For those looking for a portable tablet gaming experience, Windows tablets can sure hit the mark like no other platform. Whether you are looking at the fully equipped Razer Edge with an Nvidia GeForce GPU and dual joysticks, or you are looking at a Surface 2 – experiences are ready to be had.
The power of a full Windows 8 tablet allows gamers to experience their favorite titles like Counter Strike: GO, Team Fortress 2, World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, and Titanfall anywhere they go. If you are using a Windows RT based tablet, the fun does not end just because you are limited to the Windows Store - not if you have an Xbox 360 controller.
As Microsoft likes to tout, the Surface and Surface 2 tablets both include full USB ports, which allow you to attach a collection of peripherals – including their own Xbox 360 controller. Using the Xbox 360 controller, you can turn simple Windows Store games into a more immersive and kick-back experience. If you have a Windows 8 machine, you can even make use of the Xbox One controller using a hack included at the end of this article.
Over in our Microsoft Surface forum for Windows 8 Pro, psurob55 wanted to know what games are compatible with the Xbox 360 controller. While the conversation did originate in a forum for the Surface Pro, the Xbox 360 controller can be connected to Windows RT devices and the majority of the apps within the app store do run on the ARM architecture.
To make it easy, we went ahead and compiled a list of compatible games that some of our readers, including psurob55, Himanshu Chowdhary, Ed Boland, and jhoff80, pointed out. These titles include:
- Halo Spartan Assault
- Asphalt 7
- Asphalt 8
- GTA San Andreas
- Dragon’s Lair
- Pac-Man DX
- Hydro Thunder
- Project Spark
- Crash Course Go
- Pinball FX2
- Ilomilo
- Rocket Riot 3D
Mobile games for platforms like Android, iOS, and Windows RT had very humble beginnings, but have evolved into quite impressive experiences with storylines and graphics to back them up. What was once a store of different solitaire games, Sudoku, and Angry Birds, has evolved into titles such as Halo: Spartan Assault, Cold Alley, Soulcraft, and Dungeon Hunter 4.
If interested, you can pick up the wired controller from Amazon for around $33 and the wireless controller with receiver for around $42 (prices are from Amazon US). Let us know if you know any other games, besides the ones listed above, that include support for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 controller. If you already have an Xbox 360 wireless controller, you can find generic wireless receivers available for sale in the $10-15 range.
If you are a huge Xbox One fan and can not imagine going back and using the Xbox 360 controller, you can take a look at our unofficial guide to using an Xbox One controller with your Windows 8 PC (not Windows RT).
To participate in the chat, feel free to head over to our Windows 8 forums by clicking here. While, the original title of the thread called for just “Xbox” games compatible with the Xbox 360 controller, it has seemed to evolve into any good quality game that can take advantage.
Have you tried gaming on your Windows tablet using the Xbox 360 controller – what do you think of the experience?
