Thank you Brook Gaming for sending us this controller adapter to review!

In early 2022, we reviewed the Brook Gaming Wingman XB Converter, and it surprised me. While more Xbox-centric than some controller adapters on the market, it surprised me with its overall compatibility, stability, and performance. While it wasn’t compatible with every controller I tried, it worked perfectly with most, especially my fight sticks, which are very particular about input latency. This Brook Gaming Wingman XB2 Converter is a rather minor but important update to the XB; I can’t say I recommend upgrading if you already have the first, but if you’re buying new, you might as well grab this one – especially if you have an Xbox 360 or original Xbox to connect controllers to.

I'm a huge controller nut, of all kinds. Console, racing, flight – if some games work better with a different kind of controller, I'm probably going to get one. I will sometimes switch controllers between games, or even switch just to relieve pain points in my aging hands just so I can keep playing. So being able to keep using my favorite controllers is really important to me. I'm also one of those who prefers using controllers on PC games that support them, if it suits the game. I will not use a gamepad for a first person shooter – period. But a JPRG that originated on console? I'll almost certainly use a controller in that case. And I know I'm not alone; console ports to PC have been more popular than ever, and the Xbox has really been doing very well this generation.

While I tended to favor PlayStation over Xbox previously, the Xbox Series line has won me over in some ways. More games are coming to Xbox, and Microsoft has done a great job of encouraging developers to bring more there. I was also able to dig out my old Xbox 360 and hook it up once again, and many prefer the feel of the newer One or Series controllers. I also have fight sticks that are designed for PlayStation, but have several fighting games on my Xbox: enter the Wingman XB2 controller converter.

While the vast majority of my fighting games are on PC, I do have a few that are locked to Xbox. These include the 4K@120Hz version of Samurai Shodown, and I also have the older Killer Instinct bundle, that includes not only the 2016 KI remake, but ports of the two older arcade releases of Killer Instinct 1 and 2. My friends and I used to love them (well, I got slaughtered so I mostly watched), and I know they would appreciate being able to play these again. But only one of my fight sticks supports Xbox – the MayFlash F500. My other stick, the Hori RAP4 Real Arcade Pro, does not. It works great on PC and PS3/4, but not Xbox. Now, with the help of this Wingman XB2, I can now play two-player fighting games with both of my fight sticks!

I tested this out with my Hori RAP4, a Switch Pro Controller, a DualShock 3, DualShock 4, and a DualSense 5, and all worked flawlessly on both PC and Xbox. I tested a PS3 controller that I was able to find, an original Sixaxis, and it worked as well. I also tested the new wireless connectivity for Xbox One controllers, and that worked great as well. While I do have the official Microsoft wireless adapter for Windows, I thought I would try this as an alternative. It works swimmingly, though it should be said that only one controller at a time can be used on the Wingman, while the official MS adapter can be used for more.

Earlier in 2022, my basement remodel was finished, and I was able to finally get my retro games consoles setup once again. While I never owned the original Xbox, we did have an Xbox 360. So I was pleased to see that the Xbox One controller I was testing with this Wingman XB2 adapter worked absolutely perfectly with the Xbox 360. I can say that the backwards compatibility feature works as advertised – at least on the 360.

I also tested this with a few third-party Switch controllers back on PC, with mixed results. The PDP Afterglow Deluxe Wireless Controller worked well, but the wired version that we also reviewed did not. The Ematic controllers we were sent to review also did not work. I compared this with a MayFlash Magic-NS I previously purchased on my own (which converts controllers to work on PC, Switch, and some other mini systems like the PlayStation and NeoGeo Mini) and it could handle those, so I have to give the nod to MayFlash there.

Speaking of the MayFlash, it's a great little device at around half the price, but they do not offer a product that converts controllers to work on Xbox – only PC, Switch, PS4, and old or less well-known things. Brook seems to have the Xbox market nailed down.

Brook claims that their products offer the lowest latency – or at the very least as close to instantaneous as possible. At first I thought the claim might be a bit exaggerated, but then I did some research, and apparently Brook has been working closely with the fighting game community and actually produces boards for custom fight stick makers that have the lowest latency of any USB fight sticks on the market. So Brook does indeed have the engineering chops to pull this off. After my successful testing with the Wingman XB, I have no reason to believe this XB2 wouldn’t also work well.