The Controller

The most noticeable difference in the new Xbox controllers is that they are wireless. Microsoft created a proprietary technology to deal with some of the latency and bandwidth issues that can be a problem for some wireless controllers. The Xbox 360 can support up to four wireless controllers at a time.

The wireless controller is only available in the Xbox 360 bundle -- if you buy the Xbox Console System, you'll get a wired controller with a nine-foot cable. Everything else about the design is the same.

Control Issues
When the original Xbox was released in 2001, one of the most common complaints about the new console was the controller. Gamers worldwide criticized it for being too large and having poor button spacing. In Japan, where the Xbox sales were already suffering, Japanese gamers all but refused to use the large Xbox controllers, opting instead for smaller, third-party ones. This compelled Microsoft to create a smaller, redesigned controller for Asian markets that was released in winter 2002.

Shortly after that, Microsoft released a slightly improved version of the Japanese controller in the West called the Controller S. The Controller S is now the standard Xbox controller that is shipped with all Xbox consoles.