Yesterday, Microsoft announced an adapter that allows you to use an Xbox One Wireless Controller with a PC. The adapter is coming this fall for $24.99, or $79.95 when bundled with a Wireless Controller.
In Microsoft's press release announcing the adapter, the company stated that the dongle lets you "enjoy the freedom and convenience of the wireless controller on Windows 10 PCs, laptops, and tablets." Curiously, there was no mention of any of Microsoft's previous operating systems, hinting that the adapter will only work with Windows 10.
As it turns out, that's exactly the case. A Microsoft representative speaking to Polygon has revealed that the Xbox One Wireless Adapter for Windows will only support Windows 10. Some clever modders will likely be able to get the dongle working with older operating systems, but at launch, the adapter will only come with Windows 10 drivers.
Luckily, most gamers are running a version of Windows that is eligible for Microsoft's free upgrade to Windows 10. The latest Steam hardware and software survey shows that 56.7% of gamers are running Windows 7 and 30.8% are running Windows 8.1, while less than 8% of gamers are running an OS ineligible for the free upgrade.
Considering Windows 10 is also the only operating system that will support DirectX 12, is likely that most gamers will end up upgrading to Windows to gain access to the new low-level API. As an added bonus, Microsoft's Xbox One Wireless Adapter will also end up being supported after the upgrade.