Connecting A Wireless Xbox 360 Controller
If you use an older Xbox 360 controller that comes with wireless connectivity or uses a receiver, here is how to connect such a controller to your Windows PC.
- Insert the USB receiver into a dedicated port on your PC.
- Make sure that the receiver is working correctly by checking if the green light is blinking.
- Install the required driver software.
How To Connect An Xbox Wireless Controller To A Pc Using A Usb Cable
The simplest way to use an Xbox Wireless Controller with your PC involves connecting it using a USB Type-C cable. Just plug one end of the cable into the controller and the other end into your PCs USB port.
Once youre connected via USB, the Xbox button will stay lit on your controller, indicating that its ready to use. Now, go ahead and fire up any game with controller support on Windows 10 and have fun.
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How To Connect Xbox 360 Wired Controller To Pc Windows 8
This article was written by Jack Lloyd. Jack Lloyd is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. He has over two years of experience writing and editing technology-related articles. He is technology enthusiast and an English teacher.The wikiHow Tech Team also followed the article’s instructions and verified that they work. This article has been viewed 108,775 times.
This wikiHow teaches you how to connect a wired Xbox 360 controller to your Windows 8 PC. In order for this process to work, you must be using a hardwired Xbox 360 controller the USB charge-and-play cable that you can plug into wireless controllers will not allow you to connect to a PC.
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Why Is My Pc Not Detecting My Controller
Windows might sometimes be unable to detect your gamepad due to an overload of devices plugged in to your machine. Try to disconnect other plug-and-play devices and see if the issue persists. In addition, if youre using a USB hub, be sure to disconnect your gamepad from the USB hub and connect it directly to your PC.
Connect A Wireless Xbox 360 Controller To A Windows Pc

If you own a wireless Xbox 360 controller, you can connect the Xbox 360 wireless controller to a Windows PC with an Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver. Then you can follow the steps below to setup a wireless Xbox 360 controller on a Windows PC and to play games with it.
Step 1. Prepare an Xbox 360 wireless gaming receiver. If you don’t have one, you can purchase a wireless receiver on Amazon, which may cost you about $10 to $20.
Step 2. Insert the gaming receivers USB connector into an USB 2.0 port on your Windows computer.
Note:
Step 3. Once it is plugged in, you will see a green light appeared on the receiver, which indicates that the unit is working properly.
Step 4. Install software to make sure the gaming receiver and the wireless Xbox 360 controller to properly sync with one another.
Note:
Step 5. Then you need to turn on the Xbox 360 wireless controller. Press and hold the Xbox Guide button to turn on it.
Step 6. On the gaming receiver, press the Connect button. It is a small circular button located near the middle of the receiver.
Step 7. The lights on the controller and on the receiver will flash green, which indicate that the device is trying to establish a connection. When the lights stop flashing and one of the lights around the Guide button remains lit, this means that the controller is connected.
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Connect Your Xbox Wireless Controller To The Pc
This step will allow you to synchronize your Xbox controller with your computer.
- on the receiver to connect the button with the controller.
- Next, press and hold the guide button, which is located on your controller.
- If the backlight turns green it means that your controller is connected and ready to go.
- The connection can also be verified. These are some simple guidelines to follow:
- Search for game controller in your computers search engine.
- Look for Setup USB game controller
Verify that it works. You can do this by using triggers, pads, or sticks.
The connection will be successful if each of your movements is detected. You are ready to start playing games with your controller.
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Update Xbox 360 Controller Drivers
If the Xbox 360 controller not working on pc, the error continues to occur on your PC the Xbox 360 Controller drivers are likely malfunctioning. You should upgrade the Xbox 360 Controller wireless or wired drivers to the most recent version to avoid driver corruption, missing, or interference.
- Find Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver for Windows 10 under the Xbox 360 Peripherals section.
- If you still cant find the correct driver for your Xbox 360 Controller, look in Other Devices or Network Adapters.
- Uninstall Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver for Windows by right-clicking it.
- If you choose Scan for hardware changes or just restart the PC, Windows 10 will install a new Xbox 360 Controller driver for you.
