Xbox to USB converter Review

For those of us who play tons of PC games, there are times where the controls for a game become a huge factor. Sometimes the whole mouse + keyboard combination becomes cumbersome and difficult, depending on the mouse. Othertimes it's a pain trying to pull off certain moves, especially in fighting games, when only having the keyboard to use. That's why joysticks and gamepads can sometimes make the controls a lot easier, and sometimes even more fun to play. Although finding the right gamepad isn’t an easy task, depending on the types of games you play. Let’s not forget that the price can sometimes deter many gamers from picking up one of the more high-quality controllers, as well. However, for those who already have a quality Xbox controller, doesn’t it make sense to use your controller for computer gaming as well? Well, now you can by using an Xbox to PC/MAC USB adapter converter. The device is uniquely designed so that you can hook your Xbox controller up to your PC/MAC through a USB port. After plugging the controller into the device, you can play your favorite games on your computer using an Xbox controller. Before you can plug’n’play, though, you’ll first need a driver for Xbox controllers. You can easily download the drivers for Windows 2000 and XP from Phaseone . You can get the Mac drivers from Xbox HID for Mac. Alternatively, you can search for the driver via Google or another search engine. How it works After setting up the drivers–which is really simple and quick–you just plug your controller in. You may want to alter the settings and sensitivity in a setup utility before getting into a game, though. The entire procedure takes about five minutes at a bare minimum, and doesn’t interfere with any of the computer’s system functionality. For some programs, the sensitivity is too loose and will result in unnecessary jerks in movement. In those cases, you may need to change the sensitivity settings in the setup utility again. How well it works As you might expect from an Xbox controller, everything works smoothly. You can create different profiles within the setup utility, so the control scheme can match the program you’re using. Changing the profiles and altering the button configurations are easy and can be done on the fly. You can even switch around the analog and digital controls to match your playing style for any game that uses a joystick. Overall At a low cost of $12.95, it’s a very good deal and a heck of a lot cheaper than high-quality PC gamepads. So if you have an Xbox controller—but need a PC/Mac gamepad—you can purchase this nifty device for easy plug’n’play compatibility. The sensitivity issues are a minor quip, but with the XBCD setup utility, the settings can easily be adjusted. Overall, this is a product I highly recommend for gamers looking for a much cheaper alternative to a high-quality PC gamepad. Price: $12.95 Functionality: Good Value: Excellent