Microsoft’s new Xbox One controller will be available for PCs next year, according to Zulfi Alam, Microsoft’s GM of Xbox accessories who confirmed to Kotaku that Microsoft was planning to have compatibility issues resolved by 2014. That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise considering that it’s Microsoft, but thanks to all the improvements on the new controller, it’s good news for PC gamers.
“We know people want to use the Xbox One controller on their PC,” Alam said, “and we do too – we expect to have the functionality available in 2014.”
The new controller features a slew of improvements over the current gamepad, including twice the haptic feedback and the removal of the battery pack that sticks out of the back on the current models. The new controller will still take two AA batteries, but the battery compartment will be integrated into the body of the controller itself. Alam also answered why Microsoft was still using batteries while others, including Sony, opted for built-in rechargeable batteries. In the end, it was just a matter of giving players the option. Microsoft will sell a rechargeable battery for the controller, but the nature of rechargeable batteries means that they can’t hold a charge as well as a pair of AA batteries.
In total, there will be nearly 40 changes between the new controller and the old. Check out the video below, and for a closer look at the making of Microsoft’s new Xbox One controller, check out our hands-on from the Xbox One unveiling back in May.
