How to Connect an X-Arcade Controller to your Xbox 360

Extreme retro gamers have discovered that a quality arcade stick delivers a true “arcade feel” to their classic video games.  The X-Arcade Tankstick is currently the king of the hill, and has several adapters for use on all popular consoles… except the Xbox 360.  X-Arcade has been working hard to get an Xbox 360 adapter for their arcade controllers, but unfortunately Microsoft has complete control over which vendors can manufacture peripherals for the Xbox 360.

Microsoft has created legal protection of third-party development, which only allows four companies legal permission to make controllers for the Xbox 360 system.  This allows the Redmond company to control the pricing and supply of 360 peripherals, which has the unfortunate side effect of limited consumer choices.

 

Since Xbox Live Arcade has burst onto the scene, the console has been in dire need for a quality arcade arcade stick.  Sure, it’s novel to play arcade classics on the 360, but Live Arcade opens up new play modes that you couldn’t do in the 80s, like do a time trial with a friend or playing co-op Gauntlet with a guy in Asramistan.  There are also brand new games that would only benefit from a durable arcade controller, like Namco Bandai’s Pac-Man Championship Edition.

Although Xbox 360 peripherals use standard USB, the console looks for a patented hardware code on the device to see if it is legitimate.  It’s not possible for companies to hack a controller, but there is a way to get your X-Arcade products to work on the Xbox 360…

The answer comes from a current Xbox 360 adapter called the “XFPS” that lets you use a PS/2 keyboard and mouse on your Xbox 360 (as well as a Playstation 2 controller).  The X-Arcade Tankstick is basically a keyboard with high-quality arcade parts, and the trackball works as a standards pointing device.  Hmmm…

All you have to do to get your X-Arcade Tankstick work on the 360 is to plug your X-arcade controller into the XFPS.  The XFPS uses the hardware code from the genuine 360 controller, and the console now thinks it has an officially licenses peripheral attached.

The XFPS has two standard USB ports, a PS/2 keyboard port, PS/2 mouse port and a Playstation 2 port.  The Tankstick has two wires with both USB and PS/2 adapters on each (one wire for keyboard emulation, and the other for mouse emulation).  Since the wired Xbox 360 controller is using one of the USB ports, you should connect both Tankstick wires to the XFPS with their PS/2 connectors.

X-Arcade confirms better success when using their Playstation 2 console adapter, but this adapter does not support the use of the trackball.  All you need to do in this case is connect the 9-pin serial cable on the Tankstick to the Playstation 2 adapter, and then plug the adapter into the XFPS’s Playstation2 port and map the buttons as normal.

Now all you have to do is map the buttons on the Tankstick to the appropriate functions.  To map the buttons, tap the XFPS’ program button, the press the button you wish to map on the Xbox 360 controler, and then touch the corresponding button on the X-Arcade Tankstick  If you want to map the A to your Tankstick:

1. Press XFPS Program button
2. Press “A” on your Xbox 360 controller
3. Press the primary fire button on the Tankstick

Although you can use the trackball for games, it really isn’t recommended.  The analog sticks of the Xbox 360 controllers have a relatively large “dead zone”, so the trackball has to travel a little bit before it gets out of the dead zone and registers movement.

You can map all of the buttons on the Tankstick (even those meant for Player 2), but you can’t have two players playing on the same controller (since the XFPS registers itself as a single controller).  You could if you had two Tanksticks, two XFPSs, and two wired Xbox 360 controllers, but that’s just getting a little silly.

The Tankstick works great in Arcade games and menu navigation, but its usability is lacking in first person shooter games.  The games are simply designed to be used with a gamepad, so you don’t have the freedom of movement you have with a keyboard and mouse.  For one, the dead zone issue will make aiming a little unresponsive.  Secondly, the game’s dynamics expect two analog controls, so movement can become difficult, especially while shooting.

The Tankstick excels at classic arcade games, and there is no greater experience than using a genuine arcade controller with Xbox Live Arcade (and new “classics” like Pac-Man CE).  Although getting this controller setup working with an Xbox 360 is expensive, you at least have a new choice in how you play your Xbox 360.