Steam Games not detecting Xbox 360 controller

[Moonunit707]

I started up some call of duty black ops 2, pick up my wired xbox 360 controller and It isn't responding in any way. Normally the second I hit a button, the mouse cursor disappears and everything is fine. I tried opening and running Tomb Raider 2013, Resident Evil 4 and South Park the Stick of Truth; every game will not recognize the controller, except for Resident Evil 4. RE4 only let me use select and start to skip the intro scenes, once I'm at the main menu I cannot select anything or move around the menu.

 

Here is what I tried to fix the issue myself:

 

Unplug and re-plug in the controller

Restart computer

Check/update driver for controller

Use the Microsoft test utility for the controller (worked fine in utility, not in games though)

Shut down PC, walk away, make lunch, come back 30 minutes later.

Checked the in game controller settings, disabled/enabled it.

 

I'm at a loss as what the issue could be

Please help!

[Fulgrim]

You plugging it in the back of the computer, and not a front port?

 

Also, try unplugging your mouse after the game is launched, see if the controller takes over.

 

Finally, are you plugging it in after/before you launch the game?

[Moonunit707]

I have used both front panel and motherboard USB ports. I have tried unplugging and re-plugging while in game and with the game closed at the desktop.

I will try unplugging my mouse while in game to see if it takes over.

 

 

 

***UPDATE***

 

Well I tried the suggestions, still not working.

I contacted Microsoft Support, they were pretty much useless. The guy tried to tell me my controller was broken, even though it works in some games, just not all.

I submitted a support request to Steam, though I hear that takes like 4-7 days to get a reply....

 

Games my controller works for:

Borderlands 2 and the Pre-Sequel, Castle Crashers and Resident Evil 5.

 

Games my controller doesn't work for:

Bioshock Infinite, Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2, FORCED, Left 4 Dead 2, Metro: Last Light, Resident Evil 4, South Park: The Stick of Truth and Tomb Raider 2013. 

[Emin Arslan]

Same issue here. It works perfectly in the Big Picture Overlay. But the controller while in the game does not work.

[gaming4z]

Did the OP check inside the options menu? Sometimes in the beginning when OP said use 'Mouse and Keyboard' it'll not change to controller unless you go to options and choose controller

[Moonunit707]

Did the OP check inside the options menu? Sometimes in the beginning when OP said use 'Mouse and Keyboard' it'll not change to controller unless you go to options and choose controller

 

 

I started up some call of duty black ops 2, pick up my wired xbox 360 controller and It isn't responding in any way. Normally the second I hit a button, the mouse cursor disappears and everything is fine. I tried opening and running Tomb Raider 2013, Resident Evil 4 and South Park the Stick of Truth; every game will not recognize the controller, except for Resident Evil 4. RE4 only let me use select and start to skip the intro scenes, once I'm at the main menu I cannot select anything or move around the menu.

 

Here is what I tried to fix the issue myself:

 

Unplug and re-plug in the controller

Restart computer

Check/update driver for controller

Use the Microsoft test utility for the controller (worked fine in utility, not in games though)

Shut down PC, walk away, make lunch, come back 30 minutes later.

Checked the in game controller settings, disabled/enabled it.

 

I'm at a loss as what the issue could be

Please help!

[Arty]

Same issue here. It works perfectly in the Big Picture Overlay. But the controller while in the game does not work.

all games or some

not all support it

[stuartp13]

(After re-reading your post I realise our problems aren't identical, using one controller at a time works consistently for me, but when using a second, the controllers acts exactly as your single controller did.  Any way I typed this thing out and I still want to post it anyway.)

 

I have and have had this problem a few times.  Exact same problem, and I've never found any solution on the web that worked.  I've used 2 DS4s ( with DS4Tool), 2 XBONEs, and a combination of the two, all of which have worked at some point in the past

 

2 Weeks ago I managed to fix it.  When I entered big picture mode during my attempts to find a solution, I noticed a pop-up offering to update steam.  I had missed it the first time, so I exited BP, entered it again, and clicked the pop up.  Steam updated and bingo, problem solved.   The controllers worked for the rest of the night.  So I assumed it had been a steam issue all along.

 

1 week ago, I had some pals over and we were about to play nidhogg.  The controller's were working on the in-game menu.  We went into the game, I tested both controllers to see if the characters would move.  The first worked, so did the second.  I handed the first controller to my friend, where it proceeded to stop working.  It had worked for a second, then stopped, which is obviously very strange.

 

I've got no clue what's happening.  It might be a steam issue, but the fact it recognised one of the controllers for a second, then stopped, is so strange.  I googled to see how to force steam to update, but it involved backing up a load of data and to be honest, I can't be bothered.  So I haven't tested that to see if it works.  

 

I've tried launching from the normal steam and BP mode, plugging controllers in before and after the game starts, combinations of different controllers, driver updates, computer restarts, different USB ports, different wires, different games, the list goes on and on.  I'm losing my mind.