Microsoft introduce "XBox Wireless" for PC

[GoodBytes]

Recently, Microsoft has been active in allowing its XBox One to work with PCs. (and potentially seeing a merging of the two)

Microsoft introduced, first, the ability to USB wire connect your controller to your PC and use it like a wired controller. Later they introduced a wireless dongle that can provide support up to 8 XBox One controllers. The controller cannot connect directly to the PC due to the usage of a proprietary wireless communication protocol, so that is why you need to connect it by wire or get the wireless dongle Then with the XBox One S, the game controller was updated to support Bluetooth, for standard PC connect, and no dongle needed. The problem is older controllers still need the dongle for wireless, same for other console accessories. Well there is just so much that can be done on an already released controller, but Microsoft introduces "Xbox Wireless".

 

 

 

What is XBox Wireless?
Microsoft is working with wireless card manufacture and OEMs to add it's proprietary XBox One wireless communication protocol to it, so that you can connect that XBox One controller to your PC, wirelessly without the dongle.. so it is like the dongle is integrated to the wireless card.

Quote

Microsoft started including Bluetooth support on its latest Xbox One controllers, but for older models the company is unveiling a new way you can connect a controller to a PC without wires or USB dongles. It's called Xbox Wireless and it's designed to let any Xbox accessories work with PCs that integrate the Xbox Wireless platform. The first device to support Microsoft's Xbox Wireless is Lenovo's latest IdeaCentre Y710 Cube gaming PC. Microsoft uses a proprietary wireless communication protocol (not Wi-Fi Direct) to connect Xbox One controllers to its gaming console, so PC makers won't be able to simply enable this with software.

 

The first system that will have this feature that will hit the market is the Lenovo IdeaCentre Y710 Cube latest model.

 

 

The company still stand by its technology, however, so no switch to Bluetooth. The company says:

Quote

Xbox Wireless provides you with a best-in-class wireless gaming experience across Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs. Designed specifically for gaming, Xbox Wireless provides advantages over other connection methods, such as:

• Low-latency and high-quality wireless gameplay for up to 8 devices at once.
• Cross-platform use across Xbox One and Windows PCs.
• Wireless support for stereo sound through a headset
• Eliminating the need for multiple adapters or wires for each device.

While I don't know any details between latency of bluetooth vs XBox Wireless thing, it is true that Nintendo uses a modified Bluetooth to make their controller work, so maybe there is some truth to it.

 

Microsoft wants to also work with other peripheral companies to made accessories that support this technology as well. And they also said that they plan to work with motherboard manufacture to aim to be a feature in them as well., but I think by the time this comes out, I think most people that are interested in XBox One controller and be wireless, and doesn't have one, would get the XBox One S controller and use Bluetooth.

 

Quote

In the future Microsoft is planning to launch a range of Xbox Wireless accessories like joysticks and headsets from partners such as Astro, HyperX, Lenovo, Mad Catz, PDP, Plantronics, Razer, SteelSeries, and Turtle Beach. Microsoft is also planning to "enable direct integration of Xbox Wireless into PC motherboards" with its hardware partners, which could mean we'll see this type of integration on Microsoft's range of Surface devices in the future.

 

So in other words, Microsoft is "opening up" its wireless technology to PC, and not exclusive to XBox One. It looks like it is more steps to fuse XBox and PC together. We have cross platform gaming on some games, we have games that you can purchase once and play on either platform, we have XBox app on PC, Game DVR feature on PC, and now XBox One wireless accessories on PC.

 

Source: http://www.theverge.com/2016/8/16/12503856/microsoft-xbox-wireless-platform-features

Source 2: http://www.winbeta.org/news/xbox-expand-wireless-ecosystem-new-pcs-accessories

[Sir Asvald]

[zMeul]

seriously .. who thinks of this crap?

 

you want to use it on a laptop, OK - laptops need WiFi, they go hand in hand

but, what if you want to use the same XB1 controller on your desktop that doesn't have "special" WiFi card? well then you'd have to buy the additional dongle

and then you get back to the original solution for a problem no one asked for

[skyler_mertz]

And here I thought this would be like Nvidia Gamestream. ?

