Will an Xbox 360 Controller USB Breakaway Cable with the Xbox "Duke" Controller?

[Alvin777]

Hello Xbox friends. I plan to play Shenmues 1 to 3 (father of all open world games by Yu Suzuki and SEGA) on macOS and Windows and want to use a controller that's as close to the Dreamcast as possible (I understand the Xbox is popularly known as the spiritual successor of the Dreamcast with Microsoft collaborating on Windows CE on the Dreamcast), also I like that it's big and won't cramp my hands but will an Xbox 360 USB breakaway cable work with the Xbox "Duke" controller flawlessly? Do they have the same exact pinouts?

Thank you in advance.

God bless, Revelation 21:4

[Bowlsnapper]

2 hours ago, Alvin777 said:

Hello Xbox friends. I plan to play Shenmues 1 to 3 (father of all open world games by Yu Suzuki and SEGA) on macOS and Windows and want to use a controller that's as close to the Dreamcast as possible (I understand the Xbox is popularly known as the spiritual successor of the Dreamcast with Microsoft collaborating on Windows CE on the Dreamcast), also I like that it's big and won't cramp my hands but will an Xbox 360 USB breakaway cable work with the Xbox "Duke" controller flawlessly? Do they have the same exact pinouts?

Thank you in advance.

God bless, Revelation 21:4

The breakaway pictured has a different jack shape than the one I am familiar with. I will say that they probably will not mate together. I suppose you could always buy an OG breakaway on ebay for a few bucks and splice the male USB onto the female OG breakaway and make sure that the spliced section is nice and secure. Then you will have your breakaway... Although at that point, I would just use a regular male USB port if you choose to make an adapter and they make adapters that will accomodate a full xbox controller cable. This will include the breakaway segment.

https://www.amazon.com/Mcbazel-Replacement-Xbox-Controller-Adapter-Microsoft/dp/B000RT2868/ref=sr_1_6?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.VTFMwxG1YTI6c8RvXR5e0d3_X60UGP9G6En1Udgp8fOmgyBQ-1NKvhvYDJRkdpdywdt33c92nfHZODL6v9dk_ZWtEd40OKYeIGgOYoDgFGOpRcNskQLAg6w-qPcwGXH9upTtZIZh42_NFrEVP7HarA.55Kaz8cq7RzBeVZAWj1LuzRh2hEFkk6b7c9yx9Ds4yU&dib_tag=se&keywords=original+xbox+usb+adapter&qid=1705117924&sr=8-6

You just wanna run an emulator, right?

[Alvin777]

Hi thanks for tip. Is the female part the round part not compatible because the hole is too small or is it because they have different pinouts? Could I trim the plastic that envelops the contact on that round end split it like you would split a bamboo so it can be plugged in to the Duke's cable then epoxy (shape it a bit so it looks presentable, perhaps after taping it over with a layer of electrical tape) it so it's stable (perhaps zip tie as well for good measure)? Assuming the Duke and the Xbox 360 have the exact same pinout (I read they are actually using USB standard, Microsoft just had to make a propriety port at the controller's end but it's good, they did a breakway which makes it easier to mod though it gets lost as a disadvantage).

If I took away the breakway cable of the Duke, that Xbox 360 breakaway cable won't still be compatible you mean?

But upon seeing that Amazon link, I guess they've solved this problem for the Duke already, I just plug that in and it's now USB Xbox Duke (correct me if it's not that simple) with no mods needed to play modern games on the PC.

I plan to play Shenmue 3 mostly (on sundays) on Windows via Epic Games Launcher who made Shenmue free to keep a few years back (coz' it also has fighting which a keyboard can't do well, Shenmue 3's UI is still based on the layout of the Dreamcast, I love how they open world inventor Yu Suzuki and YsNet the developer he own preserved that Dreamcast connection), I want to have a controller that's closest to the Dreamcast's form factor but is not from a 3rd party like Hyperkin, I want it from name brands like Microsoft and want it's connection to the Dreamcast coz' things and connections like that feel good (there's an adapter for the Dreamcast to USB but it's expensive and I don't think the Dreamcast has that many buttons for modern games). Perhaps emulation as well with the games I have in physical copies like Shenmue 1 (can be played on macOS w/ an emulator) which I have time for on sundays after a hard week's work/study.

Thanks again for the tip. (I suppose I could solder directly as another option into the Xbox Duke's board w/ USB but I'm trying to preserve things as original looking as possible (w/ the cool greenish cable even).

 

Update: I found this at another online shop which ships nearer, is this the same and compatible? I just plug it on the Xbox Duke's (at the end of the breakaway) and it's ready to us on the PC?

Edited January 13 by Alvin777

[KaosEngineer]

Quote

Will an Xbox 360 Controller USB Breakaway Cable with the Xbox "Duke" Controller?

No.

[Bowlsnapper]

1 hour ago, Alvin777 said:

Hi thanks for tip. Is the female part the round part not compatible because the hole is too small or is it because they have different pinouts? Could I trim the plastic that envelops the contact on that round end split it like you would split a bamboo so it can be plugged in to the Duke's cable then epoxy (shape it a bit so it looks presentable, perhaps after taping it over with a layer of electrical tape) it so it's stable (perhaps zip tie as well for good measure)? Assuming the Duke and the Xbox 360 have the exact same pinout (I read they are actually using USB standard, Microsoft just had to make a propriety port at the controller's end but it's good, they did a breakway which makes it easier to mod though it gets lost as a disadvantage).

