Applies to all USB audio interfaces
In short, no - Focusrite interfaces need a driver in order to run properly on all Windows systems. The driver is bundled with the Control Software for your interface, if your interface uses Control Software. To obtain the latest driver and Control Software for your interface, visit our Downloads page:
Please note: As of Windows 10 version 1709 (“Fall Creators Update”), Microsoft included an audio driver for class-compliant audio devices. This driver is designed for 2 channel input and playback from non-ASIO software, meaning that it should work fine for simple tasks such as playing back audio from Windows Media Player/iTunes, but it's not designed for low-latency recording work.
We would recommend installing the Control Software and driver, as this allows for low-latency ASIO recording (in supported applications), and will ensure the unit and driver are kept up to date.
How do I know if I have the driver installed?
To check which driver is currently assigned to your interface:
- Head to Control Panel > Device Manager, and expand the Sound, video and game controllers.
- Double-click on the name of your interface in this section and select the Driver tab.
- If the Driver Provider shows Microsoft, and this version begins with a 10, then this is the Microsoft class driver.
If you have the Focusrite Driver installed, you should see Focusrite USB Audio displayed under Sound, video and game controllers:
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