How to use xbox 360 controller

How To Use an Xbox 360 Wireless Controller With Your Mac

2012-01-17T17:58:00.000-08:00

by Jon Fox
Most hardcore computer gamers count on the extra-precise aim of a mouse, and are more than happy with their WASD control scheme. But for the rest of us, hunching over a desk to keep 30+ hotkeys within reach can feel like overkill.
If you're a Mac gamer who's tired of trying to game on your mouse and keyboard, you should get an Xbox 360 controller. By connecting an Xbox 360 Controller to your Mac and mapping its buttons to keystrokes (or mouse actions), you can bring the console experience to your Mac without breaking the bank -- or a sweat.

Sigh, not an actual product.

Difficulty Level

>> Medium

What You Need

>> A Mac running Snow Leopard.
>> Microsoft Wireless Controller & Receiver (or Wired Controller)
>> Controller Driver (free)
>> Gamepad Companion ($8.99)

1. Pick the right tools for the job.

The OS X driver for Xbox 360 controllers is free, but it's only compatible with 1st-party peripherals. We like the "Xbox 360 Wireless controller for windows," which comes with a wireless receiver. (You'll need this, because unfortunately 360 controllers don't use Bluetooth.) For what it's worth though, you can also use the controller with a regular Xbox 360. Like an actual Xbox, the included receiver can connect with up to 4 wireless controllers at once. And at less than $50 on Amazon, the package still costs less than a fancy gaming mouse.
Just don't count on connecting your wireless controller via the USB play & charge kit: these carry charge only, no data.

Controllers or wireless receivers (like this one) that don't bear Microsoft's shiny sticker of authenticity are made by a 3rd-party, so even if they look legit and have the Xbox 360 logo printed on them they won't work for this project.

2. Install the driver.

Follow this link and download the driver's most recent disk-image. Open the .dmg file when it's finished, and (from the Finder window that pops up) run the installer package.

Scroll through the driver's messy download page till you see this, and click the link for the disk image.

3. Connect your controller

If you're using a wired controller, this is as easy as plugging it into your Mac's USB port. For wireless, plug in the USB receiver, turn on your controller, and hold the Connect buttons on both devices until a connection is established.
If you want to monitor the driver, open the System Preferences pane and click on "Xbox 360 controllers" in the bottom row.

Select your controller in the "Device" drop-down menu and press a few buttons on it. The diagram on the screen should light up accordingly.

4. Find out if You'll Even Need Gamepad Companion

A few Mac games are accommodating enough that they'll recognize your connected controller, and might even let you pick your own control scheme. If this works, you can forget Gamepad Companion (because you won't need it) and skip right down to our very last step.
Halo should have no trouble with your controller once the driver's installed. And while we haven't tested this, Feral Interactive has hinted at support for the driver in Bioshock.

5. Install Gamepad Companion.

Unfortunately, lots of Mac games force their default control schemes on us, and we hardly expected a shareware driver to be immediately compatible with every game. Get ready to do some key mapping.
Mac users' simplest option here is Gamepad Companion, (a bargain at $7.99 in the Mac App Store) and installing it is as easy as authorizing the purchase.
Before you buy, be advised that the app's debut build is having mouse-compatibility issues. But it's still the best simple key-mapper, and plenty of great games hardly rely on the mouse anyway.

6. Map Keystrokes to your Controller's Basic Buttons

Fire up Gamepad Companion and click the Stop button on the right to select your controller in the left-most panel.
For now, let's stick to single-action buttons. (We'll map controls to the thumbsticks and triggers next.) Key mapping in Gamepad Companion is simple. Let's say the Space key means Jump, and you want to map that to the A button: Press A on your controller, click on "Single Key..." in the Action menu, then press Space on your keyboard.
Repeat ad nauseam (because, unfortunately, this process can take a nauseatingly long time). Try to think about how good it will feel to hit each of those buttons to slay legions of PC users --hey, it got us through the process. If you're not already familiar with your game's default controls, be sure to consult the manual before mapping keys so you don't waste your time.

You can pretty much ignore the Selected Element drop-down, but keep an eye on the Current Key Mapping pane.

7. Map Keystrokes (or Mouse Actions) to the Thumbsticks and Triggers

Move either thumbstick along its X- or Y-axis (or press a trigger), then select "Multiple Keys" and enter two different keystrokes. Mapping these correctly can get tricky, since Gamepad Companion mysteriously flips some of the axes, so here's a guide to help you get it right the first time:
>> Thumbsticks, X-axis: input for Right, then Left.
>> Thumbsticks, Y-axis: input for Down, then Up.
>> Triggers: input for the trigger first, then press caps-lock twice.

