How To Pair The Xbox 360 Controller To Mac
Before we start
Having spent some years coding applications for macOS weve created a tool that everybody can use. The all-round problem fixer for Mac.
So here’s a tip for you: to quickly solve some of the issues mentioned in this article. But to help you do it all by yourself, weve gathered our best ideas and solutions below.
Whether youre trying to no-scope that enemy on COD or score a last-minute slam-dunk on NBA, the touchpad just doesnt do it.
So, we thought wed share the best tips on how to connect an Xbox 360 controller to your Mac, to make them tense gaming moments a little easier.
How To Use An Xbox 360 Controller On An Android Device
If you want to use an Xbox 360 controller or a non-Bluetooth Xbox One controller, the process is a bit more involved. Of course, its still doable. If you already have the controller, it might be cheaper to configure your current controller instead of purchasing a Bluetooth controller.
Heres what youll need to make it work:
- A wired or wireless Xbox 360, Xbox One, or Xbox Core controller
- An OTG, or on the go, cable
- An Android device that supports OTG cables
- An Xbox 360 wireless receiver
For wireless controllers, here are the necessary steps:
For wired controllers, here are the necessary steps:
The selection of games that support wireless controllers seems to be less than those that support wired controllers typically. Plus, when using Xbox 360 controllers, most games wont have an option for button mapping; this means youre stuck with whatever the default button layout is for that game.
Will My Xbox One Wireless Controller Work With Non
On the latest OS versions for iPad, iPhone, or AppleTV, your Xbox One controller will work with any game compatible with MFi-certified controllers.
On macOS, you’re probably out of luck. When I fired up Steam and GoG to try out a few games that had previously worked with 360controllers and a wired Xbox One controller, I could sometimes get responses from the control sticks, but never from any of the buttons. Hopefully, more Mac games will build in or add this support now that it’s available directly within the OS. But for now, don’t throw out your old controller just yet.
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How To Calibrate Your Xbox One Controller
Your controller will come calibrated out of the box, but you can use the Windows calibration tool to adjust it or to just check how responsive your controller is being. Note that this is a legacy tool, which hasn’t changed in Windows 10 or been specifically designed for the Xbox One controller.
Open the Start menu, search for for joy.cpl, and select the Control panel item result. The Game Controllers window will open. Select your controller from the list and click Properties.
The Test tab will be open by default. Here you can determine where on the axis your thumbstick is resting, the pressure response of the triggers, plus whether the button presses are being registered. If you’re not satisfied, switch to the Settings tab and click Calibrate. Follow the wizard through to calibrate your controller.
You can always set these back to how the controller was originally by clicking Reset to default on the Settings tab.
How To Use An Xbox Controller On Android Devices
Mobile gaming has become a unique genre of gaming all on its own. The types of mobile games available vary greatly, from generic puzzle games laden with ads to fun shooters based on classic game series. There are quite a few games you can play with a controller, making the experience so much better.
If you already own an Xbox controller, you can save money and not buy a separate controller for your mobile games. Heres exactly how to use your Xbox controller on Android devices and enhance your gaming experience.
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How To Set Up Your Xbox One Controller With Windows 10
Microsoft has made it very easy to use an Xbox controller on Windows 10. We show you how to connect it through USB or wirelessly.
Some computer games are best played with a controller. One of the best controllers you can buy is the Xbox One controller from Microsoft, which you can use with ease on Windows 10.
Whether you want to use a cable or go wireless, it’s incredibly simple to connect your controller and jump into a game. We’ll walk you through all the different ways that you can connect your Xbox One controller to your computer and how to configure it to your liking.
How To Connect An Xbox Controller To A Pc Or Mobile Device Using Bluetooth
Certain generations of Xbox One controller have Bluetooth support, allowing it to connect to PC or mobile device as well as an Xbox One or Xbox Series controller.
You can tell at a glance by the look of the controller; if the plastic around the Guide button is set within the face of the controller, it does not. If it is, then it does. Here’s an image from the official support website showing the difference:
The first generation Elite controllers also do not have Bluetooth. If your controller does not fall into the above example, then you should be good to go.
From there, it’s similar to how you would sync it to an Xbox device, thanks to the dedicated Sync button on the controller, which is located at the ‘top’ of the device, between the triggers, and next to the USB port.
Press and hold the button until the glowing Xbox guide button starts to blink, indicating it is syncing.
