Deep Rock Galactic Controller Not Working on PC: Deep Rock Galactic is a cooperative first-person shooter designed for 1-4 players, created by Ghost Ship Games and released by Coffee Stain Publishing in May 2020 for PC and Xbox One.
The game immerses players in a captivating universe populated by space Dwarves, featuring fully destructible environments, procedurally generated caves, and relentless waves of alien creatures.
However, following a recent update, some players have reported issues, including problems with the Deep Rock Galactic controller not functioning properly. If you’re experiencing this issue, this guide will provide you with solutions.
Certain gaming genres, particularly survival titles, often benefit from using a gamepad or controller, even on PC. Many gamers prefer the tactile experience that controllers provide.
Unfortunately, there are instances where a connected controller may fail to work on your computer, which can be quite frustrating. It’s important to note that this does not necessarily indicate a fault with your controller or USB port; rather, it may be due to conflicting settings or software.
Deep Rock Galactic: Fix Controller Not Recognizing or Detecting on PC
There are instances where your Xbox, PS5, or other controllers might be recognized by your computer, yet fail to register button presses or may input incorrect commands.
Fortunately, we have compiled several potential solutions that could assist you in resolving this issue. We encourage you to explore each method systematically until the problem is rectified. Let’s dive into the solutions without delay.
1. Reboot the PC
To resolve various temporary glitches or issues related to cached data, it’s advisable to restart your computer after exiting both the game and Steam. A standard reboot of your system can often clear up these problems, so it’s worth a try.
2. Reconnect your Controller/Joystick
To troubleshoot the issue, please close the Deep Rock Galactic game and exit Steam. Next, disconnect your controller or gamepad by turning it off.
After that, power the controller or gamepad back on and reconnect it to your computer. Finally, relaunch the Deep Rock Galactic game on your PC to see if the problem persists.
3. Unplug Mouse/Keyboard or Other Peripherals
It is advisable to disconnect all external devices connected to your computer, including the keyboard, mouse, printer, USB drives, and any other peripherals.
After doing so, reconnect only the essential USB devices to your PC in order to diagnose the problem. If the issue is resolved, it suggests that either the USB device is malfunctioning or there was a temporary glitch in your computer system.
4. Press Alt+Enter keys
Should you experience an unexpected disconnection of your controller during gameplay, or if it fails to be recognized, try pressing the Alt+Enter keys on your keyboard. This action will exit the game screen. Once you’ve done that, returning to the game screen might resolve the issue.
5. Launch Steam in Big Picture Mode
- Launch the Steam application on your computer and navigate to the top-left corner to select the “View” option.
- From there, opt for “Big Picture Mode.” If a prompt appears, simply click on “Continue.”
- Once in Big Picture Mode, head to your Library and look for the “Games” section under the Browse category.
- Locate “Deep Rock Galactic” in your game list. Afterward, exit Big Picture Mode and verify if the issue persists.
6. Switch Screen Refresh Rate to 60Hz
To ensure optimal performance, it’s advisable to set your monitor’s refresh rate to 60Hz, a standard recommendation. Occasionally, using a higher refresh rate may lead to various display issues. To adjust the refresh rate, follow these instructions:
- 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 pane and click on Advanced display settings.
- 4. Here, you can easily check and choose the 60Hz refresh rate. If your current setting is already at 60Hz, no further action is necessary.
7. Launch the Game in Windowed Mode using the Config file
Some players experiencing issues with their gamepad or controller while playing Deep Rock Galactic on PC may find a solution by launching the game in Windowed Mode through the configuration file.
To do this, follow these steps:
- 1. Open File Explorer or This PC and navigate to the Documents folder.
- 2. Locate the Deep Rock Galactic folder and find the Config.ini file.
- 3. Right-click on the Config.ini file and select “Open With,” then choose Notepad to edit the file.
- 4. Within the configuration file, look for the [window] section. If the mode is set to “no,” change it to “yes.” If it already says “yes,” you can leave it as is.
- 5. Don’t forget to save your changes by pressing Ctrl+S.
- 6. Once you’ve saved the file, close it and relaunch the game to see if the issue persists.
This adjustment may help resolve any controller-related problems you are facing.
8. Enable Steam Overlay
If you’re continuing to experience problems with your controller, we suggest activating the Steam overlay for Deep Rock Galactic. Here’s how you can do that:
- 1. Launch the Steam client and navigate to your Library.
- 2. Locate Deep Rock Galactic, right-click on it, and choose Properties.
