How to Fix Forza Horizon 6 Controller or Gamepad Not Working on PC?
Forza Horizon 6 can show keyboard prompts or ignore every button even though Windows says the controller is connected. That means the controller may be reaching the PC, but the game is not receiving a clean gamepad signal from it.
On PC, the same controller can reach FH6 through USB, Bluetooth, Steam Input, Gaming Services, or a wheel profile. Extra wheels, pedals, spare receivers, or a second controller can also make the game listen to the wrong device.
That is why the controller can work in another game, work only over USB, or appear in Windows while FH6 still behaves like only the keyboard exists. The fastest repair is to prove where input stops before changing Steam or Forza settings.
| What you see | What to check first |
|---|---|
| The controller is missing from Windows’ game-controller test. | Fix the cable, port, firmware, pairing, or controller driver before changing FH6 settings. |
| Windows sees the controller, but FH6 ignores it. | Disconnect extra input devices and launch FH6 with one controller connected. |
| USB works but Bluetooth does not. | Remove and re-pair the Bluetooth controller, then retest it in Windows. |
| The Steam edition shows keyboard prompts or odd mappings. | Test the per-game Steam Input override and restore a normal gamepad layout. |
| FH6 warns about Gaming Services, or the PC runtime is outdated. | Update Gaming Services, FH6, Steam/Xbox app, Store, and Windows. |
| The device is a wheel, pedals, shifter, or handbrake setup. | Check Forza’s supported-device list, firmware, direct USB, and wheel profile mapping. |
1. Confirm That Windows Detects the Controller
If Windows itself does not see the buttons, sticks, or triggers, FH6 has nothing reliable to read.
Controller input fails when Windows is using a weak cable, stale firmware, a bad Bluetooth session, or the wrong active device. Forza’s controller troubleshooting starts with those Windows-side checks for exactly this reason.
The cleanest first test is Windows’ own game-controller panel. If the buttons do not react there, FH6 is not the problem yet.
This section is only a read-and-confirm pass unless you change the Preferred device. No rollback is needed for joy.cpl itself; if you do change the preferred device, note the old selection first so you can put it back.
- Press Win + R, type
joy.cpl, and press Enter. - Look for the controller in the Game Controllers window.
If the pad is not present in Windows’ own game-controller panel, FH6 is not the first layer that needs fixing. - Select the controller, open Properties, and check the sticks, triggers, and buttons on the Test tab.
If buttons and axes do not respond here, the issue is still at the Windows or controller layer and not yet specific to FH6. - If several gamepads appear, select Advanced and choose the controller you want as the Preferred device.
- If the controller is missing or unresponsive, reconnect it, try another USB port or cable, and update its firmware. Xbox controllers can be updated through the official Xbox controller firmware process.
If the controller fails in joy.cpl, stop testing FH6. Appuals has a focused Xbox controller on Windows guide for that Windows-side problem. If it works there, continue below with connected devices.
If every button reacts correctly in Windows, leave the controller connected and remove competing input devices next.
2. Disconnect Extra Devices and Use a Direct USB Port
FH6 can read gamepads, wheels, pedals, shifters, handbrakes, and spare wireless receivers. If more than one input device is active, the game may keep listening to a different device while your controller looks connected.
Forza’s controller guide tells PC players to disconnect other devices, avoid USB switches or hubs, and plug the controller directly into the PC. This is especially important when a wheel or multi-USB setup has been connected recently.
Because only one controller is connected directly to the PC, FH6 has a much cleaner input choice. The test also removes hubs, docks, and extenders from the result.
- Exit Forza Horizon 6 completely.
- Disconnect every unused game-input device, including a second controller, wheel, shifter, pedal set, flight stick, handbrake, or spare wireless receiver.
Extra wheels, pedals, shifters, or second pads can make FH6 prioritize the wrong device even when the controller itself is working in Windows. - If the controller supports USB, connect it directly to a rear motherboard USB port instead of a hub, dock, or front-panel extender.
Microsoft’s hardware guidance and Forza’s FH6 device guidance both favor direct USB ports over hubs when input devices behave inconsistently. - Try one different direct USB port if the first port does not change the result.
- Launch FH6 with only that controller connected and press a controller button after the main menu appears.
This section is not needed when the controller already works in FH6 with your normal setup. If FH6 responds with the extra devices removed, reconnect devices one at a time until you find the device taking priority.
If the controller still works in Windows but not in FH6, compare a direct USB test with Bluetooth, then continue below if the wireless test is the one failing.
