Xbox One Controller Rage Proof and PC compatible in 2014

Due to the extreme popularity of the Xbox 360 controller on PC and as new information surfaces about the Xbox One and Xbox One accessories, it was only a matter of time before PC gamers started to wonder if the new Xbox One controller would be compatible on their preferred platform.

According to Zulfi Alam, Microsoft’s GM of Xbox accessories, they’re working out the compatibility issues and it’s not quite ready yet for PC gamers.

“As we’ve stated, the Xbox One controller, although it looks similar in many ways, shares no underlying technology with the current Xbox 360 controller. New wireless protocol, combined with the ability to work in ‘wired’ mode, and the addition of features like Impulse triggers, means that new software has to be written and optimized for the PC.

There is also some work that we need to do to make sure that existing PC games that support the Xbox 360 controller, will work with the Xbox One controller. While it seems trivial, it’s actually quite a bit of dedicated work for all that to be seamless for the user. We know people want to use the Xbox One controller on their PC, and we do too—we expect to have the functionality available in 2014.” -Microsoft spokesperson

Despite the similar appearance of the new Xbox One and old Xbox 360 controllers, almost 40 changes were made. One of the most interesting changes I read about was with the build quality. “We actually have contraptions built for fixed defined force and dropping the controller such that it mimics how it is being used in gameplay by aggressive core gameplay,” Alam said. “We don’t expect it to shatter, and even if it does, essentially things shatter in such a way that it doesn’t break.”

Click image above to enlarge.

The Xbox One controller is covered in a thick plastic skin which can be removed. If the controller is dropped or thrown, the skin is designed to come off and absorb any hard impact. But they also are designed not to break so that you can’t get them back on. Basically they’re rage tested and gamer approved.

“The controller investment is really hardcore,” Alam said. “To make sure you have a great gaming machine, the controller is something people are going to touch every day of their life, you want to put your best foot forward.”