14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft will soon launch dedicated drivers to make Xbox One controllers work on Windows PCs and thus bring the gameplay you can experience on a console on new platforms.
Larry Hryb, direction of Xbox programming, has recently confirmed that Microsoft is already working on drivers to make this possible, but no other specifics have been provided. He did mention however that these drivers would be released "very soon," so expect them to arrive in the next few weeks.
At this point, it's not yet clear if wireless controllers will also work on PCs, but judging by what happened with Xbox 360 controllers, chances are that Microsoft could make this possible as well.
Xbox 360 controllers could be used on Windows PCs from the very beginning, as Microsoft's flagship operating system already included the necessary drivers to recognize them, so installation came down to a very fast and seamless plug and play process. Wireless adapters however were needed to play games on a PC with an Xbox 360 controller without a cord.
Microsoft previously announced that Xbox One controllers would be made compatible with PCs in 2014, but the company remained tight-lipped as to when this is expected to happen.
Redmond is however working to make sure that the Xbox One controller is fully detected by the operating system and that all games that can be played with a 360 controller also support the One version, so additional time might be required.
As usual, expect Microsoft to make the drivers available on its download center, but installing an Xbox One controller on a PC should again be based on an automated process that gets the necessary software and sets it up all by itself. Plug and play is the term that's the most important, as Microsoft clearly wants to avoid forcing gamers to spend too much time trying to install their Xbox One controllers.
No details have been provided in this regard, but some forum posts online suggest that the drivers will also offer support for Microsoft's modern operating system, meaning that you might need at least Windows 7 to be able to use the controllers. Windows 8 and 8.1 users would obviously be among the lucky ones where everything should run smoothly, but it remains to be seen if Microsoft indeed manages to make driver deployment a breeze.
We've also reached out to Microsoft for some more details as to when these drivers are likely to show up, so we'll update the article accordingly.