Install an Xbox One controller on PC with this driver

Four months after the launch of the console, Microsoft still hasn't released a PC driver for the Xbox One controller. Someone else has finally done it for them. With a few caveats, YouTube user Lucas Assis has uploaded video instructions and a driver that will make your Xbox One controller work with your PC. The video is 11 minutes long, so it's not exactly a plug and play solution, but if you really like the Xbox One controller this will get it talking to your PC.

Assis' solution uses a combination of a generic USB driver, controller emulating software vJoy, libusb (which allows applications to access USB devices), and his own application, which supports up to 16 (!) controllers. All of these are included in the download .

Basically, after downloading it you'll need to:

  • Open your device manager and plug in your Xbox One controller
  • Install the WinUSB device driver (a Windows driver)
  • Install vJoy
  • Open vJoy and use it to detect the controllers
  • Install libusb, launch its filter installer wizard and use it to install the two WinUSB devices that are your controllers.
  • Open Assis' app.

Assis does a good job of walking you through these steps in the video. They're are little involved, but nothing you need a computer science degree for.

From there you'll probably want to install XPadder or x360ce (included in the download) to make it work with games as if it were an Xbox 360 controller. As you'll see in the video, x360ce is a little problematic, and Assis still has some issues with the d-pad, but until Microsoft offers something better, we'll have to make do with homemade solutions. And it took Assis all of a day to make his application. By the time Microsoft gets around to fully supporting the controller, this utility may have ironed out all the kinks.