Now on your device, go to your Bluetooth settings, and search for add for a new device. This varies according to the platform – for example on iOS, it can be easier to turn Bluetooth off then on to ‘force’ it to look for new devices, while on Windows, there is a dedicated ‘Add a device’ helper.
The Xbox controller should be then listed according to the device in question. Select it, and it should connect, as indicated by a solid glow on the Xbox controller.
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Support On Other Platforms
Drivers were released in June 2014 to allow Xbox One controllers to be used over a USB connection on PCs running Windows 7 or later. The Xbox One Wireless Adapter for Windows is a USB dongle that allows up to eight controllers to be used at once wirelessly. Upon its release in October 2015, it was supported only by Windows 10. Drivers for Windows 7 and 8.1 were released in December 2015. An updated version of the adapter, with a smaller form factor, was released in August 2017.
Per a partnership between Microsoft and Oculus VR, the Oculus Rift CV1virtual reality headset initially included an Xbox One controller, up until the launch of the Oculus Touchmotion controllers.
On Windows 10, support for the controller is built-in, including support for wireless audio when using the wireless dongle or USB cable . The controller is also manageable via the Xbox Accessories app, whose features include button remapping , input tests, and firmware update. On Windows 7 or 8.1, drivers are required, and the aforementioned features are not available.
Microsoft also supports Bluetooth-enabled Xbox One controllers on Android, specifically listing support for Minecraft: Gear VR Edition on certain Samsung Galaxy devices.
In June 2019, Apple announced support for Bluetooth-enabled Xbox One controllers in iOS 13, macOS Catalina and tvOS 13, which became available in the fall of 2019.
How To Use The Xbox 360 Controller On Mac
Not many of us know it, but there could be a handy use for all those old Xbox 360 or Xbox One controllers lying around. But, before you get set up, you need to have the correct hardware installed on your Mac to enable connectivity.
Heres how.
First of all, you will need either a wired or wireless Xbox controller. Both work fine, but for all those passionate gamers with a tendency to erupt, a wireless device would be best to save any damages to wires . These wireless receivers can be bought for around $20 on Amazon, and can handle up to 4 Xbox 360 controllers.
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Xbox One Controller Button Names
The Xbox One Controller introduces two new buttons on Xbox where Start and Back appeared on Xbox 360. These buttons are named ‘Menu’ and ‘View’, similar to how Sony shook things up this time around with ‘Options’ and ‘Share’;
Menu: “The Menu button will bring up context-specific menus which game and app developers can design to enhance the user experience. The Menu button could be used in scenarios such as bringing up in-game menus, showing video playback options, and accessing commands on the consoles user interface.”
View: The View button “will change views or provide more information in games and apps. Developers will drive the function of the view button. Possible uses of the View button include viewing a map during a role playing game, displaying a leaderboard in a first person shooter, and enhancing the navigation of the console’s user interface.”
How Can I Connect An Xbox One Controller To My Mac Iphone Or Ipad
We’ve got more detailed instructions if you need them, but in short, Apple’s made this part the “it just works” kind of easy. Open System Preferences > Bluetooth on your Mac, or Settings > Bluetooth on your iPhone or iPad. Make sure Bluetooth’s turned on, so that it can “listen” for new devices.
On your Xbox One controller, find the small circular button on top of the controller, near the left shoulder and trigger buttons. We’ve circled it in red in the image below:
Press and hold that for three seconds, until the circular Xbox button on the face of the controller blinks rapidly.
You should see “Xbox Wireless Controller” appear on your device’s list of Bluetooth gadgets to connect to. Click or tap it, wait a second or two, and you’re connected.
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Xbox Series X Will Support Old Controllers For All New Games
A new gaming controller comes hand-in-hand with its console and Microsofts Xbox Series X is no exception. And when any new console is announced, the question of backwards compatibility is one thats always asked.
As confirmed by an official announcement, the new console will be backwards compatible with all Xbox One controllers across all games. This will be different from the PS5, where the PS4 controllers will only be able to play PS4 titles.
Emulate Any Gamepad As An Xbox 360/one Controller Tutorial
Update for Windows 8/10 users : The download which Ive given doesnt seem to work on a few games that are running in Windows 8. If you having any issues with it, named x360ce_lib64_r848_VS2010.zip and then download the x360ce.App-2.1.2.191.zip and replace the files with the ones which came in my package. That should fix the issue.
In this tutorial, Ill show you how you can emulate any gamepad or game controller as an Xbox 360 controller.
Whats the use of this?
