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The gaming world used to be divided into two main camps, console gamers and PC gamers. The lines are blurred these days, withplenty of games available on both platforms, along with games on Android and macOS, and these gamers are at a disadvantage when it comes to peripherals. A keyboard is a poor substitute for a gaming controller, and unless a game is designed specifically for a PC, it often doesn’t work as well with a keyboard.
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Luckily, the console people have caught on, with an extra nod to the folks at Xbox, who have a direct connection to the world of PC hardware and therefore a nice advantage over other names like Sony. There are plenty of options to choose from, and although most console controllers have a similar design they come in several colors and styles to match perfectly with whatever system is the player’s choice for gaming.
Parts And Equipment Required
It dependson the exact make of the controllerand where it’s found, but often PC gaming controllers will require a USB charging cable, batteries, and other bits of hardware that are not included in the initial purchase. Wired controllers obviously won’t need batteries, but they do need a USB port to run, which is important to keep in mind for Android users, as phones and tablets are often designed without USB ports.
The operating system of the computer is an important factor when choosing a controller. Make sure the controller is compatible with the correct version of the computer’s operating system. For example, a controller made for Windows 10 isn’t going to work on Windows 11, and make sure a controller is designated specifically to work with your version of MacOs.
Connecting A Controller To Your PC
Bluetooth
A controller is more common with phones and laptops, since desktop PCs don’t have Bluetooth software as often as their portable counterparts. It’s easy to get a small USB device to make any PC Bluetooth compliant anyway, but it’s something to remember when shopping for a controller that’s a good fit for a personal computer.
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Updating Your Controller
Like all peripherals these days, controllers often need to be updated with the most recent software. Not updating a controller can cause compatibility and sensitivity problems, a nightmare for any gamer.
Wired controllers can update automatically or manually using theDevice Manager, but Bluetooth controllers have to be plugged into a computer to download software updates. The software used to configure a Bluetooth controller is the same one that organizes the updates. When the controller is plugged in, it will search for updates automatically, but there should also be an option to check manually.