Gamepad Companion doesn't support graded inputs. The alternative is about like controlling early PS1 games with a Dual-Shock Controller. If you set RT to Accelerate in a racing game, you'll constantly be flooring it or just coasting.

8. Go For a Test-Drive

When you've finished mapping keys, be sure to save your new control scheme to Gamepad Companion's Configuration menu. Then click start on the right side of the window to activate the controls and run a game to test your handiwork.
You'll want to make sure you didn't accidentally map one of your thumbsticks backwards, but with any luck you'll have nailed it and instantly own the coolest gaming Mac on the block. Before you go nuts downloading classic arcade or Nintendo roms, let us remind you to respect intellectual property and, you know, laws.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD preview

2012-01-17T17:53:00.000-08:00

by Dave Rudden

Pro Skater HD includes far more facial definition than previous games in the franchise. Who knew there was so much rage in skateboarding?

As The Birdman himself will attest, you can’t master the art of skateboarding without taking risks and falling down. The two most recent entries in the Tony Hawk franchise certainly reflect that, as the plastic-peripheral-packed Ride and Shred were unquestionable disasters. All parties involved have pulled themselves off the ground after that brutal spill, though, with a classic trick in mind for the next leap off the ramp — an HD reimagining of the original Pro Skater and its sequel’s best levels.
We got to check out the iconic Warehouse — the first stage of the debut THPS. On one hand, it’s not the ideal locale to showcase the HD upgrade given to Tony’s old proving grounds (it’s browner than some of Gears of War’s dullest levels), but it did provide a glimpse at how the game will stay true to its skating roots. Not a single element of the stage was out of place — the rails, ramps, and bumps in the road were exactly where we remembered them, and the hidden tchotchkes were in the same spots as before, too. Though when Tony blasted through the glass-encased room above the half-pipe, we could have sworn we saw a disc in place of the tape…

If Robomodo limits the feature set to the first two THPS games, grinding will be essential for nailing high scores.

Other parts of Pro Skater HD are similarly skating between honoring the classics and treading newer ground. We know manuals will be included, but an Activision rep couldn’t confirm the presence of THPS 3’s revert or Project 8’s “nail-a-trick” option, stating that Robomodo is trying to “take the best of the old games.”
The iconic soundtracks are also in the air. Due to the nature of music licenses, Activision can’t pluck the original tunes from the first or second THPS without again paying the artists involved. The publisher’s social-media guru (and former OXM editor) Dan Amrich noted the most likely scenario would be to see a “mix of some classic tracks with new music.”

Since manuals are a part of the game, how about we kick up the measly 15,000 point goal from THPS’ Warehouse level?

Many months still stand between us and our skate down memory lane with Tony and Co., and while our first look at the series’ most famous stage hit the right nostalgic notes, there’s still plenty more to learn when it comes to almost every facet of the game. At the very least, we’re happy to say, for the first time in almost a half-decade, that we’re looking forward to the next Tony Hawk game.

UFC 141 Knocks Out Xbox Live App

2012-01-17T17:49:00.000-08:00

By: Alex Dobie - "PlanetRaptoR"

Jan. 3rd, 2012 12:16 pm

Ruh-roh. It seems that the live streaming of UFC 141 last Friday didn't go quite as smoothly as Microsoft was planning.

To drum up publicity around the newly-launched Xbox Live UFC streaming app, Microsoft gave away 30,000 virtual tickets allowing Live users to watch the fight for free. However, the increased traffic, combined with "technical issues", seems to have prevented many users from viewing anything beyond a few seconds of the event. Cue an angry backlash from frustrated Live users.

In the aftermath, Bitmob received an official statement from Microsoft about the outage and surrounding technical problems, and it see that the company is prepared to make it up to the 30,000 users who registered for UFC 141 --

"The broadcast of UFC 141 through the UFC for Xbox LIVE application was hampered by technical issues appearing in the hours leading up to the fight. Despite restoring service to some users during the course of UFC 141, there is a great deal of room for improvement. All 30,00 users who registered to view UFC 141 for free will be provided access to a future fight at no cost.

