X-Box Controller modification to work on PC/Mac

Electrical modification to make your Classix X-Box controller work on your PC under Windows XP or on your Mac under OS X.

Step-by-step instructions for rewiring that even a beginner can follow.

SOFTWARE:
On OSX install Xbox HID Driver for Mac OS X from http://xhd.sourceforge.net/

For Windows XP install XBox Controller Driver (XBCD) from http://www.redcl0ud.com/xbcd.html

Step 1: What you'll need

1. Heatshrink - I used 6mm, but I would recommend something slightly bigger
2. USB Extension cable - I used grey for the purposes of the tutorial, but black obviously looks a lot better
3. X-Box controller - pictures is a Japanese Controller-S
4. USB Extension cable - I used grey for the purposes of the tutorial, but black obviously looks a lot better
5. Cutting tools - something capable of cutting through the cables and something smaller for stripping wires.
6. Electrical tape

Comments

[AJBrawlLvr]

Works fantastic under Windows XP. 5* and followed!

[xbox650]

whats a "light gun"?

[Cameron657]

A pistol/rifle for shooting games. You point it at the screen and pull the trigger.

[badbradmx]

just wondering, i dont have a need to try this for my PC but on the other hand, could it be used as a wired 360 controller?

[BigEdSCHS]

I got a few questions man.
first, I want to know if the heat shrink is necessary or can I just wrap e-tape around it?
second, can i do the same thing your doing to the cord except splice the USB into the dongle?

[bananasontoast]

Heatshrink - no not 100% necessary, but it does help to ensure there are no worries.

Yes, you can cut it into the existing dongle, but I personally prefer my method as it's less messy.

[BigEdSCHS]

does the dongle have different wiring or something?

thanks btw 

[jedikalimero]

wouldn't be easier to make a cable with a male USB at one end and the mini-DIN used in the adaptor cable at the other? this way, you can use the controller unmodified in the Xbox and swap the adapter cable when using it in the PC. I don't know if this mini-DIN is standard or MicroSoft propietary, but even so, you could build the cable with a spare one.

[bounty1012]

ok, can you help? I opened up my controllers wiring and it has a blue green red black white and yellow wire and I plug it in with my usb and go to memory but nothing happens what did I do wrong?

[bounty1012]

NVM I got it =] I guess my wires were either touching my carpet and not working or touching eachother and not working, Ty for the instructable, I wanted my controller so that I could still play with it after I modded my xbox 5/5.

[fishy1boy13]

can some one help me with getting this to work on windows vista??????? pls! pls!

[abadfart]

thanks i got my xbox for free and one of the controllers didn't have the plug to go into the xbox so I'm going to try this with it

[bananasontoast]

Best of luck with it, let me know how you go!

[Bongmaster]

dang, i got an extender cable and it has 6 wires: black brown blue yellow white red. dont u have a pinout diagram for this ible? as in what xbox pins to what usb pins..

[bananasontoast]

You've got me, never seen one like that...

[Bongmaster]

its ok i worked it out eventually XD red was wat u would expect it to be, the brown was the redundant (yellow), white was white and yellow was green, blue was negative and black was gnd. now i got a controller to pc adaptor and a xbox1 usb port ;)

[atombomb1945]

An easier way to do this is to cut the controller connection off after the breakaway in the cable. That way, you can swap out between the USB and the standard connections.

[bananasontoast]

Sure, but you would likely need multiple break-away connections, this saves you requiring that.

[jpond009]

I love the multitude of uses that a simple controller (both X-Box and Wii) can offer the DIY/handy person. I have seen a couple other Instructables about converting an X-Box controller into a PC-usable game controller, but this Instructable seems to top the list. Well done.

[bananasontoast]

Thank you very much for your comment. This is actually the compilation of a bit of playing around, research, testing and reading other tutorials. The thing I found was that a lot of them assumed knowledge, produced poor quality at the end, or just didn't understand what people really wanted out of the tutorial. Most of them didn't describe how you could still use your X-Box controller with your X-Box after the mod was done, which was quite annoying. I am glad you enjoyed!

[jpond009]

That's very true. I,personally,like options when I rip something apart, putting it back together is always the trick, so I was always hesitant to completely convert one of my X-BOX controllers into a full PC controller (even though original X-BOX controllers are a dime-a-dozen these days). I guess I should have made the connection (pardon the pun), as you did, that you can simply put a female USB plug-in on the other side, but then again, that is what Instructables is all about, getting ideas that you would, probably, never think of.