I have to admit that I don’t usually reach for a controller when gaming on my PC; approximately 98% of my gaming is done with a keyboard and mouse because they offer unparalleled accuracy, especially for aiming. Nevertheless, there are times when I enjoy using a controller—particularly when I’m relaxing on my couch playing platformers on my 65-inch TV. It’s hard to argue against the comfort of a console-like experience on a gaming PC.
In my experience, I’ve sometimes faced issues with controllers that didn’t work seamlessly right away. The key to resolving these problems has been to set them up correctly in Steam before I start gaming. Here’s a guide on how to get your controller ready to use:
Setting Up Your Controller in Steam
- Open Steam and click on Settings in the upper left corner of the window.
- Scroll down and select Controller.
- Under External Gamepad Settings, tick the box that corresponds to your controller. For instance, if you have an Xbox controller, check the box for Enable Steam Input for Xbox Controllers. If you’re using a generic controller, select Enable Steam Input for Generic Controllers.
Once you’ve done that, exit the settings and go to your Library from the top menu.
- Find the game you want to play with your controller, right-click on it, and select Properties.
- On the left side, choose Controllers. You’ll see options like Use Default Settings or Disable Steam Input. Switch this to Enable Steam Input.
- To finalize the process, restart your PC to ensure the settings take effect.
That’s it! Your controller should now be operational for the Steam game you configured it for. Feel free to repeat this setup for any additional games you wish to play with your controller!