Make a PC Gaming Headset to Xbox 360 Adapter

Ever been playing Xbox Live with a few friends and gotten frustrated over the quality of voice being broadcast via the Xbox Headset? Or have to purchase a whole new headset ($50+) because your wires are giving out?

Have a perfectly good headset you use for PC gaming but that doesn't quite fit into your Xbox Controller?

Heres an EASY STEP-BY-STEP Instructable that will show you how you can spend under $20 (in parts) to make that nice PC gaming headset compatible with your Xbox 360 controller.

Step 1 Gather Tools

First, you'll want to make sure that you have a few handy items to complete this project. Everything we're using can be picked up at your local Radio Shack or similar Electronics parts store. You'll need: solder, a soldering iron, wire cutters, a blade of some sort, and wire strippers (if you're not able to use a blade).

Note: you'll also need a very small piece of wire you can solder on as a bridge. But more on that in a later step.

You're also going to want a safe place to solder and you may like to use gloves if you're skin is sensitive to cutting or burning...

Comments

[Nazgulmagefreak]

Excellent how to. 

I just did two of them today.  For one I used a 3 way splitter for 1 mic and 2 headphones, so a friend can listen in on coversations.

FYI, if you use a 3 way splitter from radioshack, red is audio positive and white is for the mic positive.  The colors are different, with white instead of black and reversed.

Also, you can bridge the mic leads to both tabs with no issues.

TerryP

[NGC3714]

I ordered the Xbox 360 PC Headset Adapter - Use PC Headset with Xbox 360 Live, Dual 3.5mm to 2.5mm (PC35-Xbox360) from Amazon.com. It lists for $9.95. With shipping it came to $14.10. I just tested it and it works fine.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0035AMM76/ref=oh_o00_s00_i00_details

[poolgirlblue]

Hey All!,
So i haven't been on here in a very long time and i'm blown away at the comments you guys have up here. They're great!

Just an update on my part, I recently started playing again Halo Reach/Anniversary and rarely MW3) and i'm still using the SAME adapter you see in the picture there. it's still going strong. I'd say that's pretty good!

I've started doing my tutorials on my blog site now (www.todayscraft.wordpress.com) and on my youtube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/poolgirlblue?feature=mhee) and would love for you guys to take a look and let me know how I can improve.

Thanks a TON for all the inspiration and improvements! Keep Creating!

[utvak315]

this is a great idea, notto mention the only place on the net that i cout find something like this. i just finished one tha i made for my friend tonight after seeing this yesturday. although i didnt make mine with the extra adapter on the end. i just had a male to male 2.5mm cable that i cut in half and split to the two 3.5mm jacks. essentially the same thing but a little less bulk and hopefully a little less dangerous to use during more vigorous gaming. definately glad someone posted about this. great job

[lynchy4664]

you can buy ready made 3.5 female to 2.5 male adapters ready made for 7.00 yours come to 17.00 very good tut you gave me an idea so ty

[moetdod]

Thanks for the link to Triangle Cables plus they are on sale for $3 + s/h. Think that this will work with the Plantronics Audio 370 pc headsets that I bought on Woot for $5.99 to use with Xbox 360

[poolgirlblue]

well, i'm replying to this very, very late. As I'm sure you've already found out, the cables you linked in above only split audio out. They won't work for Mic in. Correct me if i'm wrong though since i haven't actually tried that.

[tinyaelito]

Great tutorial, though I have some improvements on the budget side… even though you do require a little bit more experience on soldering and peeling cables:
See you don’t actually need to buy the in line phone jack… you just need to:
1. - peel the cable of the Y adapter instead of cutting it (preferably in the middle).
2. - then when you see the 3 cables (red, black, peeled) you just cut the red cable on side A and the black cable on side B.
3. - then peel the little black cable on side A and solder the red cable coming from the female jack (being careful not to solder the ground, and this is why you need more experience).
4. - then isolate the wires so no short circuits are left. And you are done ;)

WORKED FOR ME NO PROBLEMS OR STATIC ;)

[Evilgoose]

Hi there I'd first like to thank you for the tutorial it's easy to follow. There's only one problem I've come across which is my mic not working. I've boiled this down to 2 things: 1) My 3.5 to 2.5 is slightly different and might be the reason. It has 3 grooves in the male connection instead of the 2 shown in the picture. 2) I messed up the soldering on the mic connection. When I was doing it my hands became shaky and I got some of the plastic from the black sleeve mixed in the solder so I may have to clean it out. Any input on what I should try to fix first would be nice.

[bgallagher4]

Ok idk what i did wrong but my mic works perfectly and im getting no sound. The headphone side looks just like yours but ive got no sound. And the red wire isnt interfering because ive got it covered with electrical tape. Any ideas????

[achauvin1]

There's a part that already does what this does and it's cheaper than buying all those parts from radio shack and making it yourself...

http://www.theheadsetbuddy.com/Xbox-360-Headset-Adapter-PC-Headset-to-Xbox-360-Controller-01-PC35-XBOX360.htm

But a nice instructable nonethless.

[Cobalt59]

Check out my wicked profile in ROBLOX, a fun creative hangout

[Kurious Kat]

What we all want here, I think, is game audio and chat through the same headphones using a standard PC headset - you know, the ones with mint green for headphones and pink for mic.

The SteelSeries adapter works for this, except that it costs $15. All you really need are two pieces: a 2.5mm male to 3.5mm adapter and a 3.5mm extension for your headphones (mint green).

The cheapest solution I've found for these is http://www.xjacker.com or http://www.amazon.com/XBOX-360-Headset-Adapter-PC-through/dp/B003Y8GL94/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1281557387&sr=8-1.