"We want to ensure that the 30,000 giveaway recipients for UFC 141 have an optimal experience with UFC on Xbox LIVE, and we are currently working with our partners at the UFC to ensure we deliver just that. The gamertags of the 30,000 users who registered for UFC 141 are being safely kept on file for free access to a future UFC event, and we will have more updates to share in the near future."

If you were affected by the technical issues with UFC 141 on Xbox Live, be sure to let us know in the comments.

How to use xbox 360 controller on pc team fortress 2

2011-12-08T19:20:00.000-08:00

Team Fortress 2 has it´s own built-in configuration for the XBOX 360 controller. To use this configuration, just open the console and type exec 360controller then press enter.

These games use special joystick interface configurations that may interfere with the usability of the keyboard and mouse - if you wish to undo these configuration changes, there is a second configuration file you may run by opening the console and typing exec undo360controller then pressing enter.

If you wish to customize the configuration, or use one of these configurations with Team Fortress 2 , you will need to set up your own copy in a text editor (such as Notepad) modifying the default settings underneath and save it as something singular (such as joystick.cfg), then place it in the \cfg\ folder within the game's directory, which uses the following basic structure:

Steam\steamapps\<account name>\<game name>\<short name>\cfg\

    Windows PCs: \Steam\ is located in C:\Program Files\ by default.
    Mac OS X: /Steam/ is located in ~/Library/Application Support/ by default.

//Team Fortress 2 specific settings
//**************************************************
tf_build_menu_controller_mode 1
tf_disguise_menu_controller_mode 1

bind "Z AXIS POS" "+attack2" // L TRIGGER
bind "Z AXIS NEG" "+attack" // R TRIGGER

bind "JOY1" "+jump"   // A
bind "JOY2" "+reload"   // B
bind "JOY3" "taunt"   // X
bind "JOY4" "togglescores" // Y

bind "JOY5" "invprev"   // L SHOULDER
bind "JOY6" "invnext"   // R SHOULDER

bind "JOY7" "changeclass" // BACK
bind "JOY8" "pause"   // START

bind "JOY10" "voicemenu 0 0" // Right Stick Down
bind "JOY9" "+duck"   // Left Stick Down

bind "POV_UP" "slot1"
bind "POV_RIGHT" "slot2"
bind "POV_DOWN" "slot3"
bind "POV_LEFT" "slot4"
//**************************************************
//END

how to use xbox 360 wireless controller on pc with play and charge kit

2011-12-08T17:55:00.000-08:00

New Highlights for the Xbox 360 Dashboard

2011-12-07T21:39:00.000-08:00

A sleek recent aspect for the Xbox 360 Dashboard went live yesterday evening, but this update is more than just a pretty face. It comes with brand new functionality and new applications to enhance the whole Xbox Live experience.

If you tried to sign on last night, chances are that getting the update wasn’t as easy as it should’ve been. Complaints were flooding on Twitter, citing sign-in errors and failed update downloads.

Here are the key takeaways of Xbox 360’s new updates:

The Look:
Horizontal is the latest vertical. The previous dash organized sections of the marketplace vertically. You couldn’t see every sector, but had to scroll through to find what you were looking for. Right now, each section is labeled horizontally at the top of the screen making it a breeze to distinguish the section you’re looking for.

The brand new format looks cleaner and feels more responsive than its predecessor. All features or specials can be viewed in one place in each section. No more scrolling to see what Xbox is pushing in the spotlight or game tab. It’s all there in one place to look at for each section.

Bing Search:
Thanks to the new Bing Search, you can search the full marketplace by entering a keyword. It’s also a nice tool to search for things on your Xbox’s hard drive.

Bing Search as wellworks with Kinect’s voice commands. More on the new Dash’s Kinect functionality below.

Kinect Functionality:
The system update is also said to improve enhance Kinect functionality, and the new dash is made to work seamlessly with the movement control device. Swiping between tabs is simple, quick, and responsive. It’s a substantial development from the last dashboard’s “Kinect mode” in both appearance and ease-of-use.

More is available with voice commands, compared to the previous Kinect-enabled Dash thanks to the update. The Bing Search can be controlled just by voice. You can say “Xbox,” “Bing,” followed by whatever it is that you want to search for.

Beacons, Facebook, and Twitter:
Beacons publish to your friends what you are doing. If you want to publicize an achievement, or ask all your friends to join you in a game, you can do so with beacons. Beacons also tell you when friends jump onto a game that you are playing, instead than just telling you who’s playing when you enter.

