Last week, Microsoft released the New Xbox One Experience, and one of its new features was the ability to remap button assignments on the controller. The function used to be exclusive to the new Xbox Elite Wireless Controller, but it was eventually extended to cover the standard controller. It wasn't initially available at the launch of the new update, but now it's available for all users.
On the Xbox One, there are three ways to customize the controller software: You can go through the Kinect & Devices or the Ease of Access sections in Settings, or download the Xbox Accessories app. For the standard Xbox One controller (as well as third-party controllers), you can only remap button assignments in pairs. This means that if you reassign the X button to activate the left bumper, the left bumper is assigned the original command for the X button. You can invert the Y-axis controls on the sticks and also swap controls between the left and right thumbsticks and between the left and right triggers.
However, there are limitations to the customization. The software only remembers the new configuration locally, so if you paired the controller to another Xbox One, you would have to go through the whole process again to get your preferred assignments. In addition, the feature is available only on the console. Microsoft plans to support button remapping for PC in the future.
Obviously, if you want more control over the Xbox controller, then you might opt for the $149.99 Xbox Elite Wireless Controller, which also features a hair-trigger toggle and customizable trigger and vibration levels, and all the button assignments are saved in the cloud. But if you just wanted to remap the buttons, then getting the new controller isn't worth the money.
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Rexly Peñaflorida II is a Contributor at Tom’s Hardware. He writes news on tech and hardware, but mostly focuses on gaming news. As a Chicagoan, he believes that deep dish pizza is real pizza and ketchup should never be on hot dogs. Ever. Also, Portillo’s is amazing.
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