Controllers

Controllers on a cable

Plug them in. Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo controllers, and most others Steam knows, work straight away.

Bluetooth controllers

If the PC has Bluetooth, pair controllers in Steam’s Settings → Bluetooth: put the controller in pairing mode, then choose it in the list. Desktop mode has Bluetooth settings too.

For Xbox controllers, the Xbox Wireless Adapter below is usually the better choice: it’s built for them and can wake the PC.

The Xbox Wireless Adapter

The Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows works with rxpad, our driver for it. Each controller shows up in Steam as a wireless Xbox controller.

The first time, CouchPotatOS downloads the adapter’s firmware from Microsoft. It does this automatically once the PC is online. The adapter then starts up by itself.

To pair a controller:

1. Press the small button on the adapter. Its light starts flashing.
2. Turn the controller on, then hold its pair button (the small button on top, next to the USB port) until the Xbox logo flashes quickly.
3. When the logo stays lit, the controller is connected.

Paired controllers reconnect on their own when you turn them on.

Sleep and wake

• When the PC goes to sleep or shuts down, connected controllers turn off.
• Press the Xbox button to wake the PC from sleep. The controller is ready again a few seconds later.
• Turning a controller off disconnects it, so games notice it’s gone.