For $7, I am using my Sennheiser PC350s on my XBOX 360 and it works like a charm. Saved me a bundle having to buy a separate XBOX headset - like most ppl, I'd rather spend my cash on games.

[nk dtk]

on this picture, is the black wire on the left and the red wireon the right cut down and un used?
thanks
~alex

[poolgirlblue]

correct. one side is mic, the other is audio. you isolate one on each side so that you can plug in the mic(red) and the headphones(black).

[dredfu]

Alright so Im interested in doing this. But i only want to use a mic. I bought an adapter and when my mic is plugged in it doesnt work. Any suggestions? its a stereo adapter, do i need a mono one? Thanks.

[reakmcfly01]

ok i can hear everything i just can't talk back. anyone else have this problem.

[viwizard]

Thanks to poolgirlblue for this article. Not having done any electrical stuff for years, this inspired me to have a go.
In the UK it is not so easy to get a "headset buddy" as the US websites have. So I had a go at building a 4-pole 3.5 jack spliter with success.
I have full stereo, and by building a test piece for a 3-pole jack I was able to test the connections though my Nokia mic attachment and identify which pole uses the mic & phones.

I ruined 2 4-pole jacks in the process but the learning experience was invaluable.
Thanks again.

[zuraine]

My splitter that i bought from radio shack didn't have silver ground wire, it only had red, yellow, and black, wires. I stripped them accordingly and used the Yellow as the ground wire because i assumed that it was the only other thing in there that could be it. But upon trying to use the adapter, I could barely hear the Chat. could this be because the type of wire i used as a bridge? I used a pretty stiff piece of metal from a wire. and The mic isn't working. Any suggestions?

[geeklund]

I built myself a splitter like this some time ago, one thing that struck me is that I'm able to hear the chat in my headphones but when I connect directly to my mixer (to mix the chat with the game-sound) i get no sound at all, any ideas? Does the controller somehow sense that headphones are connected and only enable sound output then?

[s3kShUn7]

 Hey, I have a question. Actually, first I have a statement. Very good tutorial. I really appreciate this. Second: I have headphones with an inline microphone, much like the ones offered for the new iphone. So, it all goes into one jack, much like the adapter you showed here without the actual adaptor. But, when I bought the 3/32 adapter, it didn't work. I could hear people, but they couldn't hear me. Why is this? Even if you don't know, would it be wort it to try this solution. (I already have the Y-Adapter). I mean, I would only loose $4. Let me know. Thanks in advance.

[s3kShUn7]

 Hey, I have a question. Actually, first I have a statement. Very good tutorial. I really appreciate this. Second: I have headphones with an inline microphone, much like the ones offered for the new iphone. So, it all goes into one jack, much like the adapter you showed here without the actual adaptor. But, when I bought the 3/32 adapter, it didn't work. I could hear people, but they couldn't hear me. Why is this? Even if you don't know, would it be wort it to try this solution. (I already have the Y-Adapter). I mean, I would only loose $4. Let me know. Thanks in advance.

[exmafioso]

Great write up! it got my wheels turning on possible options. Has Anyone tried to modify their existing xbox 360 headset connector, so they have the factory connector with a Mute button?

[newb09]

This was so simple, I thank you for putting this up.  Wasted around 12 dollars for everything to work correctly :). Thank you.

[Bowjangles]

the function is the same as the microsoft ones, just it is far more comfortable.

[walabulu4]

nice i should try this

[daiglebw]

If you don't want to make your own (or can't see the pictures), here is another If you need a PC headset to XBox 360 adapter. 

Bryan

[DCRD]

I was looking at that one on amazon but I wasn't convinced that it worked with the 360. Do you have this one and know that it works good? thanks. 

[poolgirlblue]

after both of you put the same headset connector up, i was curious, so i bought two. one of them was broken upon receiving it. the other has pretty bad static on the head set side. They were much cheaper than mine are to make, but, my end verdict is that you get what you pay for.

[daiglebw]

 They have a 1 year warranty and good replacement policy, have you tried contacting them for a replacement?

[poolgirlblue]

as little as they cost to purchase, they're not worth my time since i already have my own working versions.

it is great though that someone has not only been able to produce it on a mass scale, but provides a warranty as well. for those of you not interested in making your own, it's a very good option.

[daiglebw]

 Yes, it works with xbox 360 since the xbox 360 uses the same kind of 2.5mm jack as phones.

Thanks!

Bryan

[christian24]

I have a question, Why do we need that third piece that we solder on? Can't we just connect the y-adapter to the 2.5 to 3.5 converter and connect our headset to the y adapter?

[poolgirlblue]

the third part, steps 5 and 6, are are what allow you to seperate out the Y adapter into the mic and headset portions.

you  have to isolate each side so that you can actually use it.

[ChosenWon]

As great as all this sounds....it is really confusing! Am I the only one? Probably. :( the pictures are helpful but the components are so small it is to hard to see what I am looking at for connections. Some kind of wiring diagram would be extremly helpful if you had a minute to draw one up.

[thebigstro]

Check this out too. http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B002D41HKS/ref=dp_olp_0?ie=UTF8&condition=all

[Wolf in command]

Awsome. Just what I need

[poolgirlblue]

it's so much more comfortable than the ones that microsoft makes becuase you can find whatever style headset you like and you're not limited to one or two choices.

[mangumboy77]

Thanks for the info, I just bought 2 of these tho
http://www.steelseries.com/us/products/accessories/xbox_360_headset_connector/information

hopefully they will work out.

[AlexPeegs]

 are these working better than microsoft's one or the same or better?