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.)
One of these programs is World of Joysticks XInput Emulator, a novice-friendly application that can emulate an Xbox gamepad from any DirectInput device. It comes with helpful presets and an. One of these programs is World of Joysticks XInput Emulator, a novice-friendly application that can emulate an Xbox gamepad from any DirectInput device. It comes with helpful presets and an.
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
© Provided by Windows CentralBy 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
© Provided by Windows CentralMicrosoft 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
© Provided by Windows CentralThe 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.
- Open settings on your PC.
- Go to devices.
- Make sure Bluetooth is turned on.
- Turn on the controller by pressing the large round X button.
- 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
© Provided by Windows CentralThis 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
Xbox One Controller Emulator
© Provided by Windows CentralThe Xbox One Controller is officially supported by Windows 10, and it's also the best around!
Rampow micro USB cable
© Provided by Windows CentralThis braided cable from Rampow is reliable, braided for durability, and plenty long enough to reach your gaming PC.
Xbox Wireless Adapter
© Provided by Windows CentralThe official wireless adapter from Microsoft, this is what you need if you're using an Elite or first-gen controller to go wire-free.
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
© Provided by Windows CentralParticularly useful for Elite Controller owners, this app allows you to customize button layouts, paddles, and save your favorite profiles for easy use.
Turn your Xbox or PlayStation controllers into a pointing device by using this application that requires no advanced configuration
What's new in Gopher360 0.989:
- Gopher360 now uses Visual Studio 2017.
- Gopher now automatically generates a config file - you're back to managing just one file.
- If you mess up the config file, delete it. Gopher will generate a new one on next run!
- Visual appearance slightly improved.
If you're a gamer and prefer using console-specific equipment such as gamepads to the traditional keyboard and mouse, you might want to find a way to handle your computer directly from your controllers.
Xbox One Controller Emulator Windows 10
Fortunately, nowadays there's a wide variety of applications that can help you do so. Screen capture laptop windows 7. One of them is Gopher360.
Control your PC with your gamepad
This application can help you turn your Xbox or PlayStation controller into a pointing device that also has basic keyboard functionality that you can use to control your computer without significant efforts.
The principle is quite simple, as you need to move the gamepad analogs to move the pointer and the buttons to click the 'mouse.' Some buttons also share keyboard functions, letting you use the 'Backspace' or 'F2' keys with ease.
Various control types
Logic pro 10 update. As stated before, Gopher360 can also serve as a keyboard, since it provides you with basic keyboard functionality. There is a set of default controls that are assigned to various events on your computer. However, that doesn't mean you can't change them.
The default controls let you left-click, right-click, hide the terminal, scroll up or down, move your mouse, middle-click or adjust the cycle speed, and those are only mouse-related controls. As for the keyboard commands, you can hit the 'Enter,' 'F2,' 'Space,' 'Winkey' and 'Backspace' buttons, use arrow keys, refresh your browser and navigate to the next or previous item in your browser.
Command Line interface
This application doesn't feature a standard Graphic User Interface (GUI), but comes with a Command Line Interface (CLI) instead. However, there is little you can do inside the window.
The app only needs to be launched and it will display a bunch of information on your screen, such as letting you know that the app wasn't launched with Administrator rights or guiding you into plugging the controller before starting.
Lightweight gamepad remapping tool for your PC
All in all, Gopher360 is a lightweight, yet powerful app that lets you remap controls on your gamepad to emulate mouse- or keyboard-specific commands. It comes with a simplistic command line interface and requires no additional configuration.
Filed under
Gopher360One of these programs is World of Joysticks XInput Emulator, a novice-friendly application that can emulate an Xbox gamepad from any DirectInput device. It comes with helpful presets and an. One of these programs is World of Joysticks XInput Emulator, a novice-friendly application that can emulate an Xbox gamepad from any DirectInput device. It comes with helpful presets and an.
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
© Provided by Windows CentralBy 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
© Provided by Windows CentralMicrosoft 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
© Provided by Windows CentralThe 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.
- Open settings on your PC.
- Go to devices.
- Make sure Bluetooth is turned on.
- Turn on the controller by pressing the large round X button.
- 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
© Provided by Windows CentralThis 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
Xbox One Controller Emulator
© Provided by Windows CentralThe Xbox One Controller is officially supported by Windows 10, and it's also the best around!
Rampow micro USB cable
© Provided by Windows CentralThis braided cable from Rampow is reliable, braided for durability, and plenty long enough to reach your gaming PC.
Xbox Wireless Adapter
© Provided by Windows CentralThe official wireless adapter from Microsoft, this is what you need if you're using an Elite or first-gen controller to go wire-free.
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
© Provided by Windows CentralParticularly useful for Elite Controller owners, this app allows you to customize button layouts, paddles, and save your favorite profiles for easy use.
Turn your Xbox or PlayStation controllers into a pointing device by using this application that requires no advanced configuration
What's new in Gopher360 0.989:
- Gopher360 now uses Visual Studio 2017.
- Gopher now automatically generates a config file - you're back to managing just one file.
- If you mess up the config file, delete it. Gopher will generate a new one on next run!
- Visual appearance slightly improved.
If you're a gamer and prefer using console-specific equipment such as gamepads to the traditional keyboard and mouse, you might want to find a way to handle your computer directly from your controllers.
Xbox One Controller Emulator Windows 10
Fortunately, nowadays there's a wide variety of applications that can help you do so. Screen capture laptop windows 7. One of them is Gopher360.
Control your PC with your gamepad
This application can help you turn your Xbox or PlayStation controller into a pointing device that also has basic keyboard functionality that you can use to control your computer without significant efforts.
The principle is quite simple, as you need to move the gamepad analogs to move the pointer and the buttons to click the 'mouse.' Some buttons also share keyboard functions, letting you use the 'Backspace' or 'F2' keys with ease.
Various control types
Logic pro 10 update. As stated before, Gopher360 can also serve as a keyboard, since it provides you with basic keyboard functionality. There is a set of default controls that are assigned to various events on your computer. However, that doesn't mean you can't change them.
The default controls let you left-click, right-click, hide the terminal, scroll up or down, move your mouse, middle-click or adjust the cycle speed, and those are only mouse-related controls. As for the keyboard commands, you can hit the 'Enter,' 'F2,' 'Space,' 'Winkey' and 'Backspace' buttons, use arrow keys, refresh your browser and navigate to the next or previous item in your browser.
Command Line interface
This application doesn't feature a standard Graphic User Interface (GUI), but comes with a Command Line Interface (CLI) instead. However, there is little you can do inside the window.
The app only needs to be launched and it will display a bunch of information on your screen, such as letting you know that the app wasn't launched with Administrator rights or guiding you into plugging the controller before starting.
Lightweight gamepad remapping tool for your PC
All in all, Gopher360 is a lightweight, yet powerful app that lets you remap controls on your gamepad to emulate mouse- or keyboard-specific commands. It comes with a simplistic command line interface and requires no additional configuration.
Filed under
Gopher360 was reviewed by Vlad ConstantinescuGopher360 0.989
add to watchlistsend us an update- runs on:
- Windows 10 32/64 bit
Windows 8 32/64 bit
Windows 7 32/64 bit - file size:
- 63 KB
- filename:
- Gopher.exe
- main category:
- System
- developer:
- visit homepage
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