Functions of a xbox 360 controller

The design for the Xbox 360 controller is based mainly on the one used for the original Xbox -- the Controller S.

The largely noticeable difference in the Xbox 360 controllers from those for the original Xbox is that mainly of them are wireless. Microsoft created a proprietary technology to deal with some of the latency and bandwidth issues that can be a problem for some wireless controllers. The Xbox 360 can uphold up to four wireless controllers at one time.

The wireless controller comes with all Xbox 360 bundles except for the Core system, which includes a wired controller with a nine-foot cable. All else about the design is the alike. Of course, wireless controllers are obtainable separately if you prefer to upgrade.

The new Xbox 360 wireless controllers can be powered by whichever a pair of traditional AA batteries or a rechargeable battery pack. The battery pack can be "flash charged" in a charger or "trickle charged" via a USB connection to the console, and it alerts the user when its charge is running low.

The Xbox 360 controller has a Guide button in the center of its face that provides a new functionality. This button is divided into four quadrants that light up to present gamers with various types of information throughout game play. (Incidentally, the "ring of light" power button on the console also provides this role.) For instance, during a split screen multi player match, a specific quadrant will light up to indicate to a player which part of the screen he or she is playing on at that time. The Guide button can also light up to let a player tell he has received a message from another gamer. In this case, when the user pushes the button, he or she visits the Xbox dashboard (the equivalent of a PC's desktop). The dashboard provides access to features like messaging friends, downloading content, voice chat and customizing soundtracks, all while staying in the game. The controller has a traditional headphone jack on the back so that the user can plug in a headset for voice communication during game play. Some wireless headsets will also work with the Xbox 360.

The new Xbox 360 controller has the equal basic familiar button layout as the Controller S except that a few of the auxiliary buttons have been moved. The "back" and "start" buttons have been moved to a more central position on the face of the controller, and the "white" and "black" buttons have been removed and replaced with two new shoulder buttons that are positioned over the analog triggers on the back of the controller.