The options in the game main menu show a game controller and a diagram of an XBox 360 controller like I have. I can’t get the controller to do anything in the game. When I turn on the controller, it turns on my 360, and the laptop doesn’t seem to detect the controller at all. Does anyone have any advice? Could this be due to my using a wireless controller?
do you have the wireless adapter? you need that to use the wireless controller with a PC
the charging cable does not make it into a wired controller.
Basically what Twinniss said. You can’t get wireless controllers to work on anything but an Xbox 360 unless you have one of these:

The Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver allows any wireless Xbox 360 peripheral to work on a PC. So if you have a wireless controller or a wireless headset you want to use on your PC, that receiver will let you do it. Just plugging in an Xbox 360 Play and Charge cable will not let you connect a wireless controller to a PC. However, if you already have a PC Wireless Receiver, plugging in an Xbox 360 controller into a spare USB slot with the Play and Charge cable will automatically sync the controller with the wireless receiver plugged into your PC. It’s a strange property that Xbox 360 controllers have. Even though you need to plug them into a USB port to charge, the USB cable does not actually transmit any data so no matter what, a wireless Xbox 360 controller will remain a wireless Xbox 360 controller.
That bit should have TL: DR posted at the top of it.
Haha. Well, this is Tech Talk after all. Explanations should be thorough damnit! :smokin:
Exactly why I wrote my post…
On a serious note tho - it was a great explanation!