[MEC-777]

Way more complicated than it needs to be. lol. 

 

I praise the Xbox one controller though. Bought one for my PC for playing certain games (Dark Souls etc.) and picked up the wireless dongle as well. Only problem is it eats batteries like no tomorrow.

[PocketNerd]

Need to find me the wireless dongle. Though I'm seriously hoping that the support for that protocol makes it's way into a diver update or something that augments existing drivers. Cause as it is only having support for new hardware is bullshit.

[niofalpha]

56 minutes ago, zMeul said:

seriously .. who thinks of this crap?

 

you want to use it on a laptop, OK - laptops need WiFi, they go hand in hand

but, what if you want to use the same XB1 controller on your desktop that doesn't have "special" WiFi card? well then you'd have to buy the additional dongle

and then you get back to the original solution for a problem no one asked for

It's just Bluetooth... Not exactly "Special"...

[ManIkWeet]

Meanwhile I'm still happy with my wired controller, that never gets lost, and never needs batteries, and is always connected, and works on Windows 7+, and is supported in every game...

[Zeeee]

18 minutes ago, niofalpha said:

It's just Bluetooth... Not exactly "Special"...

Do you have the capacity to read? NO ITS NOT BLUETOOTH. Thats the point, the new xbox one controllers are bluetooth compatible but this "xbox wireless" initiative is not bluetooth its that bullshit microsoft uses on the xbox one that uses wifi direct or some shit. Theyre bringing that to PCs

[zMeul]

48 minutes ago, niofalpha said:

It's just Bluetooth... Not exactly "Special"...

true, but connecting more than one controller and using the integrated audio headset will require more bandwidth

even then, desktop PCs don't come standard with BT radios/adapters - if you got a WiFi / BT card then .. OK (but again, more than one controller will depend)

not even MS recommends connection more than one via "regular" BT

 

the dedicated XBox wireless adapter allows:

• 8 controllers
• 4 if paired with chat headset
• 2 if paired with stereo headset

 

but that's not the point of the discussion

[Puddleuk]

I remember back when the Xbox One was first announced and rumours and information was everywhere. One such source mentioned that the design of the Xbox One Controller cost 'hundreds of millions' to make. With that sort of money you would think compatibility with PC (Something they KNEW would be in demand) would be part of it. but no, you had to plug it in directly or buy the dongle which was released much later.

 

I did purchase the dongle for around £20 but why the fuck should I have to buy it to begin with, was there some sort of advantage to using a proprietary connection over existing standards because I do not see it, except as some form of DRM to prevent the controller from connecting to PS4/other consoles. But seriously, with a budget so stupidly large did they not consider that that we would want to use the controller on their own OS. Instead to make it work we have to buy a dongle or buy an entirely new controller. 

 

Brings me piss to a boil, it really does...

[LordLeewee]

why cant you just use the bluetooth on the new controllers?

[niofalpha]

43 minutes ago, Zeeee said:

Do you have the capacity to read? NO ITS NOT BLUETOOTH. Thats the point, the new xbox one controllers are bluetooth compatible but this "xbox wireless" initiative is not bluetooth its that bullshit microsoft uses on the xbox one that uses wifi direct or some shit. Theyre bringing that to PCs

Quote

Bluetooth, for standard PC connect,

... Do you?

[Yoinkerman]

I want MS to prove their tech is better, until then it's just more proprietary garbage.

 

Btw I have several xbone controllers and the stupid dongle 

[Misanthrope]

This is delightfully deceptive: We know it's bluetooth based. We know they will make the new controllers work with normal bluetooth anyway but they're still introducing a new hardware standard to the PC.

 

Why? If you can already purchase normal bluetooth controllers, why go through the trouble? To me this is them wanting to replace Bluetooth. Sure now they want protocols to co-exist but what happens later on when most wireless cards come with their protocol? What happens if you want driver support for the hardware protocol on Linux or Mac?