- 3. In the Properties window, select the General tab and ensure that the option for “Enable Steam Overlay while in-game” is checked.
9. Configure the Steam General Controller Settings
- To get started, open the Steam application on your computer.
- Next, navigate to the top-left corner of the window and select “Steam,” then choose “Settings” from the dropdown menu.
- In the settings menu, locate the “Controller” section and click on it. From there, select “General Controller Settings.”
- Depending on the type of controller you are using, you can enable options such as PlayStation Configuration Support, Xbox Configuration Support, or Generic Gamepad Configuration Support by checking the corresponding boxes.
- Once you’ve made your selections, click “OK” to apply the changes.
- Finally, restart the Steam client and attempt to launch the game Deep Rock Galactic again.
10. Select High Performance in Graphics Settings
To adjust your graphics settings for Deep Rock Galactic, start by accessing the Start menu on your computer. From there, search for “Graphics Settings” and open the application.
Within the Graphics Settings interface, ensure that the option for Desktop app is selected, then click on the “Browse” button. This action will open the File Explorer.
Navigate to the folder where Steam is installed, typically found in your Program Files. Once there, proceed to the following path: Steamapps > Common > Deep Rock Galactic. Locate and select the WWE2K22.exe file.
After adding this file to the list, find Deep Rock Galactic in the displayed options and click on the “Options” button next to it. From the available choices, select “High Performance.” Finally, click on “Save” to apply the changes. You can now attempt to launch the game again and 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, adjusting the controller options in Steam Controller Settings might help. Here’s how to do it:
- 1. Open the Steam application on your computer.
- 2. In the upper-left corner, click on ‘Steam’ and then select ‘Settings.’
- 3. Navigate to the ‘Controller‘ section and choose ‘General Controller Settings.’
- 4. In the list that appears, ensure that all controller configuration support options are unchecked.
- 5. Click ‘OK‘ to apply your changes.
- 6. Finally, restart the Steam client and launch the game Deep Rock Galactic to see if the issue is resolved.
12. Disable/Enable Steam Input
To begin, open the Steam client and navigate to your Library. Locate Deep Rock Galactic, right-click on it, and choose Properties from the context menu.
Within the Properties window, find the Controller section and click on the drop-down menu labeled ‘Use default settings.’ From the available options, select ‘Disable Steam Input’ and then attempt to launch Deep Rock Galactic again.
If you continue to encounter the same issue, repeat the process but this time select ‘Enable Steam Input’ from the drop-down menu before trying to start the game once more.
13. Use Steam Input Per Game Settings as Forced On or Forced Off
To begin, launch the Steam application on your computer. Locate the “View” option in the top-left corner of the interface and click on it. Next, select “Big Picture Mode.” If a prompt appears, simply click on “Continue” to proceed.
Once you are in Big Picture Mode, navigate to your Library and find the ‘Games’ section under the Browse menu. Look for ‘Deep Rock Galactic’ and click on it. Then, click on the gear icon labeled ‘Manage Games.’
From the menu, select ‘Controller Options’ within the ‘Steam Input’ settings. You will see a down arrow icon—click on it to reveal the available options under “Change the Steam Input Per-Game Settings.” Select the ‘Forced On’ option and confirm your choice by clicking ‘OK’ to save your changes.
After making these adjustments, be sure to restart your Steam client to see if the controller is functioning properly. If you still encounter issues, repeat the steps but this time choose ‘Forced Off’ instead of ‘Forced On’ and save your changes. Finally, check again to see if the problem persists.
14. Use DS4Windows
- To begin, download the DS4Windows application from the internet onto your computer. Once the download is complete, proceed with the installation.
- It is essential to locate and execute the DS4Updater (exe) file found within the installation directory. Simply navigate to that folder and double-click the file to launch it.
- If a User Account Control (UAC) prompt appears, select ‘Yes’ to grant the necessary administrative permissions. This action will ensure that the latest version of DS4Windows is installed on your system.
After the installation is finished, open the DS4Windows application and navigate to the Settings tab within the interface. Look for the option labeled ‘Hide DS4 Controller’ and enable it by checking the box. Once you have made this change, close the application and recheck to see if the issue persists.
15. Try Using a Wired Controller
If you’ve tried all the previous solutions without success, consider connecting a wired or generic controller to your PC using a USB cable to troubleshoot the problem.
It’s possible that the Bluetooth connection of your controller is unstable when paired with your PC, or that there may be issues with your PC’s Bluetooth capabilities.
We hope you found this guide useful. If you have any additional questions, feel free to leave a comment below.
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