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Can You Use Xbox 360 Controllers On A Pc
The Xbox 360 wireless controller uses the proprietary protocol to connect to the console or a PC.
So, you dont need a Bluetooth adapter. Also, you must buy the official Xbox 360 controller for a Windows PC, or you wont be able to connect wirelessly.
You should also make sure that you download all the required drivers if you want your wireless or Bluetooth-enabled Xbox 360 controller to work on your PC.
Also, if you are connecting a Bluetooth-enabled Xbox 360 controller, you may need a PC that supports Bluetooth.
Besides this, you also have older Xbox 360 controllers that connect via dongles, for which you will need suitable receivers to connect them to your PC.
Ways To Connect Xbox 360 Controller To Pc Without Receiver
The Xbox 360 series still maintains its appeal to all committed gamers many years after its launch in May 2005.
With all the advancements weve seen in PC gaming compatibility recently, playing an Xbox 360 game on a PC brings all the fun to a whole new level.
However, a significant limitation is encountered in dealing with mouse cursors and keyboard keys. This can be so confusing at times, killing the fun.
Connecting your Xbox 360 controller to a PC via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi is not possible directly. Microsoft found a way to encrypt Xbox wireless controllers and limit their support through Bluetooth, and they call it the proprietary wireless protocol.
So the only initial option for gamers is to buy an additional Xbox wireless gaming receiver, which could pair with a PC wirelessly. Sounds expensive, doesnt it.
Well, the good news is, you no longer need to spend extra cash on a wireless receiver for your Xbox controller to pair with a PC.
In this guide, youll discover easy-to-setup and straightforward ways to get your Xbox 360 controller working on a PC.
Ready to jump in?
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Simple Ways To Connect Xbox One Controller To A Windows Pc
Many users like playing computer games with a game controller. And nowadays Microsoft makes it easy to use an Xbox One controller on a Windows PC. Do you know how to connect Xbox one controller to PC? If you don’t know, this article from MiniTool will show you 3 different ways to make the connection.
For better gaming experience, many PC gamer like playing games with an Xbox One controller instead of a keyboard or mouse. Do you use your Xbox One controller to play some PC games? If you have not used the Xbox One controller on PC and don’t know how to connect an Xbox One controller to a PC, you should read this post now.
In the following, I will show you how to connect Xbox One controller to a PC via a USB cable, the Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows, and the Bluetooth.
Ways To Connect Xbox 360 Controller To Computer
Heres the sour news:
- You can never connect a wireless Xbox controller to your PC without a receiver.
Thats because these gadgets come with a proprietary connection protocol thats only recognizable by an adaptor.
- Theres no chance to link an Xbox 360 controller via Bluetooth.
These controllers work on a different frequency than your Bluetooth transceiver.
Therefore, you cant pair the two.
This leaves you with only three options to pair Xbox 360 controllers to PC:
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Installing The Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver On Windows 8 & 10 Is The First Step
The installation of Windows 8 and 10 is straightforward.
Plugging the Xbox receiver into your PC is all that is required. It will recognize the device right away. Theres nothing you need to do. All you have to do now is wait.
The necessary drivers will begin downloading on their own on your computer. You can begin playing as soon as the installation process is complete.
You can verify the connections success by following a few simple steps.
Suppose you see this message, congratulations! Youve successfully installed the Xbox receiver on your PC!
Connect Your Controller With Xbox 360 Play & Charge Kit

If you have the Xbox 360 Battery Controllers Play and Charge Kit , the procedure is exactly the same, only the controller to choose is the one that corresponds to this Play and Charge Kit . However, we have tested this controller and the controller is still not recognized, although this does not mean that it does not work for you.
The steps to repeat here in the case of facing problems like the one we have are the same ones that we have explained above, but in the case of not solving the problem then we will have to resort to the manual search for the driver on the Internet and force the installation from disco , a procedure that we can see in the screenshots above where there is a button that attests to this and after which we would only have to go to the folder where the driver is to select the .inf file that contains its guidelines. After this the driver would be installed as if nothing.
If you do not succeed in this, you can follow the following procedure.
