Xbox to USB: An in-depth look

[kattanFAN]

About a year ago, I discovered GameSX. It was in a vain attempt to make some mods that I now know are undoable (like wiring a Saturn extension cable to a USB cable, etc).

Around that time, I heard of how the Xbox controller is surprisingly USB compatible. So, I went on a quest to make an Xbox controller useable on the PC, since it has been a few months since my Logitech Dual Action ($20 from KMart) crapped out and I needed a controller. Simply by taking a stray breakaway cable from an Xbox controller, some electrical tape, a USB plug harvested from an old and long gone scanner (or something), and redcl0ud's XBCD driver and I was in business. Since it's relatively simply to produce, I do not need to feature a tutorial, since one can be found here.

My controller of choice for common use was this MadCatz-brand controller (I have 2, a green one and a clear black one), bought the day I purchased both Halo games. I chose this, because it was my controller of choice at the time.

Success was found when testing out this N64 emulator I found. Coupled with a program called JoyToKey (which can map keyboard and mouse functions, like mouse movements to the Right Stick and the Mouse Buttons to the Triggers for shooters), I began using it with a favorite game of mine, a game called American McGee's Alice.

Sadly, however, using the DDR pad that came with my copy of DDR Ultramix for the Xbox proved to be fruitless. I still hope to overcome this problem, which is easy to fix but it's not worth my time right now.

In the future, I would like to make an adapter for using 4 Xbox controllers for 4 players (you know, for MAME and other things). I'm pretty sure by hacking up a cheapo USB hub and 4 breakaway cables, it might be possible, providing that XBCD will support multiple controllers.

[kattanFAN]

I am also considering making and selling homemade Xbox-to-USB adaptors. Things I gotta do first includes:

• Find some Xbox breakaway cables dirt cheap
• Buy a crapload of USB male-to-male cables (dirt cheap)
• Ask redcl0ud if I can include the XBCD driver with the adaptor
• Track down some games to include with it

I think LikSang has a good deal on breakaway cables, and the local Dollar Tree sells the USB cables I need.