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Microsoft’s Xbox 360 controller has pretty much taken over the PC gamepad market, apart from hacked up Playstation controllers that is. We are now... Xbox One Controller Support Coming But Not Until 2014

Microsoft’s Xbox 360 controller has pretty much taken over the PC gamepad market, apart from hacked up Playstation controllers that is. We are now nearing the launch of the new platforms from Sony and Microsoft, Those hardcore dedicated PC gamers are starting to have concerns regarding which gamepads will work.  This week, Microsoft has officially confirmed that the Xbox One controller will work with Windows, but support will not be available officially until sometime in 2014.  This is positive news but it still leaves PC gamers thinking why can’t Microsoft support it now?

xbox one controller support

GamesBeat is reporting that Microsoft does intend to keep up the same level of gamepad support moving forward, however,  the work required to deliver a working software solution will require more time after the Xbox One launch date.

A Microsoft spokesperson specifically cites the newly implemented WiFi Direct standard, the addition of a “wired mode,” the new impulse triggers, as the causes of the delays (not to mention the classic “backwards compatibility” issue)  Currently, most PC game releases ship with built-in Xbox 360 controller support. Especially since online gaming service Valve released Steam Big Picture mode, Xbox 360 controller support is the expectation.

While the Microsoft controller will continue to work seamlessly just as before, it is a monolithic disappointment that gamers will not be able to take full  advantage of the new Xbox One controller immediately.

Currently on the Mac OS platform, the Xbox 360 controller is widely supported thanks to an unofficial driver developed by Colin Munro.  It is not beyond our capability to think that similar minded individuals will get to work on this and release an unofficial Xbox One driver before Microsoft gets around to releasing the officially supported software.  It would be nice to actually have a some new hardware, right out of the box, that is compatible with whatever gaming layout you have a home, but by the sounds of this, it just isn’t going to happen.

[Image via: firstpost]

SOURCE: http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/163830-microsoft-promises-xbox-one-controller-support-for-windows-in-2014-but-why-not-on-day-one