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For Windows Get The Microsoft Xbox Package
Equipments Need to Get Things Started
- A Controller
- An Adapter
Theres no getting around the need to purchase the extras, which are included in the package price. As a general rule, we recommend this option if you dont already have a Windows-compatible controller. There is no reason why you cant buy the bundle and then sell the additional controller on eBay.
Connecting Wireless Xbox 360 Controller To Pc
Connecting the wireless controller is a bit more tricky because you need additional hardware. Bluetooth adapters wont work, so even if your PC have one plugged in, it will be of no use due to the proprietary solutions implemented by Microsoft. In order to connect a wireless Xbox 360 controller to the PC, you will need a dedicated Wireless Controller Gaming Receiver for Xbox 360, which you can purchase on our marketplace. It is a small device which works similarly to a standard Bluetooth dongle just plug it into your PC to allow it to connect with Xbox 360 controller.
After plugging the receiver into one of the USB ports on your computer, the system will start looking for appropriate drivers online and will attempt to install them automatically. If it doesnt, you may need to install them manually, either from the included installation CD or by downloading them directly from the Microsoft website.
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Connecting To A Windows Computer
Connect The Xbox Controller To Your Pc
In this step, you synchronize the Xbox controller to your PC.
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Syncing The Wireless Controller
Now, you have to sync your Xbox360 controller with your PC. For this purpose, you need to turn on your gaming controller by holding down the Xbox guide button in the centre of the controller. Wait for the green light to appear. Press the Connect button on top of the controller. The pairing process will be completed in a while. After that, you are ready to play games on PC with Xbox 360 controller.
How To Connect Xbox Controller To Pc: Connect Via Xbox Wireless Adapter
While you will need to purchase an Xbox Wireless adapter separately, connecting your Xbox wireless controller to your PC is extremely simple using this accessory. Its the easiest way to set up your pad on a PC with a wireless connection. 1. Plug the Xbox Wireless adapter into a USB port. The adapter comes with a standard USB-A connector, so youll need a laptop that has one of these ports.2. Turn on your Xbox controller by holding the Xbox button. Once your controller is switched on, hold the sync button. This is located on top of the controller until the Xbox logo begins flashing.
3. Hold the sync button on the Xbox Wireless adapter for a few seconds. This button is located on either the side of the adapter or the base depending on which model you have. When the Xbox logo on your controller stops flashing and is lit up solid, then your controller is connected.
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How To Connect Xbox One Controllers To Pc Using The Xbox Wireless Adapter
Windows 10 is all set and ready to work with the Xbox Wireless Adapter. Drivers will automatically install when the device is connected, so the process is largely simplified
- Step one: Connect the Xbox Wireless Adapter to your Windows PC and allow the drivers to automatically install.
Try to ensure where the adapter is connected to your PC provides line of sight to the controller for the best connectivity.
- Step two: Power up your Xbox One controller by pressing the Xbox logo in the center of the controller.
- Step three: Locate and press the button on the Xbox Wireless Adapter
- Step four: Press the connect button on your Xbox One controller. It can be found on the front of the device near the micro USB port. Its marked by a symbol that looks like this: “(((“
- Step five: Ensure the Xbox logo on your controller is blinking. This indicates it is connecting. When the logo and LED on the USB adapter both go solid, the connection is complete.
- These are the best PC games to play with your newly connected controller
Most Important Points To Consider While Buying A Reciever

You should consider the following things to make your purchase risk-free.
- Choose the adapter that comes with a driver disk and manual. Because there are almost zero chances of fake CDs and booklets. So, if it comes with a manual and driver disk then it is genuine.
- Always go through the customersâ reviews. You will have an idea of whether the product is real or fake.
- Purchase from the seller which offers a refund or replacement policy.
- Choose the one that is fulfilled by Amazon. This is not a surety of originality but you have the option to return the device if it is fake or faulty.
- Ask the seller for photos of the product. Compare the design and labeling to the original Microsoft adapter.
- The back of the genuine Microsoft adapter reads âMicrosoft Xbox 360 Wireless for Windowsâ. While the front has the label âMicrosoftâ. It is a sign of an authentic product. If something is missing or extra, the product is fake.
- In this way, you can verify the originality of the product.
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