FIX: The Forest Controller/Gamepad Not Working on PC

Endnight Games Ltd released the open-world survival craft video game The Forest in April 2018, and it has since received overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam for the PC version. However, after a recent update, some players have started encountering issues—one of the most common being that the controller or gamepad isn’t working properly. If you’re facing the same issue, this guide will help you fix it.

For many players, using a controller is the preferred way to enjoy games, even on PC. Survival titles like The Forest often feel more immersive when played with a gamepad. Unfortunately, some players are finding that their connected controller isn’t being recognized or fails to work in certain scenarios, which can be very frustrating.

The good news is that this problem doesn’t necessarily mean your controller or USB port is faulty. Instead, it usually indicates a software or configuration conflict that can be resolved with the right steps.

The Forest: 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 register wrong inputs, etc. Luckily, here we’ve shared a couple of possible workarounds for you that should gonna help you out. So, you can check out all the methods one by one until the problem gets fixed for you. Now, without further ado, let’s jump into it.

4. Press Alt+Enter keys

If you’re in the gameplay sessions and the controller gets disconnected automatically or can’t get recognized suddenly then make sure to 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 The Forest > Now, exit from the Big Picture Mode, and check for the issue again.

6. Switch 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 a bit on the right pane > Click on Advanced display settings.
Here you can find out and select the 60Hz refresh rate easily. If it’s already set to 60Hz then you don’t need to change it.

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

Some affected The Forest players might gonna experience a couple of issues with the gamepad/controller on the PC. It’s recommended to launch The Forest game in Windowed Mode using the config file.

Go to File Explorer or This PC > Go to Documents.
Open The Forest folder > Right-click on the Config.ini file.
Select Open With and choose Notepad > Now, the config file is open to edit it.
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’re still having the same issue with the controller then we’ll recommend you enable the Steam overlay option for The Forest game. To do this:

Open the Steam client > Go to Library.
Now, right-click on The Forest > Select Properties.
Head over to the General section > Here just 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 the Generic Gamepad Configuration Support.
Click on OK to save changes.
Restart the Steam client and try running The Forest game again.

10. Select High Performance in Graphics Settings

Click on the Start menu > Search for Graphics Settings and get into it.
Inside this, make sure 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 > The Forest folder > Select the WWE2K22.exe application.
Click on Add to include it in the list.
Now, search for the game in the list > Click on Options of The Forest.
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 running The Forest game again.

12. Disable/Enable Steam Input

Launch the Steam client > Go to Library.
Right-click on The Forest and select Properties.
Click on Controller > Click on ‘Use default settings’ drop-down menu.
Here you can select ‘Disable Steam Input’ from the list and try launching The Forest game.
If you’re still facing the same problem then make sure to follow the steps again and select ‘Enable Steam Input’ this time then 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 ‘The Forest’ > 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 or not.
If it’s not working yet then make sure to follow the steps again and select ‘Forced Off’ this time and save 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 make sure to 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 the 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 then try using a wired/generic controller to the PC by using a USB cable to check for the issue. The chances are high that somehow the Bluetooth connectivity of the controller 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.