Better still, the similarity between the Xbox 360 and Xbox One controllers mean that any game set up to recognise its predecessor will automatically work just fine with the Xbox One pad without reconfiguration. Switching from the Xbox 360 pad to the Xbox One, Microsoft claims, brings with it increased comfort, a better directional pad and the improved offset analogue sticks. Now, the company has released the first standalone driver package for adding Xbox One controller compatibility to Windows. As a result, it frequently takes technologies originally developed for the Xbox line and ports them across to its Windows brand - as with the original Xbox 360 gamepad, which remains one of the most popular controllers among PC gamers next to the traditional keyboard and mouse, and the Kinect for Windows camera system. Microsoft's presence in the console market leaves it spinning two plates at once: while it's keen for the console itself to succeed, it's also aware that its bread and butter comes from the Windows operating system and supporting ecosystem.

Microsoft has released the first official drivers for pairing the Xbox One controller with a Windows PC, as it opens pre-orders for the Kinect for Windows v2 depth-sensing camera platform.

Xbox one controller windows driver