If I took away the breakway cable of the Duke, that Xbox 360 breakaway cable won't still be compatible you mean?

But upon seeing that Amazon link, I guess they've solved this problem for the Duke already, I just plug that in and it's now USB Xbox Duke (correct me if it's not that simple) with no mods needed to play modern games on the PC.

I plan to play Shenmue 3 mostly (on sundays) on Windows via Epic Games Launcher who made Shenmue free to keep a few years back (coz' it also has fighting which a keyboard can't do well, Shenmue 3's UI is still based on the layout of the Dreamcast, I love how they open world inventor Yu Suzuki and YsNet the developer he own preserved that Dreamcast connection), I want to have a controller that's closest to the Dreamcast's form factor but is not from a 3rd party like Hyperkin, I want it from name brands like Microsoft and want it's connection to the Dreamcast coz' things and connections like that feel good (there's an adapter for the Dreamcast to USB but it's expensive and I don't think the Dreamcast has that many buttons for modern games). Perhaps emulation as well with the games I have in physical copies like Shenmue 1 (can be played on macOS w/ an emulator) which I have time for on sundays after a hard week's work/study.

Thanks again for the tip. (I suppose I could solder directly as another option into the Xbox Duke's board w/ USB but I'm trying to preserve things as original looking as possible (w/ the cool greenish cable even).

 

Update: I found this at another online shop which ships nearer, is this the same and compatible? I just plug it on the Xbox Duke's (at the end of the breakaway) and it's ready to us on the PC?

That is a picture of the amazon product I linked to you. I think it'll be only a couple days. 

They will not mate because the internal plug is a different shape. It has a notch in it and is still slightly different. Regardless of pinout, it would not be worth messing with.

Once you buy this adapter, you will then have te problem of getting drivers to work because Bill Gates is a piece of shit. When we had XP I would just install a simple inf file and the controller would work. Now you have to disable driver signing and install bullcrap and trick your PC into using the controller. Its a gigantic pain in the ass I couldn't get it to work. Honestly, I gave up and just got a 360 clone controller with a USB cable for 20 bucks. Plugged it right in and it worked. I dunno why MS doesn't want people to use the OG controller on their new operating systems.

[Alvin777]

Hi thanks again. I'll just get the Dual Shock 4 or Xbox wireless (used) as backups but I know those are too small for my hands (like a Gamecube controller, it's a bit small).

There seems to be new apps to make the Duke work once you've mod it to become a USB I think either with that adapter or the hard way (direct soldered it seems). Modding truly means less thrash in the environment w/ reuse  as a higher purpose:

 

 

 

XboxHIDPrefsPane for macOS (9 years ago, archive.org if it's hard to find)

Microsoft X-Box pad (for Linus I think from 6 years ago)

XBCD Setup Utility second app is from 5 months ago (Win 11)

 

 

 

[Bowlsnapper]

8 hours ago, Alvin777 said:

Hi thanks again. I'll just get the Dual Shock 4 or Xbox wireless (used) as backups but I know those are too small for my hands (like a Gamecube controller, it's a bit small).

There seems to be new apps to make the Duke work once you've mod it to become a USB I think either with that adapter or the hard way (direct soldered it seems). Modding truly means less thrash in the environment w/ reuse  as a higher purpose:

 

 

 

XboxHIDPrefsPane for macOS (9 years ago, archive.org if it's hard to find)

Microsoft X-Box pad (for Linus I think from 6 years ago)

XBCD Setup Utility second app is from 5 months ago (Win 11)

 

 

 

I couldn't get any of those win11 programs to work, and I tried a few. The driver never successfully installed and was never working. I seriously hope you can get it to work. It must if done properly or the projects would have been removed already.  

[Alvin777]

That's unfortunate. I feel someday someone will invent a tiny mod chip to make the Duke wireless (as well as other retro controller) and program a driver for it too and an app for mapping, all without tears for the users. You could try installing the the amazing minimalist versions of Windows (not a version made by Microsoft) which gets rid of most Windows 10 and 11 bloatware that may be conflicting with drivers and apps (it also makes apps run faster in most cases. I don't use the minimalist version as a daily driver but I have one installed just for gaming), you could use Yumi to install different installers in one disk or flashdrive to experiment which one more efficiently:

Tiny10, Tiny11 (have tried Tiny11)

Windows Lean

ReactOS

Ghost Spectre (I'm tried its Superlite version)

and more custom minimalist Windows:

Minimalist Windows Installations Comparisons

 

I hope one of those versions work.

 

 

[Bowlsnapper]

22 minutes ago, Alvin777 said:

That's unfortunate. I feel someday someone will invent a tiny mod chip to make the Duke wireless (as well as other retro controller) and program a driver for it too and an app for mapping, all without tears for the users. You could try installing the the amazing minimalist versions of Windows (not a version made by Microsoft) which gets rid of most Windows 10 and 11 bloatware that may be conflicting with drivers and apps (it also makes apps run faster in most cases. I don't use the minimalist version as a daily driver but I have one installed just for gaming), you could use Yumi to install different installers in one disk or flashdrive to experiment which one more efficiently:

Tiny10, Tiny11 (have tried Tiny11)

Windows Lean

ReactOS

Ghost Spectre (I'm tried its Superlite version)

and more custom minimalist Windows:

Minimalist Windows Installations Comparisons

 

I hope one of those versions work.

 

 

Had no idea. Worth a try! Thanks for the tip.