Gamepads are indispensable tools for gamers. They may come in a variety of names – game controller, joypad, gamepad – but they perform a single function: to connect the gamer to a console gaming system.

Expert solutions to get your gamepad working in minutes

  • After upgrading to Windows 10, the gamers’ community faced issues with the gamepads, and it seems to be due to the vJoy driver.

  • One straightforward solution is to disconnect any USB device that you have, then plug the controller in.

  • After this, you will have to uninstall the vJoy driver from your Device Manager.

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While portable gaming systems come with a built-in gamepad, some gamepads are designed to connect to a computer via a USB connection. And this is where our readers reported their PC is not detecting the controller.

Why won’t my PC recognize my controller?

More tech-savvy users believe the problem is due to Microsoft replacing the original hardware drivers on the Windows 10 installation.

Others say that the issue is due to the not-signed hardware’s driver. Still, the most common causes are the following:

  • Outdated drivers – Drivers are an important piece of software that allows your computer to function correctly. Thus, when they are outdated, miscommunications will happen across your device. Below, we have put together a step-by-step solution to update your drivers.
  • vJoy driver – vJoy is a device driver that may be used to connect a joystick to a game that requires the joystick. However, this doesn’t go as smoothly as it sounds; and you will need to uninstall this driver altogether as we have shown below.
  • Outdated Bluetooth driver – Whether you have a wireless gamepad or not, the Bluetooth driver can cause your gamepad to be recognized but not working, or the Bluetooth feature to not work. Thus, we recommend that you update this driver as well.
  • Errant Steam settings – This cause applies to only those who have tried to use the gamepad inside a Steam game. As it turns out, you will have to access the game’s properties and tweak the controller settings as we have done below.

Moreover, this error can occur in multiple games such as the following:

  • Controller not working on PC in Fortnite – Fortnite users are no exception from this controller issue, and it can be fixed by following any of the solutions below.
  • Controller not working on PC in Warzone – The Vjoy driver has been known to cause interference with Warzone, and it will need to be removed as we have shown in the first method.
  • Controller not working on PC in Rocket League, Epic Games – Even though you might not be using Bluetooth at the moment, its driver can cause the controller to not work properly.
  • Controller not working on PC in MW2 – After entering Big Picture mode inside of your game, disconnect all your USB devices then plug them back in.
  • Controller not working on PC in Fifa 22/23 – Uninstall your antivirus software, or just disable it, in order to allow the game to recognize the controller
  • Controller not working on PC in Elden Ring – Do begin by checking the health of your controller by connecting it to another computer or console.

Without further ado, let’s jump right into the list of solutions!

How do I get my controller to work on my PC?

Before moving on to more advanced troubleshooting solutions, we recommend that you check the following effective steps:

  • Why won’t my PC recognize my controller?

  • How do I get my controller to work on my PC?

    1. Uninstall Vjoy
    1. Disable the HID-compliant game controller
    1. Update HID-compliant game controller
    1. Update the Bluetooth driver
    1. Access the game’s properties

  • How to use a USB controller on Windows 10?

  • Enter Big Picture inside your game, then disconnect all the USB devices, including your keyboard and mouse, and plug the controller in. Check if the game detected the controller then plug your devices back in.

  • Check whether your controller is working properly by connecting it to another computer and testing it.

  • Uninstall your antivirus software for the time being and then opt for a better one that won’t interfere with your controller.

1. Uninstall Vjoy

  1. Right-click the Start icon, then select Device Manager.

  2. Click on the Human Interface Devices section.

  3. Right-click on Vjoy.

  4. Select Uninstall device. The USB Controller not recognized in Windows 10 issue will be solved.

  5. Check whether the issue persists.

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vJoy is a device driver that can be used to bridge the gap between any device that is not a joystick and an application that needs a joystick to function properly.

However, sometimes it can cause more issues, such as the PC not detecting the Xbox controller. Therefore, uninstalling vJoy should fix the issue.

2. Disable the HID-compliant game controller

  • Right-click the Start icon then select the Device Manager option.
  • Expand the Human Interface Devices section, right-click the HID-compliant game controller driver and select Disable device.

3. Update HID-compliant game controller

  • To fix the PC not detecting controller issue, right-click the Start icon then select Device Manager.
  • Expand the Human Interface Devices section, right-click the HID-compliant game controller driver and click Update driver.
  • Select Search automatically for drivers in the Update drivers window then reboot your PC once the process is completed.

Downloading and installing drivers manually is a process that carries the risk of getting the wrong driver installed, which may lead to serious malfunctions.

We strongly suggest you update your driver automatically by using DriverFix. The installation process is hassle-free and will fix the PC not detecting controller issue in no time. After launching DriverFix, you just need to hit the Scan button and allow the tool to search for outdated components.

You’ll receive a list of all the options available to refresh one or several components, according to your device brand and specs. DriverFix uses a huge database of reliable driver software, so you can rest assured that you’ll get only the best recommendations.

4. Update the Bluetooth driver

  • Right-click the Start icon then select Device Manager.
  • Expand the Bluetooth section, right-click the Bluetooth driver, and select Update driver.
  • Select Search automatically for drivers then reboot your PC once the process is done.

Although the gamepad doesn’t have anything to do with the Bluetooth driver, some users reported this solution as actually effective. So make sure to try it as well in order to fix thePS4 controller not detected by PC error.

DriverFix

ix your gamepad for good on any Windows OS by safely updating your drivers with this powerful and reliable program.

5. Access the game’s properties

  • Open Steam, then right-click the game you are having issues with.
  • Go to the Controller section and select Enable Steam Input. Go back to your game and see if the PC not detecting controller input error si gone.

How to use a USB controller on Windows 10?

In most cases, you just need to connect the controller to the PC and you can start using it. If you encounter any issues, we wrote a guide on how to find your gamepad on Windows 10 if it’s not recognized, so be sure to check it out.

  • How to connect a PS4 controller to Windows 10
  • How to use the Xbox One controller on Windows 10
  • Fix: PS4 controller not connecting to PC
  • Xbox controller driver error/not recognized in Windows 10/11

Although using a USB controller should be intuitive, many reported that the Xbox One controller is not recognized on their PC, but that issue can be easily resolved.

Here are some of the common issues that users reported:

  • USB gamepad not recognized on Windows 10, 7 – Since the issue can appear on any Windows version, try any of our solutions below since they are all compatible with older versions of the OS.
  • Gamepad not detected on Windows 10 – The issue is most likely due to a driver, so update the gamepad drivers and check if that helps.
  • Xbox gamepad not recognized – Windows 10 is compatible with Xbox controllers. We’ve already covered Xbox controller issues on Windows 10 in one of our previous articles, so be sure to check it out for more information.
  • Gamepad not working in PC games – It’s likely that your controller isn’t properly configured or it is damaged. Connect it to another PC to test its functionality.
  • Gamepad not in Device Manager – If the gamepad is not recognized by your system, you need to unplug any other USB devices and leave the controller only.

That’s about it for this article. However, if you need more solutions, we have a dedicated guide that addresses the gamepad that is recognized but not working in games issue. So make sure to check it out!

If you have further suggestions on the PC not detecting controller issue, please share them with us in the comments section below.

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