How to use an Xbox One controller with a small Windows 10 tablet

Embedded in Windows 10 are the necessary drivers to use the Xbox One controller without any additional software. You just plug it in and it works. While there are games available in the Store and from other sources you might want to use it with, there's also the Xbox One game streaming feature that you'll want to use it for.

Whether you connect using the microUSB cable or the upcoming wireless adapter, you still need one crucial thing; a USB port. But what about on a small tablet like the HP Stream 7 or Dell Venue 8 Pro that doesn't have a full sized USB port?

There's a simple solution and it doesn't cost a lot at all.

What you need is a microUSB to USB adapter. That way you can plug the microUSB cable from the controller into one end, then plug the other end into the microUSB charging port on the tablet. From here on it's just like using the controller with a Windows 10 PC, and that includes being able to stream your Xbox One games.

The controller pulls its power from the tablet, just as it would if you had it plugged into a PC. When you attach it you'll feel the controller vibrate and from there you're good to go.

The adapters you need are readily available online, we've dropped a suggestion below to get you started.

Richard Devine
Managing Editor - Tech, Reviews

Richard Devine is a Managing Editor at Windows Central with over a decade of experience. A former Project Manager and long-term tech addict, he joined Mobile Nations in 2011 and has been found on Android Central and iMore as well as Windows Central. Currently, you'll find him steering the site's coverage of all manner of PC hardware and reviews. Find him on Mastodon at mstdn.social/@richdevine