Any one use a 360 Wireless receiver?

[fastbilly1]

Any of yall have experience with one of these? It takes your wireless 360 controllers and lets you use them on your pc. I have five 360 controllers and now pc games that need better controllers than I have on hand (mostly dpad based or arcade sticks) so I thought this would be an easy way to play 4 player games on my pc - namely Shadowgrounds, Trine, and Gene rally.

So how are they? Good, bad, suggestions?

This is the one I am looking at: http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Xbox-360-Wirele ... 4840386f8c

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

Don't, they're shit and fry motherboards.

Microsoft put a full recall out on them years ago because they overheat and smoke, along with completely frying your USB ports or motherboard thanks to shorts. The whole thing is a waaste of cash over getting an official or generic wired controller for dirt cheap and saving yourself the hassle of batteries and a fire hazard.

[Hobie-wan]

I have a knockoff one that came from Micro Center and it works great and has been plugged into my PC since last fall with no problems. The package looked almost like official MS. The only issue is unplugging your 360 and resyncing to the receiver if you're going to use the pads for both and your systems aren't far apart. If you search ebay, mine was the clamshell one you'll see plenty of.

[fastbilly1]

Thanks for the heads up Hobie.

Modman, the only recall I see is based on how people think it is broken, but find out it really just needs more power than their USB ports are giving. I noticed that this is easily fixed with a powered usb hub - which I have one in the shape of the Tardis for. However, do you have any link to a recall notice? I am still curious. And buying wired 360 controllers defeats the purpose of using the ones I already have. I appreciate the suggestion but I already have five and dont use them on the 360...

[Stark]

I've had the one that comes with Microsoft wireless keyboards for years and have regularly used my 360 controllers to play games like Borderlands. I've had no issues.

The one I have is seen here:
http://www.leateds.com/2009/wireless-ke ... and-mouse/

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

Thanks for the heads up Hobie.

Modman, the only recall I see is based on how people think it is broken, but find out it really just needs more power than their USB ports are giving. I noticed that this is easily fixed with a powered usb hub - which I have one in the shape of the Tardis for. However, do you have any link to a recall notice? I am still curious. And buying wired 360 controllers defeats the purpose of using the ones I already have. I appreciate the suggestion but I already have five and dont use them on the 360...

We got the notice in at work forever ago (was around late '08 if I had to finger a timeframe), it's the reason you can't buy them new in stores any more. Microsoft cited both numerous complaints about the functionality and a lack of consumer interest in it as the reason for it getting pulled off shelves.

Unfortunately I don't have any links to (nor do I remember them issuing) a public consumer recall notice. I say just get an MS keyboard one since apparently according to Stark they work with 360 controllers as well. I see these all the time at goodwill for only a dollar or two in the cables bin.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

I've had the one that comes with Microsoft wireless keyboards for years and have regularly used my 360 controllers to play games like Borderlands. I've had no issues.

The one I have is seen here:
http://www.leateds.com/2009/wireless-ke ... and-mouse/

Just to clarify are you saying your keyboard's wireless adapter works with 360 controllers? That would make getting a receiver and syncing controllers a lot easier and tons cheaper.

[Hobie-wan]

Modman, the only recall I see is based on how people think it is broken, but find out it really just needs more power than their USB ports are giving. I noticed that this is easily fixed with a powered usb hub - which I have one in the shape of the Tardis for.

FWIW I checked and mine pulls 260 mA from the USB, so that's a little over half the 500 mA a pair provides. I can see someone having a headset or a camera plugged in that needs more than 240 mA and they two end up overloading that USB pair. A Tardis powered hub should provide plenty of power.

[Hobie-wan]

Just to clarify are you saying your keyboard's wireless adapter works with 360 controllers? That would make getting a receiver and syncing controllers a lot easier and tons cheaper.

Syncing the controllers isn't an issue, but when I had 1 controller, I had to unplug the 360 before turning on the controller to sync to the PC receiver. I suppose I could have pulled the pad battery for a few seconds to break the connection to the 360 as well. Not an issue now I have more controllers though.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

Just to clarify are you saying your keyboard's wireless adapter works with 360 controllers? That would make getting a receiver and syncing controllers a lot easier and tons cheaper.

Syncing the controllers isn't an issue, but when I had 1 controller, I had to unplug the 360 before turning on the controller to sync to the PC receiver. I suppose I could have pulled the pad battery for a few seconds to break the connection to the 360 as well. Not an issue now I have more controllers though.

Well I was more trying to find out if I could just use a generic Microsoft keyboard dongle instead of the official 360 branded one.