COD Black Ops 3 Controller Not Working on PC: Released in 2015, Call of Duty: Black Ops III remains a standout title in the realm of multiplayer zombie action first-person shooters, developed by Treyarch and published by Activision.
Serving as a sequel to 2012’s Call of Duty: Black Ops II, this game has garnered favorable reviews from critics and players alike. However, some users have reported difficulties, particularly with controller functionality. If you’re facing this challenge, this guide will provide you with troubleshooting steps to resolve the issue.
In certain gaming genres, using a gamepad or controller is often essential, even for PC gamers. Many players prefer the tactile experience of a controller, especially when engaging with survival games.
However, there are instances where a connected controller may fail to function correctly on your PC, which can be quite frustrating. This issue does not necessarily indicate a malfunction with your controller or USB port; rather, it often points to a conflict within the system settings or software.
COD Black Ops 3: Fix Controller Not Recognizing or Detecting on PC
For dedicated gamers, it’s likely that you possess both a PlayStation 5 and an Xbox controller. While these controllers are designed for console gaming, they can also be used with PC games, expanding your gaming experiences significantly.
If you’re encountering issues connecting your PS5 or Xbox controller to your PC, there’s no need for concern. There are several troubleshooting steps you can follow to ensure your controllers function correctly with your computer.
1. Reboot the PC
Restart your computer after closing the game and Steam because a normal reboot to the system may fix multiple temporary glitches or cache data issues. You should try it out.
2. Reconnect your Controller/Joystick
To troubleshoot the problem, start by quitting the Black Ops 3 game. Next, close the Steam application and power down your controller or gamepad. Afterward, power the controller or gamepad back on and reconnect it to your computer. Finally, relaunch the Black Ops 3 game on your PC to see if the issue has been resolved.
3. Unplug the Mouse/Keyboard or Other Peripherals
It is advisable to disconnect all external peripherals from your computer, including the keyboard, mouse, printer, USB drives, and any other devices.
Afterward, reconnect only the essential USB devices to your PC to identify whether the issue persists. If the problem is resolved, it may indicate a fault with the USB device itself or a temporary glitch in your computer’s system.
4. Press the Alt+Enter keys
In the event that your controller unexpectedly disconnects or fails to be recognized during gameplay, try pressing Alt+Enter on your keyboard. This action will help you exit the game screen. Once you’ve done that, re-entering the game may resolve the issue.
5. Launch Steam in Big Picture Mode
- To start, launch the Steam application on your computer. Next, navigate to the top-left corner and click on the “View” option.
- From there, select “Big Picture Mode.” If a prompt appears, simply click on “Continue” to proceed.
- Once you are in Big Picture Mode, head to the Library section, and under “Browse,” find the “Games” category.
- Locate “Black Ops 3” from the list. After that, exit Big Picture Mode and take a moment to see if the issue persists.
6. Switch the Screen Refresh Rate to 60Hz
To ensure optimal performance, it’s advisable to set your monitor’s refresh rate to 60Hz, as this is the standard recommendation. Higher refresh rates can sometimes lead to various display issues. Here’s how you can adjust this setting:
- 1. Press the Win + I keys simultaneously to access Windows Settings.
- 2. Navigate to the “System” section and select “Display.”
- 3. Scroll down the right side until you find “Advanced display settings.”
- 4. From there, you can easily check and choose the 60Hz refresh rate. If your monitor is already set to 60Hz, no further action is needed.
7. Launch the Game in Windowed Mode using the Config file
Players of Black Ops 3 on PC who are experiencing issues with their gamepad or controller may find a solution by adjusting the game to run in Windowed Mode. This can be accomplished by editing the configuration file.
To start, navigate to File Explorer or This PC, and open the Documents folder. From there, locate the Black Ops 3 directory. Once inside, right-click on the Config.ini file and select “Open With,” then choose Notepad to edit the file.
In the Notepad window, look for the section labeled [window]. If you see that the mode is set to “no,” change it to “yes.” If it is already set to “yes,” you can leave it as is.
After making the necessary adjustments, don’t forget to save your changes by pressing Ctrl+S. Once you’ve closed the file, relaunch the game and check if the issue persists.
8. Enable Steam Overlay
Should you continue to experience problems with your controller, we suggest activating the Steam overlay feature for Call of Duty: Black Ops 3. Here’s how to do it:
- 1. Launch the Steam client and navigate to your Library.
