Lies of P: Fix Controller Not Working

Lies of P launches September 30, 2023, bringing Pinocchio to a dark Bloodborne-inspired setting. But some PC players report controller issues like buttons not working properly.

As a longtime action RPG fan, having a controller fail mid-fight in Lies of P could mean a brutal death. So I’ve researched ways to get PS5, Xbox, and other controllers functioning smoothly on PC for its launch.

Follow my troubleshooting guide below to slash and parry through Lies of P using your preferred gamepad without issues.

Common Lies of P PC Controller Issues

Here are the problems players have reported with controllers in early access:

• Buttons not responding
• Joysticks not working
• Improperly mapped controls
• Disconnecting gamepads

How To Fix Controller Not Working in Lies of P

Go through the list of tweaks one by one and check whether your controller starts working or not.

Reconnect Your Controller

• For wired controllers, unplug the USB cable from both the PC and controller, wait a few seconds, and then firmly reconnect.
• For wireless controllers, manually unpair the controller in your PC’s Bluetooth settings, power the controller off/on, re-pair the device, and try connecting again.
• For wireless receivers, unplug the receiver from your PC, wait a few moments, plug it back in, resync the controller, and reconnect.

Check Your Controller’s Connection

The second thing you’ll want to do is make sure your controller is actually appropriately connected to your PC. Here’s a quick checklist:

• Wired Controllers: Ensure the USB cable is securely plugged into your PC’s controller and an open USB port. Try different ports if needed.
• Wireless Controllers: Ensure the controller is paired and connected via Bluetooth or plugged into the wireless receiver if it uses one.
• Power: If the controller has a battery, ensure it’s charged. Try swapping in fresh batteries if it uses those.
• Lights/Vibration: Check if the controller powers on and has any lights, rumbles, or other indicators when you press buttons.

Launch Steam in Big Picture Mode

If your controller isn’t working properly in a Steam game, check the controller configurations in Steam’s Big Picture mode.

• Launch Steam and enter Big Picture mode. Click the controller icon in the top right.
• Go to Settings > Controller Settings and make sure your controller is enabled.
• Navigate back and choose your game from your Library.
• Select Manage Game > Controller Configuration.
• Choose Browse Configs > Templates.
• Try changing to the Gamepad template instead of the official one.
• Test your controller in the game again.

The default gamepad template uses generic controller inputs that sometimes fix issues caused by customized configs. It’s an easy thing to try.

Disable Steam Input

In some cases, Steam’s controller software interferes with games with built-in controller support.

To rule this out:

• In your Steam library, right-click the game and choose Properties.
• Go to the Controller tab.
• Change the Steam Input setting to Disable under the game’s name.
• Restart Steam and test the controller again.

Disabling Steam Input forces the game to use its own internal controller support instead. If the controller works after making this change, you know Steam Input was the culprit.

Another thing that might make a difference for a few would be disconnecting your mouse and keyword when Steam is launched in Big Picture Mode. Almost every device I use is now Wireless, and having multiple wireless devices is known to conflict with each other.

These few tweaks helped me solve the controller issue in Lies of P. I hope these help you out, too.