Xbox 360 Controller not Working on PC: How to Get It Work

Use your Xbox 360 controller to play your favorite games on PC

Xbox » Fix

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by Milan Stanojevic 

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Key notes

  • One of the best things about PC gaming is that you can use a multitude of controllers instead of the traditional keyboard/mouse combo.
  • This way, you can still use your old Xbox 360 controller for what it was meant to do. This guide will help you if you should encounter any issues.
  • Whenever your Xbox controller is acting up, in this guide you will find exactly what solution you need.
How to solve Xbox 360 Controller not Working on Windows 10

Many gamers like to use their Xbox 360 Controller with Windows 10 while playing their favorite games.

This is great if you don’t want to spend money on an additional controller, but there have been reports that Xbox 360 Controller is not working with Windows 10, and today we’ll try to fix that.

There are many things that could go wrong, and we will try to focus on all of them:

How do I fix Xbox 360 controller driver issues on Windows 10?

1. Install the driver manually

If you’re using a wireless Xbox 360 Controller, you need to use a wireless receiver in order to connect it to your computer.

Sometimes, drivers for wireless receivers have to be updated, or your Xbox 360 Controller might not work on Windows 10.

To update the drivers for your receiver, follow these steps:

  1. Open Device Manager. You can access Device Manager by pressing Windows Key + X and choosing Device Manager from the list.
    device-manager
  2. When Device Manager opens, make sure that your receiver is connected to your PC. Navigate to Other Devices section and expand it. Right-click the Unknown device and choose Update Driver Software from the menu.
    update-driver-software
  3. Click Browse my computer for driver software.
    browse-my-for-driver-software
  4. Now click on Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer.
    let-me-pick-driver
  5. You should see a list of device drivers. Select Xbox 360 peripherals and click Next.
  6. Choose the latest Receiver driver that’s on the list and click Next. If you get a warning message, just click OK and wait for the driver to install.
  7. Now you just need to hold the pairing button on your Bluetooth receiver and on your Xbox 360 Controller for about 3 seconds. After doing that, your computer should recognize your controller.

After the driver has been installed, your Xbox 360 Controller should start working on Windows 10 without any problems.

It has been reported that this solution works with third-party receivers as well, so even if you don’t use Microsoft receiver, it should work without any problems as long as you install Microsoft’s drivers.

2. Uninstall the driver

Sometimes Xbox 360 Controller might not work on Windows 10 due to bad driver, and if that’s the case, the best solution is to uninstall that driver and allow Windows to install it again.

To uninstall the driver, follow these steps:

  1. Start Device Manager.
  2. In Device Manager locate Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver for Windows and right-click it.
  3. Choose Uninstall from the menu.
    uninstall-driver
  4. After the driver has been uninstalled, restart your computer. When your computer restarts, Windows 10 will automatically install the missing driver.

3. Install the latest drivers

Sometimes your Xbox 360 Controller might not be recognized due to outdated driver, and if that’s the case, make sure that your Windows 10 is up to date with latest patches.

In addition, you can also download the necessary drivers from this link. After you’ve downloaded and installed the appropriate driver, Xbox 360 Controller should start working again.

If this method doesn’t work or you do not have the necessary computer skills to update/fix the drivers manually, we strongly suggest doing it automatically by using an automated driver updater.

3 ways to fix Xbox 360 Controller Steam issues in Windows 10

1. Uncheck Remember this application is a game in Windows Game overlay

  1. Press center button on your Xbox 360 Controller while you’re playing any Steam game.
  2. When Windows Game overlay appears, uncheck Remember this application as a game.

After you’ve done that, Windows Game overlay will be disabled while you’re playing games on Steam, and the Steam overlay should be restored.

It has been reported that Xbox 360 Controller has some issues with Steam, and according to the users, they cannot access Steam functions by pressing the center button on Xbox 360 controller.

By default, pressing the center button on your Xbox 360 Controller should give you Steam overlay, but for some reason, Windows Game overlay appears instead.