3. Remove and Re-Pair a Bluetooth Controller
A Bluetooth controller can stay listed as connected while its input link is stale. Windows may remember the device, but FH6 receives no useful button presses from that wireless session.
Microsoft’s Bluetooth troubleshooting recommends removing and adding a Bluetooth device again when it appears in the list but does not connect correctly.
Forza’s controller guide lists the same re-pairing step for PC players. Use this only for wireless controller failures; a controller that fails over USB still needs the Windows test from the first method.
- Open Get Help in Windows and run the automated Bluetooth troubleshooter.
Microsoft’s current Bluetooth guidance now points Windows users to the Get Help troubleshooter first for pairing and connection issues. - Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices, remove the controller, put it back into pairing mode, and add it again.
Microsoft’s current Bluetooth troubleshooting says to remove and re-add the device if it appears in the list but still does not connect correctly. - Charge the controller or install fresh batteries before pairing again.
- Turn Bluetooth off, wait several seconds, turn it back on, and retest the controller in
joy.cpl. - Connect the same controller through a direct USB cable and test FH6 once.
If USB works while Bluetooth fails, keep treating it as a wireless problem. If both USB and Bluetooth work in Windows, continue below with the storefront input setting. For broader adapter or pairing failures, use the Appuals Windows Bluetooth guide.
If Bluetooth works in Windows but FH6 still ignores the controller, check the Steam or PC runtime setting that sits between the game and the controller.
4. Update Gaming Services, FH6, Steam or Xbox App, and Windows
Gaming Services is not only for the Xbox app version.
FH6 can fail strangely when the game is current but the Windows gaming runtime is not.
Forza’s FH6 Gaming Services guide says PC players on both Steam and Xbox app need the required Gaming Services update before playing.
This matters because FH6 still uses Windows gaming components even when you bought the game on Steam. The update check makes sure the game is running on the current PC runtime before you judge controller input again.
Use this only to update or read the installed build. No rollback is needed for the version check itself. On a managed work or school PC, use the normal administrator update process instead of bypassing Store or Windows Update policy.
- Open the Microsoft Store, go to Downloads, and select Check for updates.
- Update Gaming Services if an update is offered.
Forza’s current FH6 support says PC players on both Steam and Xbox app need the required Gaming Services update before playing. - Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps, search for Gaming Services, open Advanced options, and note the installed version.
Forza Support gives a minimum version number, so it is worth checking the installed build instead of assuming the update already happened. - Compare it with the minimum version currently listed by Forza Support instead of relying on an old screenshot.
- Install pending Forza Horizon 6, Steam or Xbox app, Microsoft Store, and Windows Update updates.
- Restart the PC before testing the controller again.
Do not uninstall or reset Gaming Services here. This method only checks and updates the existing component.
If Gaming Services itself will not install, use Microsoft’s official Gaming Services Repair Tool instead of forcing a manual reset.
If controller input returns after updating, the PC runtime or game build was stale. If a normal controller still fails, collect the controller model and connection type for support. For racing hardware, continue below with supported-device checks.
6. Check Wheel and Hybrid-Input Support Separately
A racing wheel with separate pedals, shifter, or handbrake is not the same as one ordinary gamepad.
Wheel input fails when FH6 has only partial support for that model, when the manufacturer driver is missing, or when each USB device needs to be mapped manually. That matters because FH6 reads those axes through wheel profiles, not the standard gamepad layout.
Forza’s supported wheels and devices page lists PC support, partial-support notes, manufacturer driver requirements, and USB guidance.
Forza also has a separate wheel input on Steam article for axis and mapping problems.
Before changing a custom wheel profile, photograph the current mapping or save the profile if your software allows it, so you have a rollback point.
- Compare the exact wheelbase and peripheral models with Forza’s current supported-device list.
- Install the latest driver and firmware from the wheel manufacturer.
- Connect the wheelbase directly to the PC. Avoid hubs unless the wheel manufacturer specifically supports that setup.
- Attach compatible pedals or shifters through the wheelbase when the manufacturer supports that layout.
- If the wheel, pedals, or shifter use separate USB ports, open Advanced Controls > Wheel > Custom Profile and map steering, pedals, and buttons manually.
- If a mapping change makes the setup worse, restore the previous profile or return to the default wheel profile.
If a supported wheel works after firmware or custom mapping, the problem was device support or profile assignment.
If a standard controller still fails only in FH6 after Windows detection, direct USB, Bluetooth, Steam Input, and Gaming Services checks, send Forza Support the controller model, connection type, storefront, Steam Input setting, and whether it responds in joy.cpl.
