief that it’s ready to work.
If you want to play your PC games with an Xbox controller, your options are to buy a wired one (around £20 from Amazon, www.snipca.com/21249), or an Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver (around £14, www.snipca.com/ 21250). The latter is a USB device that will allow your PC to recognise your existing wireless controller.