How to Fix If Sons of the Forest Controller Not Working on PC

Sons of the Forest is the much-awaited sequel to the popular survival horror game, The Forest. Developed by Endnight Games and published by Newnight, this game immerses players in a thrilling adventure set in a dangerous and mysterious world filled with perilous creatures and daunting environments. Although the game is now out of the early access phase, some players have reported technical issues, with one notable problem being the non-functional controller. Fortunately, troubleshooting steps are available to help resolve this issue.

For many players, especially fans of survival games, using a gamepad or controller on a PC enhances the gaming experience. However, there are instances where the controller may not respond as expected, leading to frustration. This issue does not necessarily imply a fault with the controller or USB port; rather, it often points to a conflict within the system or game settings. Understanding and resolving these conflicts is key to restoring controller functionality, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the thrilling world of Sons of the Forest.

Sons of the Forest

Sons of the Forest: Fix Controller Not Recognizing or Detecting on PC

If you’re an avid gamer, you probably own a PlayStation 5 and an Xbox controller. These controllers are great for console gaming, but they’re also compatible with PC games, which opens up a whole new world of gaming possibilities. However, if you’re having trouble getting your PS5 or Xbox controller to work on your PC, don’t worry. You can try a few things to get your controllers working properly.

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. It would be best if you tried it out.

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 Sons of the Forest > 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 Sons of the Forest players might experience issues with the gamepad/controller on the PC. Launching the Sons of the Forest game in Windowed Mode is recommended using the config file.

Go to File Explorer or This PC > Go to Documents.
Open the Sons of the Forest 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 Sons of the Forest game. To do this:

Open the Steam client > Go to Library.
Now, right-click on Sons of the Forest > 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 Sons of 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, 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 > Sons of the Forest folder > Select the Sons of the Forest.exe application.
Click on Add to include it in the list.
Now, search for the game in the list > Click on Options of Sons 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 Sons of the Forest game again.

12. Disable/Enable Steam Input

Launch the Steam client > Go to Library.
Right-click on Sons of the Forest 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 Sons of the Forest game.
If you’re still facing the same problem, then 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 ‘Sons of 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.
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 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.