Xbox USB Controller Driver

Collin Allen

Have you ever wanted to be able to use your Xbox controller as a gamepad for your computer games as well as your Xbox games? Darrell Walisser has released a 1.3 update to his great Xbox controller software, which is a kernel-level human interface driver for Mac OS X. It works at a low level so that any controller-aware game will be able to use it. It requires Mac OS X 10.2.6 or later, and is $5 shareware.

For the task of physically connecting your Xbox controller to your Mac, you can either buy an adapter from lik-sang.com or build your own by splicing the Xbox wires into a USB cable. If you build your own, the wire colors should match, but ignore the yellow wire coming from the Xbox controller — it’s for powering a light gun used in a small few games.

With the controller connected to your computer and the driver installed, it’s easy to set up your favorite game to use it.

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Xbox USB Controller Driver

25 thoughts on “Xbox USB Controller Driver”

  6. Adapting a USB device to work with the Xbox is easy as far as hardware is concerned, but software support is another matter entirely. Almost all Xbox software does *not* support keyboard/mice if that’s what you’re after. It has to be built to specifically support those devices. However, the SmartJoy FRAG (also at lik-sang.com) will do such a thing by emulating the controller signals the Xbox expects to receive. I’ve heard it works quite well, and I’m planning to get one in the near future.

    If you want to add a USB port to the controller itself, you can open it up and solder a USB connector onto one of the memory card slots (which are just USB as well). Alternatively, you can buy a $5 Xbox breakaway replacement cable and hack it without fear of ruining a good controller. I also did a small project a while back where I put a female USB port directly inside the plastic housing of the Xbox controller connector (the end that plugs into the front ports). With some Dremel work, it fits nicely in the end of the plastic, and the USB data lines match up perfectly — just ignore the yellow wire and leave it disconnected. When completed, the Xbox recognizes most standard USB thumb drives and will happily format them for your gamesave usage.

    Hope that answers your question!

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  7. Robert says:

    Well, I am looking for a USB device, but not the keyboard/mice kind. One that goes straight into the USB and acts like any regular computer controller/joystick. But if I can’t find one that allows me to buy it OTHER THAN THROUGH PAYPAL OR ANYTHING SIMILAR TO IT, then at which point would I splice the wires on the controller? Before the small circular adapter (that’s used for controller extension cords), or after that circular thingy?

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  8. I’m still not sure which way you’re trying to connect a device — Xbox device to PC, or PC device to Xbox — but in any case, you can cut between the plug and the round breakaway connector to get at the wires and go from there. Nothing changes from that point to the other side of the breakaway, nor to the plug. The USB wires go straight through the whole way. I doubt a PC device connected to an Xbox will work without software support, though, as mentioned above.

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  9. Robert says:

    I am trying Xbox device to PC, so if I need to splice, I would cut BETWEEN the breakaway and the plug to the Xbox?

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  11. Electrically, it could be connected, but the Xbox would need drivers to make use of it. Doing so would require an Xbox Developer Kit to write the necessary software…

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  13. Chirag says:

    I just installed the XBCD drivers for my Xbox controller and used the adapter that I bought to connect to my laptop. But even after I install XBCD v1.07, the controller still shows up as ‘USB Device’ in Device Manager, and I can’t install using xbcd.inf
    Can anyone help?

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  16. AlphaGhost says:

    i am tring to use my xbox pad for Battlefield 2 and other games, how can i get it to register as a joystick and make it so i dont have to use my mouse at all?

    i was trying this on…
    UT2k4
    Rainbow Six3: Raven Shield
    Battlefield 2 and SF

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  18. hooace says:

    Hi dudes,
    I have competition PRO usb joystick and I would want to connect it to my xbox to play some emulator games. I have the Xboxcon-usb adapter but ofcourse it does not work because there are no drivers.

    Is it possible to connect this usb stick directly to xbox controller so that the usbstick would control one of the thumb sticks on the pad? Basically the usb stuck is bunch of on of switches, so it should not be impossible. I saw once a website where someone made the old ATARI port to Xbox controller and used Amiga/c64 joysticks through it.

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  19. Again, this sounds like an issue where the Xbox would need special software to understand your non-Xbox USB controller. If you could adapt the USB controller to PS/2, you might get it to work using the SmartJoy, but I’m not entirely sure that path would work.

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  20. Carlos says:

    Does this software work with the new xbox 360 controller that is compatible with Windows XP? I have that controller but I want it to work on my mac as well.

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  22. RJ says:

    I see alot of drivers are availble for XP but is there anything for Vista? Or will the XP drivers work on vista?

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  24. Gareth says:

    I too want to use my Competition Pro USB joystick with my Xbox Amiga emulator. Please could you tell me if anyone has got this to work as I’ve found an Xbox to USB convertor but won’t buy it if it isn’t going to work without a driver…

    God I hate Microsoft, why can’t they make anything simple!!!

    Gareth

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  25. Johan says:

    hwo do u mean to put a usb from memory card place to the computer? i have take apart my controller, but cant figure out how to get it to usb :S
    any help will be good pls! (:

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