New Facebook and Twitter integration allows you to put up achievements to your Facebook wall or Twitter timeline without leaving your recent present game.

Cloud Storage:
Cloud storage is a new, free feature with the new Xbox Live Dashboard. Every Xbox Live Gold member gets 512 MB of cloud storage for free. The cloud storage works like any physical memory unit. You can save games to the cloud and then access the files on any Xbox 360. Transferring existing save data to the cloud is possible, too.

There is currently no option to purchase additional cloud storage, but it might be possible very soon.

Xbox LIVE update causing troubles for some users

2011-12-07T20:51:00.000-08:00

The most recent Xbox LIVE revise rolled out yesterday with several users are now reporting connection errors.

Game zone reports that some users were experiencing connection errors after downloading the Xbox LIVE update. One user reported, "Hello, I just updated my Xbox 360 250GB Slim console and right now, it won't connect to Xbox Live at all. I try to connect and it signs me in ten a pop-up about asking if I want the addition security with the requirement to put my ID password in each time I sign in pops up. I say no I don't and then it returns to the sign in screen previously signing me out again. I tried once more this time saying 'yes' and got the same result."

Major Nelson tweeted, "Some Xbox LIVE members are receiving a connection error when signing in to LIVE. We are aware of the subject and the team is working it!"

According to the Xbox LIVE status page, all LIVE services are up and running. The single app experiencing problems is EPIX.

OXM reports that the Xbox LIVE updates will transform the Xbox 360 dashboard, allowing users to use Kinect voice control and navigate through a Metro-based interface. Windows 7 phones and Windows 8 are as well built around Metro, tying the platforms and products together.

Check out screenshots and read more on the Xbox LIVE update here.

How to Maintain Clean an Xbox 360

2011-12-04T22:34:00.000-08:00

Microsoft's disclaimer pertaining to your Xbox 360 states that if you open, temper, or strip the warranty seal, your Xbox will lose its warranty coverage. That is a pretty standard disclaimer for products sheltered under warranty. Therefore, if your Xbox is covered under warranty, don't open it. Contact customer service and have it serviced at one of Microsoft's service centers.

The inside of an Xbox doesn't get dirty. It may get dusty, but it would require a lot of dust in order to disturb operation. Cleaning the outside of your Xbox is a rapid and simple process.

Cleaning Your Xbox 360 Console

Unplug all the cords and execute a visual inspection of the outside of your Xbox. Look for stains, dirt, and accumulations of junk. As long as you are not using your Xbox as a beer coaster,mono table or a foot rest, you shouldn't have any main buildup. Also, keeping your house clean and dusting occasionally will reduce the likelihood of your Xbox getting dirty.

If you locate atad of buildup, use a dry towel to wipe the outside of your Xbox off. Don't use any liquids or solvents to wipe your Xbox. These do not mix well with the electronic components. Don't use an abrasive cloth or scrub brush to clean your Xbox either.

Take off the faceplate carefully. Gently pull out one side of the faceplate. If that side doesn't release easily, try the other side. Utilizea dry cloth and gently wipe the outside of the ports. Don't stick anything within the ports themselves. The connections are delicate and could simply break.

Microsoft does not suggest putting things into the ventilation holes to clean them. You could damage the fans or just drive dirt further inside your machine. Use a vacuum cleaner to suck the dust out. Don't use a air can as that may just blow extra dust inside.

Clean the footpads with a dry towel. The footpads ought to be kept clean so that the Xbox doesn't tip over or slither. Keep our Xbox on its side to keep it from tipping over. It is designed to be set up either way. It seems more logical.

Keep junk off the Xbox. The Xbox needs room to breathe and cool itself. Don't put clothes, beverages, or your feet on your machine. Keep it away from other electronics like DVD players, Blu-rays, and stereos. Those items may cause your Xbox to overheat.

Xbox Companion for Windows Phone coming on December 6th

2011-12-04T21:49:00.000-08:00

Starting this Tuesday, Dec. 6, the free Xbox Companion app for Windows Phone will permit you find, understand more about and control content from widespread entertainment services on Xbox LIVE.

