FIX: Grounded Controller Not Working on PC

Grounded is a survival game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studios. It was released in July 2020 as an early access mode and later released to the public as a stable. The game is available for Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X, and Xbox One platforms. After the new update, some unfortunate players are encountering a couple of issues and the Grounded controller not working is one of them. If you’re also facing the same issue, you can follow this guide to fix it.

Some games from a specific genre always require a gamepad or controller, even on the PC. In another way, we can say that some players love to play games on controllers whatsoever, especially regarding titles like a survival video game. But somehow, the connected controller might not work in some scenarios on your PC, which seems frustrating. It doesn’t mean your controller or USB port has some issues. It means something is conflicting.

Grounded: Fix Controller Not Recognizing or Detecting on PC

Sometimes the chances are also possible that even though your Xbox, PS5, or any controller gets detected by the computer, it doesn’t register any button input or wrong inputs, etc. Luckily, here we’ve shared a couple of possible workarounds that should help you out. So, you can check out all the methods one by one until the problem is fixed. Now, without further ado, let’s jump into it.

1. Reboot the PC

Make sure to simply restart your computer after closing the game and Steam because a normal reboot to the system may fix multiple temporary glitches or cache data issues. You should try it out.

2. Reconnect your Controller/Joystick

You’ll have to exit the Grounded game and close Steam, then turn off your controller/gamepad. Now, turn on the controller/gamepad and connect to your computer. Once done, ensure to relaunch the Grounded game on the PC to check for the issue.

3. Unplug Mouse/Keyboard or Other Peripherals

You should also unplug all the external peripherals from your PC, such as the keyboard, mouse, printer, USB drives, and more. Then, reconnect the necessary USB devices to the PC to check for the issue. If the problem gets fixed, that means there is an issue with the USB device, or your PC system had some glitch earlier.

4. Press Alt+Enter keys

If you’re in the gameplay sessions and the controller gets disconnected automatically or can’t get recognized suddenly, then make sure to press the Alt+Enter keys on the keyboard to get out of the game screen. Then going back to the game screen again may fix the issue whatsoever.

5. Launch Steam in Big Picture Mode

Open the Steam client on your PC > Click on View from the top-left corner.
Now, choose Big Picture Mode > If prompted, click on Continue.
Click on Library > Go to Games under the Browse section.
Select Grounded > Now, exit from the Big Picture Mode, and check for the issue again.

6. Switch Screen Refresh Rate to 60Hz

Another step you’ll need to follow is to switch the screen refresh rate of your monitor to 60Hz, which is basic or recommended. Sometimes a higher screen refresh rate can trigger several glitches. To do so:

Press the Win+I keys to open Windows Settings.
Now, go to System > Click on Display.
Scroll down on the right pane > Click on Advanced display settings.
Here you can find out and select the 60Hz refresh rate easily. If it’s already set to 60Hz, you don’t need to change it.

7. Launch the Game in Windowed Mode using the Config file

Some affected Grounded players might experience a couple of issues with the gamepad/controller on the PC. Launching the Grounded game in Windowed Mode is recommended using the config file.

Go to File Explorer or This PC > Go to Documents.
Open the Grounded folder > Right-click on the Config.ini file.
Select Open With and choose Notepad > Now, the config file is open to edit it.
Here you’ll find out [window] mode is set to no. If so, make sure to replace it with yes. (If it’s already set to yes then leave it)
Make sure to press the Ctrl+S keys to save changes.
Close the file and check for the issue again.

8. Enable Steam Overlay

If you’re still having the same issue with the controller, we recommend enabling the Steam overlay option for the Grounded game. To do this:

Open the Steam client > Go to Library.
Now, right-click on Grounded > Select Properties.
Head over to the General section > Here just check the Enable Steam Overlay while in-game checkbox.

9. Configure the Steam General Controller Settings

Launch the Steam client on the PC.
Click on Steam from the top-left corner > Click on Settings.
Now, go to Controller > Click on General Controller Settings.
According to your controller type, you can check PlayStation Configuration Support, Xbox Configuration Support, or Generic Gamepad Configuration Support.
Click on OK to save changes.
Restart the Steam client and try running the Grounded game again.

10. Select High Performance in Graphics Settings

Click on the Start menu > Search for Graphics Settings and get into it.
Inside this, ensure that the Desktop app is selected > Click on Browse.
File Explorer window will open and head over to the installed Steam folder.
Go to Steamapps > Common > Grounded folder > Select the Grounded.exe application.
Click on Add to include it in the list.
Now, search for the game in the list > Click on Options of Grounded.
Then click on High Performance.
Click on Save, then try launching the game again to check for the issue.

11. Uncheck Controller in Steam Controller Settings

Sometimes unchecking the controller options in Steam Controller Settings may fix the gamepad not detecting or not working issue.

Launch the Steam client on the PC.
Click on Steam from the top-left corner > Click on Settings.
Now, go to Controller > Click on General Controller Settings.
Make sure to uncheck all the controller configuration support from the list.
Click on OK to save changes.
Restart the Steam client and try running the Grounded game again.

12. Disable/Enable Steam Input

Launch the Steam client > Go to Library.
Right-click on Grounded and select Properties.
Click on Controller > Click on ‘Use default settings’ drop-down menu.
You can select ‘Disable Steam Input’ from the list and try launching the Grounded game.
If you’re still facing the same problem, then make sure to follow the steps again and select ‘Enable Steam Input’ this time, then try again.

13. Use Steam Input Per Game Settings as Forced On or Forced Off

Open the Steam client on your PC > Click on View from the top-left corner.
Now, choose Big Picture Mode > If prompted, click on Continue.
Click on Library > Go to ‘Games’ under the Browse section.
Select ‘Grounded’ > Click on ‘Manage Games’ (Gear Icon).
Choose ‘Controller Options’ from the ‘Steam Input.’
Click on the down arrow icon to expand the list of “Change the Steam Input Per-Game Settings.”
Click on ‘Forced On’ > Click on OK to save changes.
Once done, restart your Steam client and check whether the controller is working.
If it’s not working yet, follow the steps again, select ‘Forced Off’ this time, and save the changes.
Finally, check for the issue again.

14. Use DS4Windows

Download the DS4Windows tool from the internet on the PC.
Now, install the tool and make sure to run the DS4Updater (exe) file from the installation folder.
Head over to the directory and double-click on the file to run it. If prompted by UAC, click on Yes to allow the admin access. It’ll install the latest DS4Windows app on your PC.
Open the DS4Windows tool > Go to the Settings tab from the interface.
Click on ‘Hide DS4 Controller’ to enable/checkmark it.
Make sure to close the interface and check for the issue again.

15. Try Using a Wired Controller

If none of the methods worked for you, try using a wired/generic controller to the PC by using a USB cable to check for the issue. The chances are high that somehow the Bluetooth connectivity of the controller can’t hold its nerves with your PC’s connectivity or vice versa.

That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.