As you maybe knowing, an Xbox 360 controller is one of the standard game controllers used by various games of this age. There are also few games that supports only an Xbox 360 controller. For those, who cannot afford an Xbox 360 controller or those who already own a controller which is not compatible with several games, this tutorial should do the trick.
About x360ce :
x360ce is an opensource project which focuses on emulating an Xbox 360 controller for windows. It receives input from any game controller and converts into Xbox 360 controller signals and saves it in an dll file which you can use to make your gamepad compatible with almost any game. You can see the full compatibility list here.
Instructions to use :
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Controlling Your Raspberry Pi With An Xbox Controller
If you want to control your Raspberry Pi by using an Xbox Controller, you can just use the following command in terminal. This command allows the Xbox Controller to interact with the computer and will enable it to imitate the mouse.
sudo xboxdrv --detach-kernel-driver --silent --mouse
Once you have run that command, you should now be able to control your mouse on your Raspberry Pi with your Xbox controller. The following buttons are bound to specific mouse actions.
- A: Left click
How Can You Visually Tell The Difference Between The Original And The S Controller
As the One S controller has largely replaced the original One controller, its normal to worry that if you see a particularly good offer on an Xbox controller, you might accidentally be looking at an original rather than an updated S gamepad.
Thankfully, theres one quick, clear way to help identify the difference between the two generations of controller.
At the top of the centre of the controller sits the Xbox logo button which calls up your home screen when in game. On the original One controller, the plastic surrounding this button is noticeably glossy, unlike the matte finish used elsewhere on the controllers body, whereas on the S update, its more consistent with the rest of the controller. On white original controllers, this plastic will also be black, where on the S controller its white.
Another method of telling the white controllers apart is the D pad. The popular Lunar White controller option featured a gold D pad and triggers, whereas the S controller features the standard black.
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How To Connect An Xbox Controller To An Xbox Series X / S Or Xbox One
When you first set up your Xbox Series X or S, you can do so entirely through the mobile app – which is recommended to make logging into your account and confirming other details much quicker and easier.
The controller which comes with the console should just then connect – but if not, or if you want to connect a different Xbox controller, then you can do so with the sync button.
You can collect an Xbox controller either wirelessly, first make sure the console is switched on.
Next, press the Sync button on both the controller and the console itself until both begin to blink – this might take 2-3 seconds.
Pressing the sync button will see the glowing Xbox logo on both devices blink, indicating it is searching for the other. If you do them both around the same time, within a few seconds they should find one another, and sync.
If for whatever reason the above wireless method isn’t working, you can also connect a controller to the console using a cable. This is also useful if the controller is out of battery, or you wish to preserve battery life.
Finally – remember that all Xbox One and Xbox Series controllers can connect to both console generations. So if you want to buy an Xbox Series controller to make use of the dedicated share button on an original Xbox One, then go ahead.
Before You Do: Clean Up Your Mac
BUT, before we get into all the juicy techy stuff, lets remind you of how beneficial cleaning up your Mac can be.
Before installing any new hardware, its important to have an un-cluttered file space so the new software can run efficiently, and you can keep an eye on whats where.
With CleanMyMac X, its easy. Its one-click cleaning approach and powerful scanning means you can swiftly dispose of useless documents and apps which may be slowing your Mac down.
So, to get optimal controller connectivity, you should download CleanMyMac and tidy up your digital space prior to any installations. Now, onto how to use an Xbox 360 controller on a Mac.
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What Is The Difference Between The Xbox One S And Elite Controllers
Unlike the Xbox One S controller, which was designed as a direct replacement for the original One controller, the Elite was created to coexist alongside the regular controller.
The Elite controller is one of the most expensive controller options out there for any gaming platform, which had led to many people to ask whether its worth the money. Well break down the differences between the Elite and S controllers and let you make your own mind up.
First is the controller grip. The S controller features a textured, yet still plastic, grip, while the Elite offers a genuine rubberised grip for better traction, a particularly useful feature if youre someone who finds their palms get sweaty quickly when playing. Its worth noting that this enhanced grip is especially important given the Elite controller weighs substantially more than the S gamepad .
Second is the d-pad. The S controller features a classic-looking d-pad, whereas the Elite features a striking geometric disc-style d-pad, closer to the design of the d-pad found on the classic Xbox 360 controller. This is designed to allow more complicated and precise inputs. As with many aspects of the Elite controller, this disc can be replaced with the standard d-pad similar to the one found on the S controller. This silver disc is also one of the quickest ways to visually identify what is an Xbox One S controller and whats an Elite controller when buying.