Parasitic Play-and-Charge controllers get juice from Windows, but Windows gets nothing in return
by Vladimir Cole 
{ Nov 19th 2005 at 3:00AM }
We plugged one of the Xbox 360 play-and-charge controllers into our late-model IBM laptop. Windows didn't recognize the device, and Windows Update didn't either, but this is to be expected as only the wired controller works on PCs.
However, if you're out of USB ports on your 360 and still have some controllers you want to charge, you can use any powered USB port to charge 'em up. That's what biologists call a parasitic relationship. The host gets nothing out of it, the parasite sucks a little juice out of the host. It'd be nice if the wireless controllers wree able to use the wired connection to the host PC to function just as the wired controllers do. It's cool. Just experimenting!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Blueman @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
I used USBoverdrive to play with the 360 controller on my Mac.
Bron012 @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
mabyy the controller is brocken
jago @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
Must be something wrong with it b/c I bought the standard 360 controller and I was able to play Need for Speed Underground with no problems.
Alex @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
Charging? Are you trying to use the charge and play kit to play the wireless controller on the computer? Because that won't work. Only the wired controller will work on the computer
Matt @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
You have to install the driver BEFORE you plug it in, Noobs.
John @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
yea, if you get the non-wireless controller it comes with an actual CD that had the driver. play and charge kit wont work as all it does is power the controller and charge the batteries while the interface remains wireless. It would be nice if they released a driver so I could charge off my PC, but no you can't use the wireless controller in windows.
John @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
here's a photo. see the cd that it came with.
http://www.imageviper.com/dip/18488/360con2.JPG
Southpaw @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
MS has said the Wireless controller and the Play and charge cable will not act as a PC controller. The Wireless controller still uses wireless for control commands and audio when the play and charge kit is installed.
jago @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
You don't need to buy the "Xbox 360 controller for Windows" to play PC games...you can just buy the non-wireless 360 controller and get the drivers off Microsoft's site.
Oh and plugging in the controller first then installing the drivers won't hurt it or make it not work properly.
Matt @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
"Oh and plugging in the controller first then installing the drivers won't hurt it or make it not work properly."
I'd rather not take that chance. The directions say that you should, and I've had USB devices that were installed before the drive go haywire.
phez @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
"However, if youre out of USB ports on your 360 and still have some controllers you want to charge..."
Does a USB Hub work?
jamanda125 @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
ya it would have been sweet if you could just buy the play and charge kit and use your wireless controller on windows! But Nope!
benhc911 @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
WREEEOOOOOOOWREEOOOOOOOWW ITS THE SPELLING POLICE
lol
last I checked it was spelt "were" not "wree"
Commander Witty of the Punctuation Squad @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
OMG nee-naw, it's the Irony Police, Punctuation Squad!
lol
Last time I checked, "it's" was spelt "it's"!
Captain Smartmouth of the Attitude Sqaud @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
last time i checked it's and it's were the same thing
Willb3rg @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
Haha, the Joystiq team have had no sleep;
"Thats what biologists call a parasitic relationship. The host gets nothing out of it, the parasite sucks a little juice out of the host."
You guys are so wasted! I'm just back from the LAN party, and due to MY lack of sleep that paragraph made me laugh my head off.
Logic Bus @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
I think the issue here is that the Play & Charge Kit's cable transmits only power, not data. Theoretically Microsoft had a good reason for this implementation. So even if you plug your Wireless Xbox 360 Controller into your PC, you'll still need a USB adaptor designed specifically for it.
ZipperSeven @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM
A hub should work if it's self-powered (ie, has it's own power adapter.) I've also got a bus powered hub that plugs into two ports on the machine, one for the data, one for power. Those probably work as well.