2. Disable Game DVR in Xbox app

  1. Press Windows Key + S and type Xbox. Choose Xbox app from the list of results.
     xbox-app
  2. When Xbox app starts, click Settings (gear icon).
    xbox-settings
  3. Now go to Game DVR tab and make sure that Take screenshots using Game DVR option is disabled.
    game-dvr-off

It has been reported that the Game DVR functionality of the Xbox app can sometimes create problems with Xbox 360 Controller and Steam.

Users report that the center button isn’t working properly, and it’s giving them Windows Game overlay while playing Steam games.

This isn’t a big problem, and it can be fixed by disabling the Game DVR functionality in the Xbox app.

After disabling the Game DVR option, Xbox 360 Controller should work with Steam without any problems.

By disabling the Game DVR option you won’t be able to record gameplay or take screenshots using the Xbox app, but you can always use alternative software to fix this problem.

3. Turn off the Game bar

turn off windows 10 game bar
  1. Open the Windows 10 Settings app
  2. Go to Gaming
  3. Turn it off via the toggle switch at the top

How can I fix Xbox 360 controller blinking buttons?

1. Make sure that you have the latest updates installed

  1. Open the Settings app and go to Update & Security section.
    settings-update
  2. Go to Windows Update section and download all available updates. In addition, you might want to download optional updates as well because those updates are often designed to update your gaming devices and hardware.
    windows-update
  3. After the updates have been downloaded, restart your computer.
  4. After your computer restarts, check if the issue is resolved.

Users have reported blinking buttons on Xbox 360Controller, and if you have this issue, it’s advised that you install the latest updates for Windows 10.

2. Reconnect your controller

Users report that their wired Xbox 360 Controller is blinking after Windows 10 wakes up from Sleep Mode.

In order to fix the blinking Xbox 360 Controller, you just need to unplug it and connect it to your computer again.

According to users, this solution works if you’re using a wired Xbox 360 Controller, but if you’re using a wireless Xbox controller, you might want to unplug your Bluetooth receiver and connect it back again.

In addition, you might have to pair your wireless Xbox 360 Controller by pressing the pairing button on the Bluetooth receiver and Xbox 360 Controller.

How to fix Xbox 360 controller Play and Charge issues on Windows 10

If you have Play and Charge problems, the solution is to use a wired controller or purchase a Bluetooth receiver for Xbox 360 Controller.

Xbox 360 Play and Charge cable is designed to recharge your wireless Xbox 360 Controller while you play games on Xbox 360.

Play and Charge cable works with Windows 10, but using Play and Charge cable won’t allow you to play games on Windows 10 with a wireless Xbox 360 Controller.

The Play and Charge cable is designed just to recharge batteries on your wireless Xbox 360 Controller, and even if you have your controller connected to your console or PC, the controller still uses wireless signals to communicate with your PC / Xbox console.

Therefore, if you want to recharge your wireless Xbox 360 Controller while playing games on Windows 10, you’ll have to purchase a special Bluetooth receiver for Xbox 360 controller.

Fix Xbox 360 wired controller not working

The solution is pretty simple: you’ll have to make sure that you’re using a powered USB port.

Sometimes wired Xbox 360 Controller might not work with Windows 10 if you connect it to the USB port on the front of your computer.

In order to fix any potential issues with wired Xbox 360 Controller, it’s always better to connect it to the USB port on the back of your computer since those ports are usually powered USB ports.

If you’re using a USB hub, it’s also advised that you don’t connect the wired Xbox 360 Controller to it since most USB hubs don’t come with powered USB ports.

Using Xbox 360 controller on Windows 10 is a great way to save money since both wireless and wired Xbox 360 Controllers are compatible with Windows 10.

Although Xbox 360 Controller might have some issues on Windows 10, you can easily resolve most of them by following our solutions.

Don’t forget to share your problem and how you solved it in the comments section below.

More about the topics: Device Connection Error, gaming hardware

Milan Stanojevic

Milan Stanojevic Shield

Windows Toubleshooting Expert

Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He's a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology. Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he's one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.