 

Sorry but this leaves far too many questions and it flat out doesn't makes any fucking sense to me: introducing a new standard is expensive. Microsoft is calculating there's no way they'd spend the dough without and ulterior motive.

[Doobeedoo]

I think MS in time will just fuse XB and PC in potentially one 'PC' platform.

[christianled59]

14 minutes ago, Doobeedoo said:

I think MS in time will just fuse XB and PC in potentially one 'PC' platform.

They'll just make locked down 'alienware' computers for a lowish price. Except it'll be called xbox. 

[Doobeedoo]

1 minute ago, christianled59 said:

They'll just make locked down 'alienware' computers for a lowish price. Except it'll be called xbox. 

Yeah no haha. Locked down computer is out of the question, cause closed just won't work. Maybe something like XB branded PC with W10 though.

[christianled59]

Just now, Doobeedoo said:

Yeah no haha. Locked down computer is out of the question, cause closed just won't work. Maybe something like XB branded PC with W10 though.

Highly doubt it. That would  kinda isolate the market they have. Console gamers don't want a "computer". They want something simple. If microsoft put a full os on it, it wouldn't sell very well.

 

Think of a steam machine. Except there's only one model.

[Doobeedoo]

2 minutes ago, christianled59 said:

Highly doubt it. That would  kinda isolate the market they have. Console gamers don't want a "computer". They want something simple. If microsoft put a full os on it, it wouldn't sell very well.

 

Think of a steam machine. Except there's only one model.

Yeah meant it more like with 'console UI' on top of it but to switch to full Windows environment if wanted.
And as far as comparing it to Steam Machines I guess they'd make it with various specs PCs x)

[christianled59]

Just now, Doobeedoo said:

Yeah meant it more like with 'console UI' on top of it but to switch to full Windows environment if wanted.
And as far as comparing it to Steam Machines I guess they'd make it with various specs PCs x)

Thing is, they shouldnt make it with various specs. That's what caused the steam machine to fail. Don't think of it like a pc enthusiast. Think as if you were a very unsavy individual who simply wants to play a game. 

[Zeeee]

1 hour ago, niofalpha said:

... Do you?

http://www.theverge.com/2016/8/16/12503856/microsoft-xbox-wireless-platform-features

 

dude, holy when youre wrong its okay to admit it. Go read some more articles youre confusing two different things. NEW controllers that come with the xbox one s are bluetooth compatible which will be able to connect to pc with bluetooth but only one at a time for now. 

 

XBOX WIRELESS is something being built into laptops and into motherboards and uses wifi direct or some other proprietary connection to connect OLDER XBOX ONE CONTROLLERS AN ESPECIALLY xbox one elite controller all of which need a usb dongle to connect to pc.... so yeah go ahead apologize and admit you were wrong. Ill wait. 

[Curious Pineapple]

I'd just use a wire. Simplest solution is usually the best

[niofalpha]

2 minutes ago, Zeeee said:

http://www.theverge.com/2016/8/16/12503856/microsoft-xbox-wireless-platform-features

 

dude, holy when youre wrong its okay to admit it. Go read some more articles youre confusing two different things. NEW controllers that come with the xbox one s are bluetooth compatible which will be able to connect to pc with bluetooth but only one at a time for now. 

 

XBOX WIRELESS is something being built into laptops and into motherboards and uses wifi direct or some other proprietary connection to connect OLDER XBOX ONE CONTROLLERS AN ESPECIALLY xbox one elite controller all of which need a usb dongle to connect to pc.... so yeah go ahead apologize and admit you were wrong. Ill wait. 

I took the bait, did't I...

[Trik'Stari]

3 hours ago, zMeul said:

seriously .. who thinks of this crap?

 

you want to use it on a laptop, OK - laptops need WiFi, they go hand in hand

but, what if you want to use the same XB1 controller on your desktop that doesn't have "special" WiFi card? well then you'd have to buy the additional dongle

and then you get back to the original solution for a problem no one asked for

Mainly, using a superior method of control. AKA The Keyboard and Mouse.