The team at CD Projekt RED is renowned for creating captivating dark fantasy action role-playing video games, with The Witcher III being one of their most popular titles released in 2007. This series of fantasy action RPGs has received overwhelmingly positive reviews across several platforms, including Xbox, Windows, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch. However, some unfortunate players have reported encountering issues since the game’s latest update, including the Witcher 3 controller not working.
Certain games from a particular genre may require a gamepad or controller, even on a PC. Some players prefer to use controllers, particularly when playing action role-playing video games. However, there are times when the connected controller may not work on your PC, which can be frustrating. This does not necessarily mean that your controller or USB port is faulty, rather it may indicate a conflict with another component. If you are experiencing this issue, you can follow a guide to help resolve it.
Page Contents
- Witcher 3: Fix Controller Not Recognizing or Detecting on PC
- 1. Reboot the PC
- 2. Reconnect your Controller/Joystick
- 3. Unplug Mouse/Keyboard or Other Peripherals
- 4. Press Alt+Enter keys
- 5. Launch Steam in Big Picture Mode
- 6. Switch Screen Refresh Rate to 60Hz
- 7. Launch the Game in Windowed Mode using the Config file
- 8. Enable Steam Overlay
- 9. Configure the Steam General Controller Settings
- 10. Select High Performance in Graphics Settings
- 11. Uncheck Controller in Steam Controller Settings
- 12. Disable/Enable Steam Input
- 13. Use Steam Input Per Game Settings as Forced On or Forced Off
- 14. Use DS4Windows
- 15. Try Using a Wired Controller
Witcher 3: Fix Controller Not Recognizing or Detecting on PC
Sometimes the chances are also 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 out all the methods one by one 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. You should try it out.
2. Reconnect your Controller/Joystick
You’ll have to exit Witcher 3 game and close Steam, then turn off your controller/gamepad. Now, turn on the controller/gamepad and connect to your computer. Once done, ensure to relaunch Witcher 3 game on the PC to check for the issue.
3. Unplug Mouse/Keyboard or Other Peripherals
You should also unplug all the external peripherals from your PC, such as the keyboard, mouse, printer, USB drives, and more. Then, reconnect the necessary USB devices to the PC to check for the issue. If the problem gets fixed, there is an issue with the USB device or your PC system had some glitch earlier.
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 Witcher 3 > 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 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, you don’t need to change it.
7. Launch the Game in Windowed Mode using the Config file
Some affected Witcher 3 players might experience a couple of issues with the gamepad/controller on the PC. Launching Witcher 3 game in Windowed Mode is recommended using the config file.
- Go to File Explorer or This PC > Go to Documents.
- Open Witcher 3 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 recommend you enable the Steam overlay option for Witcher 3 game. To do this:
- Open the Steam client > Go to Library.
- Now, right-click on Witcher 3 > 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.
- Your controller type 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 Witcher 3 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 > Witcher 3 folder > Select the Witcher 3.exe application.
- Click on Add to include it in the list.
- Now, search for the game in the list > Click on Options of Witcher 3.
- 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 Witcher 3 game again.
12. Disable/Enable Steam Input
- Launch the Steam client > Go to Library.
- Right-click on Witcher 3 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 Witcher 3 game.
- If you’re still facing the same problem, 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 ‘Witcher 3’ > 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, 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 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 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.
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