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You No Longer Have to Be on Windows 10 to Use the Xbox One Wireless Adapter

The seemingly arbitrary restriction is no longer in place.

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You can now use an Xbox One controller with your computer wirelessly, even if you haven't yet upgraded to Windows 10.

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Microsoft has officially introduced Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 support for the Xbox Wireless Adapter. This dongle allows an Xbox One controller to be used wirelessly with a PC or tablet. Prior to its release, Xbox One controllers could only be used on PC by plugging them in with a USB cable.

Puzzlingly, the adapter's functionality was limited to Windows 10 users when it first launched in October. There was seemingly no technical reason for this, raising questions of whether Microsoft was limiting support in order to encourage Windows 10 upgrades. The operating system is currently free for Windows 7 and 8 users, though there are those who are nonetheless uninterested in updating.

The Xbox Wireless Adapter is currently available for $25.

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