Microsoft, creators of the Xbox console, the upcoming Xbox 360, and of course the Windows line of operating systems, has recently announced that its wired version of the Xbox 360 controller (the version also bundled with the Xbox 360 Core package) will work with Windows XP-based PCs as a game controller. It will function just as well as it does for its native platform. Coinciding with this recent announcement is a release of the Xbox 360 wired controller to retail, as the first cross-platform game controller and as part of the Microsoft Game Precision Series of controllers.

“For the first time, gamers can simply unplug their controller from their Xbox 360 system and plug it into their Windows XP-based PC,” said Mike Haigh, Hardware Product Marketing Manager. The Xbox 360 Controller for Windows package, to be released before the Xbox 360?s official launch on November 22, will include a driver for Windows XP-based PCs. The wired Xbox 360 controllers purchased at retail after the Xbox 360 launch will work with the PC after users download the available driver from Microsoft. The controller will connect to the PC via a 9-foot breakaway USB cable.

“This is a great breakthrough for the gaming industry as we make it easier for developers to create multiplatform titles,” adds Mike Haigh. Several companies have expressed praise for the cross-platform capabilities of the Xbox 360 controller, including EA, THQ, Ubisoft, and Vivendi Universal.