This Xbox Companion app will produce some cool latest features to utilize with your Xbox 360 including:

Xbox Companion search powered by Bing. Seek the unified Xbox catalog for movies, TV shows, music, games and apps using the Windows phone. Look at a detailed unified results page across all content providers. You can see freshly played games and apps and browse the Zune video catalog

Using the Xbox Companion app you can find out more details about the movie, TV show, music or game that is playing on your console. You can furthermore get friend activity (friends online, friends with beacons, friends who have recently played), achievements and related items. You’ll also be able to opt for a search result, and launch a movie, TV show, game or app on the connected console as well as play, pause, fw, rw the playing video or music on the connected Xbox,initiate media purchase and navigate your Xbox console with Windows Phone using the Xbox Companion.

Functions of a xbox 360 controller

2011-12-04T01:54:00.000-08:00

The design for the Xbox 360 controller is based mainly on the one used for the original Xbox -- the Controller S.

The largely noticeable difference in the Xbox 360 controllers from those for the original Xbox is that mainly of them are wireless. Microsoft created a proprietary technology to deal with some of the latency and bandwidth issues that can be a problem for some wireless controllers. The Xbox 360 can uphold up to four wireless controllers at one time.

The wireless controller comes with all Xbox 360 bundles except for the Core system, which includes a wired controller with a nine-foot cable. All else about the design is the alike. Of course, wireless controllers are obtainable separately if you prefer to upgrade.

The new Xbox 360 wireless controllers can be powered by whichever a pair of traditional AA batteries or a rechargeable battery pack. The battery pack can be "flash charged" in a charger or "trickle charged" via a USB connection to the console, and it alerts the user when its charge is running low.

The Xbox 360 controller has a Guide button in the center of its face that provides a new functionality. This button is divided into four quadrants that light up to present gamers with various types of information throughout game play. (Incidentally, the "ring of light" power button on the console also provides this role.) For instance, during a split screen multi player match, a specific quadrant will light up to indicate to a player which part of the screen he or she is playing on at that time. The Guide button can also light up to let a player tell he has received a message from another gamer. In this case, when the user pushes the button, he or she visits the Xbox dashboard (the equivalent of a PC's desktop). The dashboard provides access to features like messaging friends, downloading content, voice chat and customizing soundtracks, all while staying in the game. The controller has a traditional headphone jack on the back so that the user can plug in a headset for voice communication during game play. Some wireless headsets will also work with the Xbox 360.

The new Xbox 360 controller has the equal basic familiar button layout as the Controller S except that a few of the auxiliary buttons have been moved. The "back" and "start" buttons have been moved to a more central position on the face of the controller, and the "white" and "black" buttons have been removed and replaced with two new shoulder buttons that are positioned over the analog triggers on the back of the controller.

How to Use an Xbox 360 Controller With Windows Vista

2011-12-03T15:16:00.000-08:00

Because the Xbox 360 is manufactured by Microsoft, PC compatibility is all but guaranteed connecting the two platforms. Getting your Xbox 360 controller to work with your Windows Vista-enabled PC is fairly straightforward, and using it will come naturally after the installationdevelopment. Using an Xbox 360 controller with your PC games is a great way to enhance your gaming experience. This is notably true with multi-platform titles like Fallout 3 and Gears of War 2, which are designed to work with the Xbox 360 controller.

1.
Choosing whether you feel liketo use a wired or wireless controller. If you have a wired controller, you will be capable to plug your controller in right away not including needing an adapter or power source. If you choose to use a wireless controller, you will need a wireless receiver for your PC (see Resources below).

2.
Make sure your wireless controllers have power. If you are using wireless controllers, make sure they have batteries with a fair quantity of power or charge left. If you are using the "Play and Charge" battery pack, it will not charge with a PC, so you will need to charge it using the Xbox prior to gaming.

3.
Plug the controller (or adapter) into a USB 2.0 port. You can locate which USB ports on your PC support the 2.0 protocol on your computer by going to the "Hardware profile" tab located in your control panel.

4.
Search for a "New hardware found" window. When this window pops up, it will bring about you to download drivers that will make your computer harmonize with the controller. These drivers are keyfor proper function and must be downloaded.

5.
Test your controller's functionality. Load your Desired game, toggle the joysticks and then pusheach button to ensure proper functionality. If the game does not respond, contact Microsoft Support for further troubleshooting

Tips:

The Xbox wireless receiver will not only work with traditional Xbox 360 controllers, but also specialty controllers designed for games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero. However, wired Rock Band and Guitar hero controllers designed for Xbox 360 are not compatible with a Windows Vista PC.

Things You'll Need

•    Vista-enabled PC
•    Xbox 360 controller
•    Wireless adapter (optional)
•    USB 2.0 port