Thanks to the technology of today, you can happily play your favorite gaming titles from the comfort of your couch with no wires limiting your reach. But, what you will need to do instead, is sync up your controllers wirelessly before you get into any action.
Of course, this is the case with the Xbox One and its controllers so you’ll need to know how to sync an Xbox One controller to your console whether you have an Xbox One, Xbox One S, or even an Xbox One X. You might not know this but you can also easily use your Xbox One controller on your PC and can in fact sync it up wirelessly too.
We’re going to go through how to sync an Xbox One controller to your Xbox One console as well as how to sync an Xbox One controller to your PC so no matter what system you’ll be playing your games on, you’re already prepared to sync up that all-important controller.
Table of Contents
How to sync Xbox One controller
As previously stated, we’re going to look at both syncing your Xbox One controller to your console as well as your PC. Without further ado, let’s get into the steps.
How to sync Xbox One controller to Xbox One console
- First, you’ll need to power on your Xbox One console, whichever variant you own, as well as your Xbox One controller.
- Now, locate the ‘sync’ button on your console. On the original Xbox One console this is situated on the front left hand side, along the same path as the silver bezel. On the Xbox One S and Xbox One X variants, this is a small button under the Xbox power on button.
- Once found, press this button to start the connection process. You know this is working if the white Xbox logo on your console is blinking
- Now, press the sync button on your controller. This is situated next to the micro-usb port on the top of your peripheral.
- The Xbox logo on your controller should now also be blinking.
- Once both your console’s and controller’s lights stay on a solid white light, you should be all synced up.
You should now have learned how to sync an Xbox One controller to your Xbox One console. If you buy another controller and need to sync that up also, simply follow the above steps again and you should be just fine.
How to sync Xbox One controller to PC
While syncing an Xbox One controller to the console is a pretty straightforward process, syncing them up to a PC is not only a slightly different process, there’s also a few variables which affect it.
One of these variables is if you have a Bluetooth enabled controller or not. To simplify this, if you have an original Xbox One console controller then it’s not Bluetooth enabled but any iterations after this i.e Xbox One S and Xbox One X controllers do. If you do have a Bluetooth-enabled controller then the process is far simpler but if not, you’ll need to buy a wireless adapter specifically made for the Xbox One controller.
The second of these variables is linked to the first, whether your PC is Bluetooth enabled also. If you’re not sure if yours is, head over to the ‘Devices’ section in your Control Panel and see if you can add a Bluetooth device. If you do then great but if not, you’ll have to buy a Bluetooth adapter, similar to this one.
To again simplify the process, we’ll break down the method for syncing a first generation Xbox One controller that doesn’t have Bluetooth to your PC, as well as a separate section for syncing a Bluetooth-enabled Xbox One controller to your PC.
How to sync a first-generation Xbox One controller to PC
So, as previously mentioned, you are going to need to purchase a separate peripheral for this – the Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows. Once you have it in your possession, the process is almost identical to that of syncing to your Xbox One console.
- Plug in your Xbox Wireless Adapter
- Turn on your Xbox One controller
- Press the sync button on the top of your controller
- That’s it, you should be all connected!
How to sync a Bluetooth-enabled Xbox One controller to PC
If you do have a Bluetooth-enabled controller, then the process of syncing is a relatively straightforward one. If your PC has built-in Bluetooth capabilities then you can just jump straight to the steps but if not, you’ll need to purchase an adapter. This can be either internal like this one or external like this one and you’ll need to get that all set up before continuing.
If you’re all prepared, let’s get to it.
- First, you’ll need to ensure your Bluetooth is turned on
- Head to your PC Settings to Devices
- Click “Bluetooth and other devices” and turn Bluetooth on
- Now your Bluetooth is enabled, turn on your Xbox One controller
- Press the sync button on your controller to start the process
- Now on your PC, select “Add Bluetooth or other device”
- Select your Xbox One controller from the device list
- If your controller’s Xbox logo emits a solid white light, you’re all connected
So, with all this info, you should now know how to sync Xbox One controller to both your Xbox One console and PC. If you have any other Xbox-related queries or issues, we could have the right article for you. Here are some examples:
- How to factory reset Xbox One
- How to clear cache Xbox One
- How to appear offline on Xbox One
