How to Enter Cheat Codes Using the Xbox 360 Controller

Up your game with these simple tricks

How you enter cheat codes with the Xbox 360 controller varies depending on the game you're playing. For example, some codes require you to press specific buttons in a prescribed order at a certain time. In other cases, such as with Grand Theft Auto IV cheat codes, special numbers are entered into a virtual cellphone during gameplay. Here's how to get more acquainted with the Xbox 360 console controller and use cheat codes on games like Skyrim and Saints Row 2.

This guide is specifically for Xbox 360 controllers. A guide to PS2 controller cheats is also available.

The Anatomy of an Xbox 360 Controller

Before you can enter cheat codes for any game, you need to know the names of the buttons on the Xbox controller. In many cases, cheat codes use abbreviations for the buttons. Knowing their names and abbreviations makes using cheat codes much easier.

Xbox 360 Controller Image with cheat code entry descriptions.
Microsoft
  1. LT: The left trigger.
  2. RT: The right trigger.
  3. LB: The left bumper.
  4. RB: The right bumper.
  5. Back: The back button. For some cheats, press the back button before you input the code.
  6. Start: The start button. Some cheats prompt you to press the start button before you input codes.
  7. Left Thumbstick or Left Analog: The left-side thumbstick is also referred to as the left analog or left stick (LS). Move the left thumbstick in any direction, or press it to use it as a button. Sometimes, cheat codes refer to the left analog button as L3.
  8. D-Pad: The directional pad. This is the most common directional input method to enter cheat codes.
  9. Right Thumbstick or Right Analog: The right thumbstick is also referred to as the right analog or right stick (RS) in cheats. Like its left counterpart, it can be used as a button, and some cheat codes refer to the right analog button as R3.
  10. A, X, Y, and B: These buttons are labeled on the controller. For many cheat codes, these buttons are used as the main inputs in combination with the D-Pad.

Often, Xbox 360 cheat guides refer to buttons by the actions they perform in the game. For example, A is the jump button in many games, so a cheat code may simply say, "Press the jump button."

How to Enter Cheats for Backwards-Compatible Original Xbox Games

If you play an original Xbox game, you may run into a problem using cheat codes because the Xbox 360 controller doesn't have the black and white buttons found on the original Xbox controller. ​

When playing original Xbox games on the Xbox 360 console, the black and white buttons are replaced with the right and left bumpers. The left bumper replaces the white button, and the right bumper replaces the black button.

For example, if you use a cheat code for Xbox that requires you to enter the following:

Left, A, Black, X, White, B, B

On the Xbox 360 controller, enter the code like this:

Left, A, Right Bumper, X, Left Bumper, B, B