Sometimes when a Steam link is used to run non-Steam game, the host computer thinks the connected controller is a mouse & keyboard. If Steam thinks that your Xbox Controller is a mouse & keyboard, here’s how you can fix the problem.
Now, irrespective of the version of Windows OS you are using, many PC games allow you to play games via Xbox Controller with an available USB port. The OS has some built-in drivers that let you use an Xbox One Controller within games, But connecting your Xbox Controller to a PC can prove to be an erratic experience if proper drivers are not detected after the initial installation. In the worst-case, the Xbox Controller may be detected as a mouse and keyboard on Windows, severely affecting you’re gaming experience.
Although the exact cause of this problem is not known, it is believed a specific setting in the Steam PC app might be the reason why an Xbox controller appears as a mouse or keyboard. Here’s how you can fix the problem quickly.
Xbox Controller detected as Mouse and Keyboard
Open Steam app Menu and select ‘Settings’ option.
In the Settings window, locate ‘Controller’ tab and when found, click open the tab.
Next, hit ‘General Controller Settings’ button and from the general settings screen visible on your computer, uncheck the ‘Xbox configuration support’.
Unchecking this option should resolve the problem, and you should no more see Xbox Controller functioning as a mouse or keyboard.
That said, there’s one glitch with the process – If you use the Xbox controller to play Steam games, it might not work as desired. In such a case, it is advisable to toggle this setting depending on the type of game you’re playing, i.e., enable it while playing Steam games and disable it, when not.
Also, as a safety measure, try restarting your system once you have disabled this option.
If the problem persists, try uninstalling the driver for the controller and reinstalling it to see if this fixes the problem. You can uninstall the driver from the Device Manager in Windows 11/10.
Related:
If I follow these directions, will I be able to use my Xbox controller to play games while using my keyboard and mouse separately to run other apps? If not, do you have any idea if this is possible, or how I can do it?