- 2. Locate Black Ops 3, right-click on it, and choose Properties from the menu.
- 3. In the Properties window, click on the General tab and ensure that the option to Enable Steam Overlay while in-game is checked.
9. Configure the Steam General Controller Settings
To begin, open the Steam client on your computer. In the upper-left corner, select “Steam” and then navigate to “Settings.”
From there, head over to the “Controller” section and select “General Controller Settings.” Depending on the type of controller you are using, you can enable options for PlayStation Configuration Support, Xbox Configuration Support, or Generic Gamepad Configuration Support.
After making your selections, click “OK” to apply the changes. Finally, restart the Steam client and attempt to launch the Black Ops 3 game once more.
10. Select High Performance in Graphics Settings
To begin, open the Start menu and look for “Graphics Settings.” Access this option. Once inside, make sure to select the Desktop app before clicking on the “Browse” button.
This action will open a File Explorer window; navigate to your Steam installation directory. From there, proceed to the following path: Steamapps > Common > Black Ops 3. Locate and select the Black Ops 3.exe file.
After selecting the executable, click “Add” to include it in the list of applications. Next, find Black Ops 3 in the list and click on the “Options” button. Choose the “High Performance” setting. Finally, click “Save” and attempt to launch the game once more to see if the issue persists.
11. Uncheck Controller in Steam Controller Settings
If you’re experiencing issues with your gamepad not being detected or functioning properly, one potential solution is to adjust the controller settings in Steam. Here’s how to do it:
- 1. Open the Steam client on your computer.
- 2. Click on “Steam” located in the top-left corner, then select “Settings” from the dropdown menu.
- 3. Navigate to the “Controller” section and click on “General Controller Settings.”
- 4. In this menu, ensure that all options for controller configuration support are unchecked.
- 5. After making these changes, click “OK” to apply them.
- 6. Finally, restart the Steam client and attempt to launch Black Ops 3 again.
This simple adjustment may resolve the issues you’ve been facing with your gamepad.
12. Disable/Enable Steam Input
To begin, open the Steam client and navigate to your Library. Locate Black Ops 3 in your game list, then right-click on it and choose “Properties” from the context menu.
Next, head to the “Controller” section. You’ll find a drop-down menu labeled ‘Use default settings’. From this menu, you can opt to ‘Disable Steam Input’. After making this selection, attempt to launch Black Ops 3 again.
If the issue persists, repeat the process and this time select ‘Enable Steam Input’. Then, try launching the game once more to see if it resolves the problem.
13. Use Steam Input Per Game Settings as Forced On or Forced Off
To begin, launch the Steam application on your computer and navigate to the top-left corner where you’ll find the “View” option. From there, select “Big Picture Mode.” If a prompt appears, simply click on “Continue” to proceed.
Next, head over to the “Library” section and locate the ‘Games’ category within the Browse area. Find and select ‘Black Ops 3’ from your game list, then click on the gear icon labeled ‘Manage Games.’
In the menu that appears, select ‘Controller Options’ located under ‘Steam Input.’ Look for the down arrow icon that allows you to expand the “Change the Steam Input Per-Game Settings” section. Choose the ‘Forced On’ option and confirm by clicking ‘OK’ to apply the changes.
After completing these steps, be sure to restart your Steam client to see if your controller is functioning correctly. If it is still not operational, repeat the process, but this time select ‘Forced Off’ and then save your changes. Finally, check again to see if the issue persists.
14. Use DS4Windows
To begin, obtain the DS4Windows application from a reliable online source and download it onto your computer.
Once the download is complete, proceed to install the application and locate the DS4Updater executable file within the installation directory. Simply navigate to that folder and double-click the file to initiate the updater.
If a User Account Control (UAC) prompt appears, select ‘Yes’ to grant administrative permissions, which will allow the latest version of DS4Windows to be installed on your system.
After the installation finishes, launch the DS4Windows application and navigate to the Settings tab in the main interface. Here, you will see an option labeled ‘Hide DS4 Controller.’ Click on this option to enable it or check the box. Once you’ve made this adjustment, be sure to close the application and then verify if the issue persists.
15. Try Using a Wired Controller
If the previous solutions haven’t resolved your issue, consider connecting a wired or generic controller to your PC via a USB cable.
This will help you determine if the problem lies with the controller’s Bluetooth capability, which may not be compatible with your PC’s connectivity, or if the issue is with the PC itself.
We hope this guide has been beneficial to you. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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