Introduction
Most people play PC games with the keyboard and mouse, but since the emergence of the Microsoft Xbox 360, PC gamers have the choice of using a console controller. You can buy this Xbox 360 gamepad branded as “for Windows”, however it is simply a wired version of the familiar controller.
More and more PC games will benefit from a gamepad like this (such as Assassins Creed, Lego Star Wars, etc...), creating a console-like gaming experience. For all intents and purposes, these cross platform games should play almost identical to the Xbox counterpart. The benefit of this is the familiarity of the control system, rather than reverting to a traditional keyboard/mouse input.
If you use Windows Vista, the controller will be recognised straight away without the need for the driver CD. For Windows XP, you will need to either install the drivers provided, or download them from the Microsoft website. Either way, you should be up and running with the controller in less than 5 minutes.
Along with the controller, you get 2 paper manuals and the driver CD. The manuals contain some basic setup information, but most experienced computer users will simply opt for the plug and play method. Interestingly, Microsoft wrap the USB connector with a note recommending that the driver software is installed before connecting the controller, however on a Windows Vista system everything was automatically detected without using the driver CD.
