Xbox 360 Controller Emulator
Xbox 360 Controller Emulator, also called X360CE, lets gamepads, joysticks, steering wheels, pedals, and other controllers work on a Windows PC as an Xbox 36…
What Xbox 360 Controller Emulator is
Xbox 360 Controller Emulator, also called X360CE, lets gamepads, joysticks, steering wheels, pedals, and other controllers work on a Windows PC as an Xbox 360 controller. Users can remap buttons and axes, and the setup instructions cover adding and mapping DirectInput devices. Version 4.x creates a virtual controller with the ViGEmBus virtual gamepad emulation driver; its download is the same for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows. The older 3.x version uses custom XInput DLL files, which some newer or updated games do not permit. Version 4.x should stay running during gameplay, and the maker recommends minimizing it to reduce CPU use. HIDGuardian can hide original controllers, but the maker recommends adding it only when an original controller interferes with the virtual one. The project describes X360CE as free and open source. Its homepage lists version 4.24.60, dated 2026-10-02. For installation or configuration questions, the maker points users to the NGEmu X360CE forum, Google, or YouTube tutorials.
Good
- Remaps controller buttons and axes
- Supports DirectInput device setup
- Version 4 creates a virtual controller
- Version 4 download covers 32-bit and 64-bit Windows
- Free and open source
Watch out
- Version 4.x must remain running during gameplay
- Some newer games do not permit version 3.x DLLs
Who it suits
X360CE suits Windows players who want to use a gamepad, joystick, wheel, pedals, or another controller as an Xbox 360 controller. It may also suit users who need to remap controls or configure DirectInput devices.
Verdict
X360CE provides a free way to map a range of controllers to an Xbox 360 virtual controller on Windows. Version 4.x avoids the older custom-DLL approach, but it must remain open while playing.
Plans and prices
From Xbox 360 Controller Emulator's own pricing page, checked 9 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Xbox 360 Controller Emulator | Free | Windows PC software · project described as free and open source |
The facts
Each one read from Xbox 360 Controller Emulator's own pages, with the date it was checked.
Where it runs
- Device hiding
- HIDGuardian can hide original controllers so games see only virtual controllers; the site recommends installing it only when an original controller interferes with the virtual one.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Mappings
- It allows users to remap controller buttons and axes.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Windows support
- The version 4 download is the same file for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows.checked 9 Oct 2026
What it does
- Input support
- The setup instructions describe adding and mapping DirectInput devices.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Latest listed release
- The homepage lists version 4.24.60, dated 2026-10-02.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Project status
- The FAQ describes X360CE as a free and open source project made in the developers’ free time after work.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- It lets gamepads, joysticks, steering wheels, pedals, and other controllers function on a PC as an Xbox 360 controller.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Runtime requirement
- Version 3.x lists Windows Vista or newer, .NET Framework, DirectX End-User Runtime (June 2010), and the Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable as requirements.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Security guidance
- The maker advises downloading and running digitally signed files only and says not to disable antivirus or exclude the app from antivirus scans.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Support
- The maker directs users with installation or configuration questions to the NGEmu X360CE forum, Google, or YouTube tutorials.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Usage limit
- Version 4.x should remain running during gameplay; the maker says to minimize it to reduce CPU use.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Version 3
- The older version 3.x uses custom XInput DLL files, which some newer or updated games do not permit.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Version 4
- Version 4.x creates a virtual controller using the ViGEmBus virtual gamepad emulation driver.checked 9 Oct 2026
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