Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless Controller for Windows & Xbox 360 Console

I've went through a number of gamepads over the years, dating back to when they connected to the PC via an analogue gameport. I've had pads from the likes of Thrustmaster, Saitek and a few others, most recently using a PS2 controller via a USB Adapter , which was far from ideal. Over time, the layout of the Xbox 360 controller has become something of a standard for PC games that use a joypad. Many games already include mappings for the controller, and Steam's big picture mode more or less assumes that you're using one. I was looking for a new controller, so with all this in mind I decided to go for the wireless version of the gamepad for windows. The last time I used an Xbox controller was on the original Xbox with one of the original humongous controllers. I don't have the smallest hands in the world, but that thing made them ache after an hour or so. Not so here; the controller is a nice size, the analogue sticks are positioned well in range of my thumbs, and the overall balance of the gamepad feels good. It also doesn't resort to any of that nasty grippy rubber paint that was all the rage not that long ago. That stuff doesn't last in a tropical climate, tuning into a sticky, messy goop that then has to be removed. As others have mentioned, the Windows version of the pad uses AA batteries. Myself, I see this as a bonus. Instead of relying on a LiPo pack that may or may not survive more than a year's worth of use (I've heard really bad things about the kit that adds a Lithium battery to the controller) NiMh rechargeable AA's tend to be quite robust, and they're dirt cheap. If they were ever to die, replacements these days are about $1.50 apiece. Ever since low self-discharge cells became the norm, having them go flat by themselves is no longer an issue. Thank you Sanyo for your Eneloops and Amazon for your Amazon Basics AA's; I have a pile of both types at home. The integration of the gamepad into Steam's big picture interface is impressive. Having it mapped to the Xbox 360 controller layout was a smart move on Valve's part as they were able to concentrate on the on-screen prompts being consistent, etc. It makes me wonder how SteamOS will be once it launches. Software-wise, the gamepad ships with next to nothing. A driver CD is supplied, which installs drivers and little else. This is the source of the controller's greatest failing; unless you're playing a Games for Windows Live game (hereby referred to as GfWL), there is no way supplied to turn the controller off once you're done. It supposedly turns itself off after a short period of inactivity, but I've heard that can be unreliable (I'm testing this at the moment, and it's yet to turn itself off since I started writing this review). Many resort to disconnecting the batteries once they're done to turn the controller off, which is a workable (if clunky) solution. If this were what we were stuck with, I'd have docked a star, perhaps 2 for this alone. It doesn't detract from the gamepad while in use, but it's an annoyance that seems doubly odd given a mechanism exists to explicitly turn the gamepad off from software, but that software isn't provided with the gamepad to cover all eventualities. Only the abomination that is GfWL gets that level of control. Thankfully, the community at large had a bit of a poke about, and the "Xbox360 Controller Manager" was born. This is a little tool that sits quietly in your system tray and responds to a long press of the guide button (the silver button in the middle) with a prompt to turn that controller off. The tool itself takes single-digits of MB of memory, which is background noise in this day and age. For those of you that haven't already discovered this essential little piece of software, you can get it here: http://pety.me/XboxExt/ Save it wherever, add a shortcut in your "Startup" start menu folder, and then forget about it. Using it will become second nature, and you'll forget that it's a 3rd-party application. Honestly, this utility removes the one problem I had with the gamepad, and does it so effectively that I can't help but wonder why Microsoft didn't ship it with something similar. Overall, I highly recommend this. The biggest niggle I had with it was solved by its users, and if you're looking for a wireless controller for Windows, there really isn't any reason not to get one. P.S. I'm done with this review, and the controller still hasn't turned itself off. Thankfully, there's an app for that...

I already use the standard wireless 360 controllers with the official MS wireless USB receiver. Which also works great with Windows 7, 8.1, and 10. As well as android devices and Linux such as the Rasberry Pi Distros and the RetroPie 3.x project. So I wanted to get my kids controllers as well but didn't want to have to buy 2 USB receivers AND 2 more wireless controllers dedicated to them as that would drive up the cost a lot. So I bought 2 of these for their individual Windows 10 laptops. Works great. Also tested them with my Raspberry Pi 2 using RetroPie 3.0. Tested with Windows 7 and 8.1 on other desktops and laptops that I have before upgrading them to Windows 10. Just works great. Pros: - Excellent quality controller that console players will be at home with. I prefer the PS3 Dual Shock over the Xbox 360/One and PS4. But the PS3 and PS4 controllers are not excellent plug and play like these. No messing with drivers for Windows. - Wired keeps the cost down without having to purchase a USB receiver. - USB cable has a quick break-away section that can potentially save your USB port from getting damaged if the cord is pulled during gaming. I may test that on an old system one day. Cons: - Wired. But if that is a deal breaker, the wireless setup is also excellent! Just cost more in total. - USB plug, the hard plastic portion, is really long. Which can lead to a lot of stress on the USB port as the weight of the cable is further out from the port. I don't see this as a huge issue. But just keep it in your mind if you plan to leave it plugged in all the time. i am able to adapt just fine between the Playstation and Xbox style of controllers, and just about any controller. So it more important for me to get a controller for my non-consoles that has excellent compatibility. And automatic support in Windows. I also like how many PC games recognize the 360 controller and have the controller overlays in the game. So if the game shows buttons to press, it actually matches the 360 controller.

The controller I got was genuine. I checked with an actual xbox controller and it was exactly the same. The price might seem a little higher but that's what you pay for a genuine product. You can go ahead and buy this. Feels comfortable and sturdy. I got the controller from a seller called "SAMEO" btw.

I switched from XBox360 over to PC gaming a while back and took the controller with me. After many years of (ab)use, it was time to replace it. I checked out a few options, all of which gave me problems of one kind or another, and settled for going back to basics with one of these. It came with a driver disc, which is always appreciated, and everything works like it should. No problems, no hassle, and it's lets me get back to what's important - brain surgery from 200 feet.

this is the original microsoft controller. amazing quality. very good!

PROS: * Funciona perfectamente con una PC (Steam, emuladores y otros juegos) * INCLUYE EL RECEPTOR INALAMBRICO!!! (Original obviamente) * Incluye baterías aunque sugiero el uso de recargables por cuestión de comodidad y protección al planeta * El receptor que incluye sirve hasta para 4 controles o para otros accesorios como volantes de Microsoft, etc. * Aunque incluye disco de instalación, sólo con conectarlo a la PC se instalan los controladores rápidamente. * Funciona con celulares Android sin problemas sólo consigue un USB OTG y listo * Construcción de primera (No como los controles recientes que vienen muy chafas) * Precio * Funciona con Xbox 360 CONTRAS: * Revisen con Microsoft la garantía porque no siempre es válida al comprar en amazon ya que los productos los traen de USA. * Al ser vendido por Amazon USA no se pueden tramitar facturas

A fantastic and original Microsoft product. Check for Amazon Fulfilled to ensure that you get the original one. The installation process is very easy. Just run the software CD you get with the box first. Then, after it's installed, restart the PC. Now, connect the controller with your USB port and you are set to use it. If you are using Windows 10, that's it; plug and play. If you aren't using Windows 10 then you would have to make some changes in your device manager in order for the system to detect your controller (there are sites and videos in the internet to help you with that). The product itself is great and fantastic to play games with.