Returnal Controller Not Working on PC (Solved)

Returnal is a third-person shooter roguelike video game developed by Housemarque and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. After the massive success on PS5, the game is finally made available for PC users. After the release, some unfortunate players encountered a couple of issues, and the Returnal controller not working is one of them. If you’re also facing the same issue, follow this guide to fix it.

Certain games, particularly in the survival genre, often require the use of a gamepad or controller, even when played on a PC. However, some players prefer to use controllers for all types of games. Unfortunately, there may be instances where the connected controller fails to work, causing frustration. This issue is not necessarily a result of faulty hardware, but rather due to conflicts with other software or settings on the PC.

Returnal: Fix Controller Not Recognizing or Detecting on PC

Sometimes the chances are also possible that even though your Xbox, PS5, or any controller gets detected by the computer, it doesn’t register any button input or wrong inputs, etc. Luckily, here we’ve shared a couple of possible workarounds that should help you. So, you can check all the methods individually until the problem is fixed. Now, without further ado, let’s jump into it.

1. Reboot the PC

Make sure to 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. It would be best if you tried it out.

2. Reconnect your Controller/Joystick

You’ll have to exit the Returnal game, close Steam, and turn off your controller/gamepad. Now, turn on the controller/gamepad and connect to your computer. Once done, ensure to relaunch the Returnal game on the PC to check for the issue.

3. Unplug the Mouse/Keyboard or Other Peripherals

It would be best if you also unplugged all the external peripherals from your PC, such as the keyboard, mouse, printer, USB drives, and more. Then, reconnect the USB devices to the PC to check for the issue. If the problem gets fixed, that means there is an issue with the USB device or your PC system had some glitch earlier.

4. Press the Alt+Enter keys

If you’re in the gameplay sessions and the controller gets disconnected automatically or can’t get recognized suddenly, then press the Alt+Enter keys on the keyboard to get out of the game screen. Then going back to the game screen again may fix the issue whatsoever.

5. Launch Steam in Big Picture Mode

• Open the Steam client on your PC > Click on View from the top-left corner.
• Now, choose Big Picture Mode > If prompted, click on Continue.
• Click on Library > Go to Games under the Browse section.
• Select Returnal > Now, exit from the Big Picture Mode, and check for the issue again.

6. Switch the Screen Refresh Rate to 60Hz

Another step you’ll need to follow is to switch the screen refresh rate of your monitor to 60Hz, which is basic or recommended. Sometimes a higher screen refresh rate can trigger several glitches. To do so:

• Press the Win+I keys to open Windows Settings.
• Now, go to System > Click on Display.
• Scroll down on the right pane > Click on Advanced display settings.
• Here you can find out and select the 60Hz refresh rate easily. You don’t need to change it if it’s already set to 60Hz.

7. Launch the Game in Windowed Mode using the Config file

Some affected Returnal players might experience issues with the gamepad/controller on the PC. Launching the Returnal game in Windowed Mode is recommended using the config file.

• Go to File Explorer or This PC > Go to Documents.
• Open the Returnal folder > Right-click on the Config.ini file.
• Select Open With and choose Notepad > Now, the config file is open to edit.
• Here, you’ll find out [window] mode is set to no. If so, make sure to replace it with yes. (If it’s already set to yes, then leave it)
• Make sure to press the Ctrl+S keys to save changes.
• Close the file and check for the issue again.

8. Enable Steam Overlay

If you still have the same issue with the controller, we recommend enabling the Steam overlay option for the Returnal game. To do this:

• Open the Steam client > Go to Library.
• Now, right-click on Returnal > Select Properties.
• Head over to the General section > Here, check the Enable Steam Overlay while in-game checkbox.

9. Configure the Steam General Controller Settings

• Launch the Steam client on the PC.
• Click on Steam from the top-left corner > Click on Settings.
• Now, go to Controller > Click on General Controller Settings.
• According to your controller type, you can check PlayStation Configuration Support, Xbox Configuration Support, or Generic Gamepad Configuration Support.
• Click on OK to save changes.
• Restart the Steam client and try running the Returnal game again.

10. Select High Performance in Graphics Settings

• Click on the Start menu > Search for Graphics Settings and get into it.
• Inside this, ensure that the Desktop app is selected > Click on Browse.
• File Explorer window will open and head over to the installed Steam folder.
• Go to Steamapps > Common > Returnal folder > Select the Returnal.exe application.
• Click on Add to include it in the list.
• Now, search for the game in the list > Click on Options of Returnal.
• Then click on High Performance.
• Click on Save, then try launching the game again to check for the issue.

11. Uncheck Controller in Steam Controller Settings

Sometimes, unchecking the controller options in Steam Controller Settings may fix the gamepad not detecting or not working issue.

• Launch the Steam client on the PC.
• Click on Steam from the top-left corner > Click on Settings.
• Now, go to Controller > Click on General Controller Settings.
• Make sure to uncheck all the controller configuration support from the list.
• Click on OK to save changes.
• Restart the Steam client and try rerunning the Returnal game.

12. Disable/Enable Steam Input

• Launch the Steam client > Go to Library.
• Right-click on Returnal and select Properties.
• Click on Controller > Click on ‘Use default settings’ drop-down menu.
• You can select ‘Disable Steam Input’ from the list and try launching the Returnal game.
• If you’re still facing the same problem, follow the steps again, select ‘Enable Steam Input’ this time, and try again.

13. Use Steam Input Per Game Settings as Forced On or Forced Off

• Open the Steam client on your PC > Click on View from the top-left corner.
• Now, choose Big Picture Mode > If prompted, click on Continue.
• Click on Library > Go to ‘Games’ under the Browse section.
• Select ‘Returnal’ > Click on ‘Manage Games’ (Gear Icon).
• Choose ‘Controller Options’ from the ‘Steam Input.’
• Click on the down arrow icon to expand the list of “Change the Steam Input Per-Game Settings.”
• Click on ‘Forced On’ > Click on OK to save changes.
• Once done, restart your Steam client and check whether the controller is working.
• If it’s not working, follow the steps again, select ‘Forced Off’ this time, and save the changes.
• Finally, check for the issue again.

14. Use DS4Windows

• Download the DS4Windows tool from the internet on the PC.
• Now, install the tool and run the DS4Updater (exe) file from the installation folder.
• Head over to the directory and double-click on the file to run it. If prompted by UAC, click on Yes to allow admin access. It’ll install the latest DS4Windows app on your PC.
• Open the DS4Windows tool > Go to the Settings tab from the interface.
• Click on ‘Hide DS4 Controller’ to enable/checkmark it.
• Make sure to close the interface and check for the issue again.

15. Try Using a Wired Controller

If none of the methods worked for you, try a wired/generic controller to the PC by using a USB cable to check for the issue. The chances are high that the controller’s Bluetooth connectivity can’t hold its nerves with your PC’s connectivity or vice versa.

That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.