FIX: Xbox controller goes to player 2 on PC

Madalina Dinita
by Madalina Dinita
Former Managing Editor
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  • The Xbox 360 controller gives you a better gaming experience, but sometimes it gets stuck on Player 2 PC.
  • To get rid of this Xbox controller PC player 2 error, you can delete a specific controller driver.
  • Another handy solution that will help you unlock the controller can be running the Troubleshooter.
  • You can also update Windows to the latest version to make sure that everything is fine on your PC.
xbox controller goes to player 2 on pc
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Many Windows 10 users reported that the Xbox controller is stuck on player 2 on the PC.

This issue becomes annoying when the players are not able to access certain in-game features that are accessible only for player one.

We came up with a series of fixes to help you get rid of this annoying inconvenience, so continue reading.

What to do if the Xbox controller is stuck on player 2 PC?

1. Delete a specific controller driver

  1. Open the Control Panel.
  2. Under the Hardware and Sound section, click View Devices and Printers.
    hardware and sound control panel xbox controller goes to player 2 on pc
  3. Delete Xbox 360 controller for Windows.
  4. Disconnect the controller marked as Player two.
  5. Connect your controller back and see if it worked.

2. Run the troubleshooter

xbox troubleshooter xbox controller goes to player 2 on pc
  1. Open the Control Panel.
  2. Under the Hardware and Sound section, click on View Devices and Printers.
  3. Right-click Xbox 360 controller for Windows, and select Troubleshoot.
  4. Wait for the processes to take place, and see if it made any changes.
  5. The error message Device may have stopped responding could pop up, changing your controller to player one afterward.

3. Use a repair tool

windows troubleshooters

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4. Restart your PC and connect your controller first

restart your controller xbox controller goes to player 2 on pc
  1. Restart your PC having the controller connected.
  2. After the system reboots, immediately search for connection with the controller so the 4 lights start blinking.
  3. After Windows starts up, the controller should be connected to the player one.

5. Update Windows

  1. Press the Start button, and open Settings.
  2. Click Update & Security.
  3. Select Windows Update, and click on Check for updates.
  4. If it finds any updates, let it complete the process and restart your PC.
  5. After rebooting your PC, check if updating Windows fixed the issue.

We hope that our guide on how to open the Xbox 360 controller as player one could be of help for you. If you managed to fix this issue, leave us a comment in the comment section below.

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Editor's Note: This article was originally published in June 2019 and was revamped and updated in January 2021 for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

  • ok the FASTEST way is go to your reg edit go to search type or copy this XBOX_360_DEVICE then find….ok well i cant find it now it looks like a perm fix but i should have the code 00.00 in it delete it then replug your controller in. i had this problem with not only steam but also rocket league as well

    Reply

  • Is there no way to fix this faster than rebooting? My controller always starts as P1, but then disconnects and reconnects as P2 on a daily basis. I’d appreciate a faster fix.

    Reply

    • Finally figured this out for myself, figured I post it a few places. Mine was doing this when playing a steam game – after going into the steam General Controller Settings I’m not sure if checking “XBOX Configuration Support” or clicking something else did it but now when it switches to player 2 steam recognizes it and makes that the primary.

      So to be clear the behavior still happens, but steam makes it so player 2 is still working for me (like its player 1). If this is happening to you when trying to play multiplayer I’m not sure what would happen.

      Reply