Why do the Xbox360 wired controllers have that removable USB adapter?

[Aldo]

I have never understood that. I could see if maybe the controller port on the 360 itself was that big circle connector, but it's not. It too has USB ports for the controller hook ups. So is there any reason that you can remove that adapter?

This isn't so much a rant as just a general musing. Because I recently got Steam and found it to be compatible with 360 controllers...the only problem is, as you guessed it I'm missing that little adapter that will allow me to plug it into a USB port.

 

[Reverend]

Re: Why do the Xbox360 wired controllers have that removable USB adapt

I always assumed it was a break-away connection to ensure the USB socket isn't damaged if the cable gets tangled and/or yanked too hard. No idea if that's actually the case though.

 

[Aldo]

Re: Why do the Xbox360 wired controllers have that removable USB adapt

Oh right, I think I read that somewhere...or at least heard it from someone else.

 

[Mooch]

Re: Why do the Xbox360 wired controllers have that removable USB adapt

Oh right, I think I read that somewhere...or at least heard it from someone else.

Yes, it's a carry-over feature from the original xbox controllers, I guess you never had one.

 

[Aldo]

Re: Why do the Xbox360 wired controllers have that removable USB adapt

Nope, I had a PS2 and a Gamecube during that generation of consoles.

The good thing about buying a dongle online though (that's what they're called, I found out) is that they are so cheap.

 

[Capt. Vulcan]

Re: Why do the Xbox360 wired controllers have that removable USB adapt

It's funny because the Xbox was the heaviest console ever and the least likely to be pulled off the shelf from a controller cord.

 

[Trekker4747]

Re: Why do the Xbox360 wired controllers have that removable USB adapt

It's funny because the Xbox was the heaviest console ever and the least likely to be pulled off the shelf from a controller cord.

It was more that the X-Box controller cord was extra long (longer than the PS2 controller, presumably long enough to reach the average distance between a TV and a couch/chair) as to potentially be a tripping hazard for people crossing the room. I've got to say, this feature actually came in handy a few times for me.

 

[Sparky]

Re: Why do the Xbox360 wired controllers have that removable USB adapt

It's funny because the Xbox was the heaviest console ever and the least likely to be pulled off the shelf from a controller cord.

It was more that the X-Box controller cord was extra long (longer than the PS2 controller, presumably long enough to reach the average distance between a TV and a couch/chair) as to potentially be a tripping hazard for people crossing the room. I've got to say, this feature actually came in handy a few times for me.

Came in handy for me as well. I was able to mod that dongle so it had the Xbox connector and a standard usb port wired onto it like some two headed dragon. Pop a memory card into the controller and connect the controller to the PC. The computer would see the memory card as a standard usb storage device. You could grab an altered version of a Splinter Cell save game file and pop it on the memory card. That altered save file would cause a buffer overflow when you tried to load it in the game. The buffer overflow would then cause the Xbox to run executable code that would install a softmod that allowed you to ftp over custom dashboards, emulators, roms, xbmc etc.

That modded Xbox with xbmc was my media player for quite a while. In fact, I still have it in a box somewhere. The emulators and roms were also quite handy. I made a decent chunk of change charging 50 bucks a pop to mod and load software onto Xboxs. Thanks little dongle!